OLYMPUS ZUIKO 50mm f/1.8.     Tested May 1983, with OM-G.

Lens number not given                 


Specifications: 50mm f/1.8 Zuiko MC Auto fixed mount for Olympus SLRs; No. 5000000?; Accepts 49mm filters. { This is the Mandler design with "Made in Japan" on the front ring}.

                  PERFORMANCE
Our Standard As Tested
Focal length: + - 5%
(47.50 - 52.50mm) 		51.87mm
Aperture: + - 5%
(f/1.71 - 1.89) 		f/ 1.86
Distortion: ( + - 1.5%) Less than 1% (barrel)
Light falloff; at f/ 5.6
+1 stop from theoretical limit
(0 - 1.3 stops) 		0.5 stops


                    RESOLUTION

OLYMPUS ZUIKO 50mm f/1.8
at 1:50
f/ Center
(l/mm) 		Corner
(l/mm)
1.8 Good 50 Excellent 40
2.8 Good 50 Excellent 45
4 Good 56 V. Good 50
5.6 V. Good 63 Excellent 63
8 Excellent 71 Excellent 63
11 Excellent 63 Excellent 63
16 V. Good 56 Excellent 50
                      CONTRAST

OLYMPUS ZUIKO 50mm f/1.8
at 30 lines / mm
f/ Center
( % ) 		Corner
( % )
1.8 High 48 Low 24
2.8 High 60 High 39
4 High 67 High 56
5.6 High 60 High 62
8 Medium 57 High 63
11 High 54 High 60
16 High 50 High 56


Practical comments: None provided.

Field test slides: Sharp, crisp throughout aperture range. center and edge - an above average performance for a 50mm normal lens.

Optical bench analysis (for optical experts only): On axis, bright core, slight spherical aberration, gone by f/5.6. Off axis, slight yellow-orange skew-ray flare with very slight astigmatism, greatly improved by f/4 and gone by f/8. Slight blue-green lateral color. ( May 1983)

Modern's Photo Buying Guide '85
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