Thanks to: lindertv@knmi.nl (Frank van Lindert) [Ed. Note: I have updated Frank's original post based on some Oly System Handbooks that I have --RLH] Wed Apr 1 12:28:37 EST 1998 version I hereby re-post a contribution of 1996/7/17 on the subject of multi-coating: I tried to compare MC data of all Zuiko lenses I know of from some booklets issued by Olympus. They are Manuals for the Zuiko Interchangeable Lens Group (MZILG) as packed with bodies in earlier times, body manuals with lists of all available lenses at time of publication in them, and the Olympus Lens Handbook. Dates of issue (month and year): 01-74 Manual for OM-1 (my first, the only one I ever bought new) 10-74 MZILG packed with OM-1 above 01-78 OM System Sales Information File 07-78 MZILG 01-79 Manual OM-2 03-80 Lens Group Manual 10-80 Manual OM-10 Q 02-81 Manual OM-10 12-81 OM-1 Instruction Booklet 01-82 Manual same OM-10 in French 04-82 MZILG 04-84 Olympus System Handbook 12-84 Olympus System Chart 04-85 Olympus System Chart 10-85 Olympus Lens Handbook 12-85 Olympus System Handbook 10-86 Zuiko Lens Leaflet 10-92 Olympus System Handbook In next table I give date of first appearance and date of first mentioning 'MC' respectively 1st: MC: comment: 8/2.8 10-74 never 16/3.5 10-74 12-81 18/3.5 10-74 01-78 20/2.0 macro 04-84 04-84 20/3.5 macro 01-74 01-79 last mentioned 04-85 21/2.0 01-79 01-78 21/3.5 01-74 12-81 24/2.0 01-74 01-78 24/2.8 01-74 12-81 24/3.5 shift 04-84 04-84 28/2.0 01-74 01-78 28/2.8 02-81 02-81 28/3.5 01-74 never last mentioned 02-81 35/2.0 01-74 01-78 35/2.8 01-74 12-81 35/2.8 shift 01-74 10-85 38/2.8 macro 04-84 04-84 38/3.5 macro 01-74 01-79 last mentioned 04-85 40/2.0 04-84 04-84 50/1.2 04-84 04-84 50/1.4 01-74 03-80 50/1.8 01-74 10-80 50/2.0 macro 10-85 10-85 50/3.5 macro 01-74 10-78 55/1.2 01-74 never 80/4.0 macro 01-74 01-79 * there were two versions of this lens, manual and auto. The manual one had no helicoid and the rubberized grip (usually the focusing ring) was the aperture ring and the other ring was preset aperture ring. The write-up does not mention the Telescopic Auto Tube which I take to mean it was not released at that time (01-78). The following page (unfortunately undated) describes the Zuiko MC 1:1 Macro 80mm F4 / Close-up lens 80mm Macro f=170mm. It appears to be optically the same lens but with auto-diaphragm and rear elements protruding far beyond the lens mount. I should think it safe to assume that the manual version was SC and the auto version MC only. The Auxiliary lens enabled the lens to achieve magnifications in range 1X to 2X in with the Telescopic Auto Tube 85/2.0 01-74 01-79 90/2.0 macro 10-85 10-85 100/2.0 04-84 04-84 100/2.8 01-74 12-81 135/2.8 01-74 10-78 135/3.5 01-74 10-85 indeed, the lens handbook says MC 135/4.5 macro 10-80 10-80 180/2.0 10-85 10-85 180/2.8 01-79 01-79 200/4.0 10-74 10-78 200/5.0 01-74 12-81 last mentioned 04-82 250/2.0 04-84 04-84 300/4.5 01-74 12-81 350/2.8 04-84 04-84 400/6.3 01-74 01-79 500/8.0 reflex 04-84 04-84 600/6.5 01-74 01-79 1000/11.0 01-74 01-79 28-48/4.0 04-84 04-84 last mentioned 12-85 28-85/3.5-4 - - this lens was only mentioned in Olympus leaflet. Was it ever built apart from the AF version? 35-70/3.5-4.5 04-85 04-85 35-70/3.6 01-79 01-79 35-70/4.0 02-81 02-81 last mentioned 12-85 35-70/4.0 AF 04-84 04-84 last mentioned 12-85 35-80/2.8 - - built later than covered by my books 35-105/3.5-4.5 04-84 04-84 50-250/5.0 10-92 10-92 65-200/4.0 04-84 04-84 75-150/4.0 01-74 10-85 last mentioned 12-85 85-250/5.0 01-79 01-79 last mentioned 12-85 100-200/5.0 04-84 04-84 last mentioned 12-85 1.4x teleconv 04-84 04-84 2x teleconv 04-82 04-82 Please note that the dates must not be considered as starting (or ending) dates of issue or MC feature. The time gaps between the booklets I own are too wide for that. Maybe we can narrow the gaps? If we only had a list of serial numbers and corresponding dates of manufacturing... I already corrected some obvious mistakes of the lens handbook myself. Maybe I even missed a lens altogether... Frank. NB: According to Olympus America, the way to tell if a lens is multicoated is to look at the writing on the front. If the lens has an element letter (eg G.Zuiko) it is single coated. If it lacks the element letter, and/or has MC on the front, it is multicoated. Thanks also to: "Branko GT" "John Austin"