Olympus Zuiko MC Auto-S 50 mm 1:1.8 with Focal Reducer 0.7x [OM > EF > m4/3]

Olympus Zuiko 50/1.8 is my favourite manual focus lens. It's really sharp, provides good contrast and is really comfortable to use. Not to mention its creamy bokeh.
That's why I was wondering how it'd work with my

Focal Reducer 0.7x

(more elaborate description, packaging, FR photos and first impressions here).

I was waiting for over a month, but it finally came - EF > OM adapter. A really solid piece of metal I must say - a trustworthy one. It fits my EF Focal Reducer even better than EF > M42 used before.

Olympus Zuiko 50/1.8 without Focal Reducer EF - aperture unknown.

Previously I presented you first impressions with Micro Four Thirds Focal Reducer 0.7x with EF mount. Unfortunately, I didn't used best possible lenses. Both Beroflex 85/1.7 and MIR-1B 37/2.8 weren't the sharpest tools in my box. Also it was the middle of winter, it was snowing, so the conditions were far from perfect. Recently it got much warmer and sunnier, so today I'd like to present you razor-sharp Olympus Zuiko 50/1.8 with OM mount.

Olympus Zuiko MC Auto-S 50 mm 1:1.8 [OM]

Olympus Zuiko 50/1.8 is one my favourite lenses. I used it with Olympus OM-10, then Olympus E-3 and now with Lumix G-2. Every time works great. It's not the fastest of Zuiko 50s , but a very common and useful one. Attached to M4/3 camera gives you a portrait or a close-up lens. During some tests I used it for nature close-ups, because what's most interesting is the bokeh!

Olympus used to manufacture a lot of great 50s. There's of course 50/1.4, but also a nice 55/1.2, which was slightly radioactive. Well, some of them, but those are highly collectible and therefore pricey right now.
However, I like my 50/1.8 and all the effects I can with it.

Taken from the same place, with same settings, but focused at different distance

The most important question: WHY?

Exactly, why to start a blog, when you can find gazillions of samples all over the web.

First of all - it's not that simple. I felt frustrated hundreds of times, when I wanted to buy an unusual lens and couldn't find a single photo, which was made with one. I decided to take some pictures myself and show them to you!

Second - FUN! :)
For last few days I was taking photos with two of my special M42 lenses:

• AUTO BEROFLEX LENS 85 MM 1:1.7 (M42)
• AUTO EYEMIK MULTI-COATED 135 MM 1:1.8 (M42, "LENS MADE IN JAPAN")

I was trying to take best shots. Show the bokeh, depth of field, strong and weak spots of those two. Finally I showed it to my friends and they loved it. Simple as it is.

Finally, I have a huge collection of lenses. I started collecting cameras, but it turned out, that the soul of the picture is not in the shutter. It's 50/50 - lens and film/sensor.

One more important thing. Descriptions of lenses that are going to appear won't be professional lens tests with charts, 100% crops, measuring the aberration, distortion, vignetting, etc. Again, there are many great and flawless tests of newest lenses that show all pros and cons. I just want to show some unusual lenses, present some samples and share my knowledge :) But! in case anyone had a request to test any lens in particular way - don't hesitate and let me know!

That's it. Hope you'll enjoy it and find it useful.

P.

P.S. Sometimes I have some weird ideas to create lens-a-like objects, so I hope I'll let you know about them here!