Olympus OM-Zuiko 35-80mm f2.8

Review Date
April 8, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.50 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by
, Expert , from Rolling Meadows, IL

Price Paid
$1369.00 at B&H

Photography Experience
11-20 years , Outdoor

Summary
Outstanding. Can't think of a word to
emphasize its performance more. Wide
open its very good, by f/8 its sharpness
is insane!! Of course this is assuming
you use a steady support for your camera.
(There are idiots out there who hand hold their cameras with mega $$$$ lenses and then complain about their sharpness).

Build quality is superb, and has an exquisite feel to the touch. This is my
prime (err..zoom) workhorse lens that I carry everywhere with me for serious travel photography. When I get the slides
back from the lab and lay them out on the light table,I can only look at them with a film in my eye and say, "Oh Olympus, why did you quit on us?"

Strengths
Sharpness?? This is *retarded* sharp !
Contrast, color, build quality.

Weaknesses
Slight hint of barrel at 35mm. Not a
problem because this is not an architecture lens.

Cost. This lens doesn't come cheap, but it
promises the highest performance for what
you pay. People spend a couple of grand on new high end computers every few years
that loose nearly all their value afterward.
But good lenses, like diamonds, are forever.

Similar Products Used
Zuiko 35-70/3.6

Review Date
March 14, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.50 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by
jonequinn , Expert

Price Paid
$0.00

Photography Experience
21+ years

Summary
the best zoom lens in oly om system.
one of the best zoom lens in all zooms by all makers.

Strengths
sharp, bright, hi-fi, tones, colors.

Weaknesses
whish is could be a little shorter and lighter:)

Similar Products Used
all om zooms, and other brands too.

Customer Service
no

Review Date
October 20, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by
jonequinn , Expert

Price Paid
$0.00

Photography Experience
21+ years

Summary
a very practical ranges of focal length.

Strengths
sharp, color, tones.

Weaknesses
1] not so easy to focus at >2meters, especially at infinity, with the split focusing screen?
2] to make the strait line strait in the split focusing screen, the distance marker on the lens barrel is useless, 2-3meters could be at infinity, or infinity could be at the 3-5meters!

Similar Products Used
most of the om zooms

Review Date
May 10, 2000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by
Ben Murphy , Expert , from Pueblo, Colorado

Photography Experience
21+ years , Other

Summary
Fantastic lens - no flare shooting with sun in photo. Super sharp.

Strengths
None

Weaknesses
Olympus is no longer upgrading their professional level 35 mm SLRs.

Similar Products Used
None

Review Date
August 17, 1999

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by
Bill Mitchell , Expert , from San Jose, Ca

Photography Experience
11-20 years , Fine Art

Summary
Simply the best zoom I've ever used. By far. Heck, it's better wide open than some of my primes.

Strengths
None

Weaknesses
None

Similar Products Used
Nikon 80-200/2.8
Several Tokinas.