I could have very well used the Zuiko OM 50mm F3.5 Macro for these close-ups, but on this occasion, I opted instead for the nifty-fifty Zuiko OM 50mm 1:1.8. While both lenses have similar 50mm focal lengths, the 50mm 1:1.8 is more of a general-use lens with a minimum focus distance of 0.45 meters instead of 0.25 meters of the 3.5 Macro and comes with a wider minimum aperture opening.
As the norm, Olympus lenses are known for their good build quality and performance. The same could also be said of the 50mm 1:1.8, with the accolade that the 1:1.8 is even sharper than the 50mm F1.4 itself. Over its production run from 1972 to 2002, six (6) different iterations of the lens were produced.
Production started with the 6-element in 5-group Olympus M-System F.Zuiko Auto-S 1.8/50 which is available in three (3) different versions, including an intermediate version with a silver nose. Later versions included the Olympus OM-System Zuiko MC Auto-S 1.8/50, Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-S 50mm 1:1.8, and the much sought-after Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-S 50mm 1:1.8 which is also embossed with the 'Made in Japan' lettering on the front lens rim.
I was using the lens for a short stint recently, with the lens mounted on a Nikon N75, and here I am back again, this time with the lens mounted on a Nikon F-601, out on an early morning walk in the park. Images were captured on a roll of Kodak ColorPlus 200, lab-processed, and scanned on the CanoScan 9000F MkII.
The AF Nikkor 35-105mm 1:3.5~4.5 D, or in its full designation, 'Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-105mm f/3.5~4.5D IF' is a 16-elements in 12-groups NIC (Nikon Integrated Coating) multicoated push-pull zoom lens, introduced in 1995. The lens was the last of three versions after the original Nikon's AF Zoom Nikkor 35-105mm f/3.5~4.5, produced from 1986 to 1991, and the replacement Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-105mm f/3.5~4.5N MK II which was in production from 1991 to 1995.
The AF Nikkor 35-105mm 1:3.5~4.5 D version, incidentally, is the only version fully compatible with all 35mm SLR Nikon film cameras and Nikon FX digital cameras manufactured from 1977 onward. As for the camera, the Nikon F601 is a 1990 vintage, the first Nikon to use a 6V Lithium battery pack, and the second to be fitted with the improved autofocus and spot metering system which is the mainstay of the high-end F-801s.
The F-601 is fitted with a built-in pop-up electronic flash, a top shutter speed of 1/2000 of a second, and a new "Matrix" evaluative multi-zone metering program. It is compatible with a wide range of Nikon F-mount lenses, including both autofocus and manual focus types. During its production, the F-601 sat between the Nikon F-401 and Nikon F-801s in the company's consumer SLR range.
