The OM 50mm 1.8 was the standard kit lens for the Olympus OM series film cameras. Olympus made quite a few good lenses and in this review I would like to explore the standard 50mm to see where it stands.
There are multiple versions of this lens. The consensus is the later versions are better optically, with the “made in japan” version being the best due to a sticky aperture fix and multi-coating improvements.
- Silvernose – “F.ZUIKO” label with a silver ring on the front. Single coated, 6 elements in 5 groups.
- Blacknose – “F.ZUIKO” label without the silver ring. Single coated, same 6/5 optics.
- MC – “ZUIKO MC Japan” label. Multi coated, new 6 elements in 4 groups design.
- Made in Japan (This Review) – “ZUIKO made in Japan” label. Multi coated, same 6/4 optics.
The lens is made of a lightweight metal exterior and contains plastic parts inside. Handling feels good on the a6300 – I quickly forget there’s a lens on the camera when shooting. The focus ring is smooth but not buttery. The focus-by-wire mechanism works well with this lens and while I don’t have any issues using it, it’s not as nice as a dedicated manual focus experience.
Northern Winter Sky 