Review of OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4

For the provided lens OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 many thanks Roman Stepoviy.

In short

OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 is a classic telephoto lens of the film era. Compact, lightweight, multi-coated. This review shows the latest version/sub-version of the Zuiko 200/4 family.

There are several main versions of the OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 for SLR cameras:

1. OLYMPUS SYSTEM E.ZUIKO AUTO-T 1:4 f=200mm, mounting thread M42, for Olympus FTL cameras. 'E' stands for five elements in the optical design (the English letter 'E' is the fifth)
2. OLYMPUS M-SYSTEM E.ZUIKO AUTO-T 1:4 f=200mm, despite the lonely letter 'M', the lens is no different from the subsequent full version 'OM'
3. OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM E.ZUIKO AUTO-T 1:4 f=200mm
4. OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO MC AUTO-T 1:4 f=200mm, multi-coated version
5. OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4, the version from this review, also has multi-coating. The latest versions of OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO lenses have abandoned the 'MC' markings and the letter indicating the number of elements in the optical design (in this case 'E')

There is information on the network that some models have been improved during their production period - the types of optical glass have changed, the coating has improved. It is quite difficult to separate such improvements into separate subversions.

Main technical characteristics of OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4:

Name of instances from review	OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 260393 made in Japan
Basic properties	Lens designed for full frame film cameras Manual focus only CAR - automatic iris control OM-SYSTEM – Olympus OM mount T - Tele, telephoto lens Zuiko (Zuiko) – Light of the Gods Metal case Multi-coated optics (although there is no MC marking)
Front Filter Diameter	55 mm, metal thread for filters
Body materials	All parts of the lens barrel are made of metal, the focusing ring is rubberized
Focal length	200 mm
Diagonal viewing angles	12° for full frame cameras
Zoom ratio	1 x
Designed by	for film cameras with Olympus OM mount
Number of aperture blades	8 straight (not rounded) petals
Tags	markings on the focusing ring with focusing distance in meters and feet, there are marks for 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 30 meters and an infinity mark (white marks m) + 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100 feet (orange ft marks) Ring with aperture values, there are marks for F/4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32; other intermediate values ​​cannot be set DOF scale for F/8, 16, 32 Infrared Label green text '200mm' LENS MADE IN JAPAN on the silver part of the mount
Diaphragm	from F/4 to F/32. The lens has an aperture control ring
MDF (minimum focusing distance)	2.5 meters
The weight	515 grams (measured, only the lens itself)
Optical design	5 elements in 4 groups. The lens does not use special optical elements. The image is clickable.
Lens hood	Built-in, telescopic, retractable, metal
Period	The model has been produced since 1972. Versions with MS since about the 1980s
Manufacturer country	LENS MADE IN JAPAN (Lens made in Japan)
Price	New do not sell. In a variant B. at. 50-150 cu

This lens can be easily installed on any modern digital mirrorless camera. For installation, you should use the appropriate adapter/adapter, which allows you to use lenses with an Olympus OM mount on the desired mirrorless system without any problems or restrictions. Below is a list of systems/mounts with links to the necessary adapters/adapters: Sony E/FE/NEX, Canon RF/RF-S, Canon EF-M, Nikon Z, Nikon 1, Leica l, FujiFilm GFX, fujifilm x, Samsung NX, Micro 4 / 3.

Assembly, control, focus

OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 made very high quality. The filter diameter is only 55 mm. The focus ring is rubberized, the aperture ring is not. There is a built-in retractable lens hood. The edge of the hood has a small metal ring, through which it is convenient to slide the hood out.

The aperture control ring is located at the front of the lens, convenient to use, and has no intermediate values.

Focus ring OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 rotates approximately 180 degrees. During focusing, the front lens (together with the thread for filters) moves forward, but does not rotate.

On the body there is a scale for focusing distance in meters and feet and a DOF scale.

OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 has a slight 'Focus Breathing' effect (changing the viewing angle while focusing). When focusing towards the MDF, the viewing angle decreases.

Sample photos (Full Frame)

The pictures in the gallery were taken with a camera Canon EOS 5D (Full Frame, 13 MP), which has already become a “digital classic,” and an adapter Olympus OM -> Canon EF. All photos for this review were prepared by Natalia (Instagram). All photos in this review are shown without processing, according to the principles ZEROJPEG.

Jpeg source photos download / watch this link (25+ photos, Google Drive gallery). The lens is optically significantly better than Soviet ones Tele-N 3.5 / 200 и Jupiter-21M 4/200.

The OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 copy from this review was modified by its owner: the hood was always fixed in the active position, and the helicoid was modified to allow focusing at a distance of about 1 meter.

Results

OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM ZUIKO AUTO-T 200mm 1:4 – classic, easy to use, with good image quality.

10 main advantages

1. quality assembly
2. balanced combination of aperture and focal length
3. light weight
4. small sizes (for example, similar Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1: 4 / 200 ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN significantly larger)
5. convenient focusing ring
6. low cost in the secondary market
7. ease of adaptation to mirrorless systems (and some mirrored ones, like Canon EF)
8. good resolution at closed apertures
9. multi-illuminated optics
10. beautiful bokeh

10 main disadvantages

1. large MDF (is 250 centimeters)
2. only 8 aperture blades
3. there are no intermediate values ​​for the aperture control ring between pairs of numbers
4. difficulty adapting to some mirror systems
5. difficult to determine version/subversion and year of production
6. significant chromatic aberration
7. minor problems when working in back and side light (even with multi-coating)
8. other minor optical imperfections
9. ?
10. ? come on, this is a good lens, why bother with it?

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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram