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Olympus Pen E-P5, FD-mount Sigma Super-Wide 24mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, FD-mount Sigma Super-Wide 24mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, FD-mount Sigma Super-Wide 24mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, FD-mount Sigma Super-Wide 24mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Sigma Super-Wide 24mm f/2.8

Digital Moments: A look at vintage primes and legacy lenses equivalent to the standard normal primes on 4/3 mirrorless or APS-C digital SLR cameras.

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I have had this low-cost, early version FD-mount Sigma Super-Wide 24mm f/2.8 for quite a while now, but was unable to get a close-fit Micro Four Thirds adapter until only recently. A couple of earlier attempts were disasters, as the mounts were never a proper fit, shaking and wobbling when fitted to the adapter. This last option, actually the lowest-priced listing I could find on the Big Bay, is made from a lighter material than the previous two and feels less robust, but it is a perfect fit for both lens and camera.

The Sigma Super-Wide 24mm 1:2.8 is a legacy lens acclaimed for its balance of affordability, optical performance, and versatility. Designed for the era of 35mm full-frame film cameras, this lens is now compatible with mirrorless camera systems through lens adapters. Fitted to the 16MP CMOS Olympus Pen E-P5, the lens is equivalent to a 48mm prime on a 35mm full-frame camera, the focal length of a standard normal lens.

Lenses with a full-frame equivalent focal length of around 40 to 60mm have the angle of view and perspective similar to what the eye sees, and coupled with a fast 1:2.8 aperture, make the lens ideal for a wide range of photography genres, including landscapes, street photography, and architectural shots, or just as a general-purpose lens.

The Sigma Super-Wide 24mm 1:2.8, which enjoys a rating of Sharpness (7.5), Aberrations (8.0), Bokeh (8.0), Handling (8.0), and Value (9.5) on PentaxForums, is said to have been introduced in 1981, with the follow-up Super-Wide II, with a plastic aperture ring, in 1986. The two are optically similar (if not identical) and share similar specifications, though reviews indicate that the II is slightly better in image contrast quality.

The 6-bladed lens, which features a polycarbonate barrel with a metal mount, has an aperture range from f2.8 to f22 with half-click stops, a focus throw of 180 degrees, takes 52mm filters, and weighs around 195 grams with variations according to the mount fitted. A standout feature of the lens is its 1:4 magnification ratio when set to its minimum focusing distance of 0.18 meters.

Though the review unit is well past its 40th birthday, built without weather sealing and susceptible to dust and moisture ingress, it still has the optical clarity, albeit with minor exterior wear, of a mint. As a testament to its built quality, the focus ring is well-damped and very smooth, and aperture stops are clickety new. The lens should do equally well for APS-C digital SLR users looking for a cost-effective equivalent to a standard normal prime.

Olympus Pen E-P5, FD-mount Sigma Super-Wide 24mm 1:2.8

The Olympus Pen E-P5, a 2013 issue, is the fourth iteration of the E-P model series, which continues with the updates with a 16MP MOS sensor (the same as seen on the  E-M5), an advanced '5-axis' in-body image stabilization with automatic panning detection, 9 fps continuous shooting, tilting rear touch screen, a top shutter speed of 1/8000 second, and a feature much sought after (of late) by vintage enthusiasts with legacy lenses - a 'peaking' display to assist manual focus.

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Olympus Zuiko MC 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Olympus Zuiko MC 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Olympus Zuiko MC 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Olympus Zuiko MC 21mm f/3.5

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Olympus Zuiko OM MC 21mm f/3.5, A Lens Worth The Keep

Digital Moments: A quick look at a highly recommended legacy prime well worth its keep value and usability on modern digital cameras with crop sensors.

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Vintage enthusiasts looking for a manual focus legacy worth the keep, or one worth for a keepsake, should look at the Olympus Zuiko OM MC 21mm f/3.5 as one with potentially very high credentials. This 7-element in 7 groups lens, a testament to Yoshihisa Maitani’s design philosophy for lightweight, portable, and high-quality photography equipment, was the smallest and lightest ultra-wide-angle when it was first introduced with the Olympus OM-1 35mm SLR film system cameras in 1972. The lens is acknowledged for its unusually high resolving power with excellent contrast even at full aperture.

The Olympus Zuiko OM MC 21mm f/3.5, seen here with an OM-M4/3 Lens Adapter

The lens, a lesser of two siblings (the other being the faster Olympus Zuiko 21mm 1:2), was seen over a couple of iterations. It was first introduced as the G.Zuiko Auto-W 21mm f/3.5, and later updated to the Olympus OM Zuiko MC Auto-W 21mm f/3.5. Both iterations, the later with Multi Coating, are of the same optical construction, with a body length of 31mm, a diameter of 59mm, a minimum focusing distance of 0.2 meters, and weighs between 180 and 185 grams each.

Within the digital realm, the lens can be easily adapted and used on current mirrorless digital as well as digital SLR cameras, which, to some enthusiasts, are cameras from the previous generation. For versatility with differing photographic genres, including street photography, landscapes, urban vistas, and architecture interiors, the ultra-wide 21mm will still stay an ultra-wide 21mm on digital cameras with full-frame sensors, with subtle vignetting that adds vintage authenticity to images.

On mirrorless digitals with 2x crop sensors (as seen here, shot with peak focusing on the Pen E-P5), the lens will equate to almost a perfect standard normal with a focal length equivalent to 42mm on a full frame. The lens will equate to a shorter wide-angle equivalent of 31.5mm on 1.5x APS-C digital SLRs, and a 33.6mm wide-angle equivalent on 1.6x APS-C digital SLRs (Canon EOS DSLRs).

The lens is also said to have commendable flare resistance when shielded from direct light sources, a sweet spot between 1:5.6 to 1:8 that will yield images comparable to current digital lenses. The tendency of the 6-blade diaphragm to produce 12-pointed sun stars at small apertures at 1:11 to 1:16, a characteristic prized in urban and astrophotography, has also been mentioned. Hoods are rarely necessary except in heavily backlit scenarios.

The truly compact and lightweight lens, comparable to other more modern pancake lenses, is also a favorite among photographers seeking discretion and mobility. Its zone-focusing capability, with a very finger-reachable 90° focus throw, allows hyperfocal shooting at 1:8 with sharp images from as short as 0.5 meters.

Olympus Pen E-P5, Olympus Zuiko OM MC 21mm f/3.5

The Zuiko MC 21mm f/3.5, mostly available on the secondary market and auction listings, is normally priced slightly higher than expected, mainly due to its representation as a candidate for the ultra-wide-angle lens market. It's all metal construction with brass internals and hardened aluminum exteriors is the trademark to their longevity, with many (including mine) still functioning well while having passed their fifties.

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

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Olympus Pen E-P5, Going Legacy With Focus Peaking

Digital Moments: Focus peaking, a focus aid feature that highlights edges of in-focus areas with a color overlay or highlighted display.

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One of the best aids a vintage photo enthusiast could have when using legacy lenses mounted on their mirrorless digital camera is a 'focus peaking' (or 'peak focusing,' both are the same) feature. When used with manual focus lenses or in low-light conditions, the feature highlights the edges of in-focus areas in the camera's viewfinder or LCD screen with a color overlay or a highlighted display. As the focus is adjusted, the highlighted edges will move across the screen to follow suit portions of the image selected to be in sharp focus.

The feature, or technique, first developed for professional video cameras to help maintain critical sharpness during scene transitions, migrated to still photography as mirrorless cameras eliminated optical viewfinders, relying instead on electronic displays that could overlay focus data directly onto the live images.

Integration of this feature across a few camera models has helped to realize the re-use of legacy lenses, which offers cost-effective solutions for color characteristics, macro precision, and creative depth-of-field effects. For legacy lens users, the potential of these optics, unimaginable when they were first manufactured, is back to the fore.

The first digital camera to incorporate focus peaking in the product line was the Sony NEX digital cameras introduced in 2011. Panasonic's Lumix GH series (GH4, GH5, GH5S, and GH6) implements peaking with user-selectable highlight colors (red, blue, yellow) through dedicated processor arrays that monitor luminance gradients.

Sony's Alpha cameras employ a similar approach with added focus magnification compatibility, while Canon's EOS R system integrates peaking within its Focus Guide system. Fujifilm X-series cameras with focus peaking include the X-T5, X-T4, X-T3, X-Pro3, and X-H1.

From the stables of Olympus, two models well documented with this feature are the Pen E-P5 and E-M10. On the E-P5 (2012), which is used for this shoot, the Peak Focusing On/Off menu item is nestled (Olympus style) four layers down the Custom Menu (Gearbox) tab. To set the feature, the sequence to follow is:

Custom Menu → AF / MF → MF Assist → Peaking → On/Off

Images for this test session was captured on an Olympus Pen E-P5, mounted with a legacy Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8. The E-P5 was introduced by Olympus in 2012, while the seven elements in six groups Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8, recognized for its top level image clarity, sharpness and minimum aberrations and flare, was among the original batch of Zuiko lenses that debuted along with the OM system in the 70s. The lens was once a very popular choice among photographers, and it was also one of the most affordable Zuiko lenses.

Olympus Pen E-P5, Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

While not all digital cameras are fitted with focus peaking functions, camera makers do provide other means of manual focus assist, which include magnification (zooming in on the image) or focus assist functions to let you get along.

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Konica Hexanon AR 28mm f/3.5, Worth The Keep

Digital Moments: Image making with a Konica Hexanon AR 28mm f/3.5, the lens with a stellar reputation for sharpness and overall excellence.

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Another vintage manual focus prime to add to the collection is worth keeping. The Konica Hexanon AR 28mm f/3.5, in all of its variations, is always acknowledged as pin-sharp with excellent color rendition and high shadow details. The variations, with a focusing distance of 0.31 meters, were produced circa 1965 to 1980. Konica made five versions of this lens.

The first version, the Konica Hexanon 28mm F3.5, was a preset lens. The 2nd version, the Konica Hexanon AR 28mm F3.5 from then on,  had auto aperture and was labeled EE. The third version was labeled AE, had auto aperture up to F16, and was still large and all metal with updated coatings. The fourth version, this one, is labeled AE, has auto aperture up to F22, and is smaller and lightest at 175 grams. The fifth version was plasticky (typical 80s) and could have performed better compared to its counterparts. The lens was marketed as a Hexar.

Olympus E-P5, Konica Hexanon AR 28mm f/3.5

The optical design of the variations has also been altered several times, from the original 7 elements in 6 groups on the preset lens, to 7 elements in 7 groups, and finally to 5 elements in 5 groups for the final version. The filter thread for the preset was 58 mm, with the rest at 55 mm.

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