My story on the 35-100 f2

[Chris Mak]

Ok,

I think it's become clear that my newly aquired 35-100 f2 lens is not performing at the level I expected based on my (very positive) experiences with the 14-35.

What's wrong?

I'm trying to come to conclusions and perhaps other owners of this lens can help.

The case is that my (world-wide) warranty runs until november, and I think I'm going to have to decide whether I will be sending the lens to Olympus, possibly with my E3, which I dread, as It's working absolutely fine with the 14-35 f2.

It seems ironic: after having read all the focus issues with the 14-35, but not having the least of trouble myself, I should now run into problems with my other lens-wish: the much praised 35-100.

So what's wrong?

In short (look at the pictures below): at F2-f2.8 I simply cánnot get decent Auto focus with this lens at the long end. I suspect it to italics/consistently/italics back-focus, as proper focus is aquired by counterclockwise turning the focusring bold*two*bold stages, in SAF + MF mode. (owners will be familiar with the tiny stages when operating manual focus correction).

What I would want to establish is:
-is the lens faulty?
-is it more likely that the camera is faulty?

-will aquiring the HLD-4 improve into proper Auto focus performance wide at large apertures at the long end?

-On basis of your experience with the 35-100 under similar circumstances: is it worthwile sending the lens in (or: can it consistently perform better?)

I purchased this lens for concert(portrait)photography in low light, so need better af, because the lens is never anywhere near as sharp as my 14-35.

Any help will greatly be apreciated, I've already contacted Olympus, but they dont seem eager to help.

Below shots: first:auto focus without manual correction, second: with manual corr.
Both at approx. 65% viewing, taken at f2.8 100mm

Chris

 

[Rob MacLennan]

--
D620L -> D540 -> C750UZ -> E-500 -> E-510 -> E-3 + E-30

 

[photoski]

Sorry you're having problems, I don't have this lens but love the output from it I've seen.

Olympus will have to help in the end. Can you borrow either another E3, E30, E620 and see if it has the same issue? Maybe the E30 as a better comparison, and then also see if it is possible to correct using the focus adjustments built in to the E30? At least that helps you narrow it down a little. Sounds like to have peace of mind you may need to send in the E3 and both 14-35 and 35-100 to make sure. Keep up a positive dialogue with Olympus repair on this.

 

[Chris Mak]

Hi Rob,

firmware 1.4 on the E3
firmware 1.2 on the 35-100

Chris

 

[Chris Mak]

Sorry you're having problems, I don't have this lens but love the output from it I've seen.

Olympus will have to help in the end. Can you borrow either another E3, E30, E620 and see if it has the same issue? Maybe the E30 as a better comparison, and then also see if it is possible to correct using the focus adjustments built in to the E30? At least that helps you narrow it down a little. Sounds like to have peace of mind you may need to send in the E3 and both 14-35 and 35-100 to make sure. Keep up a positive dialogue with Olympus repair on this.

Thanks for the suggestion. There actually ís one Olympus dealer where I live, whom I bought my E3 of, it's just hard to put my mindset to that it might actually be the camera, given the immaculate 14-35, and the 35-100 lens really isn't tack-sharp at ány focal length, but it wóuld narrow it down to test it on another E3. I think I will take a card to the shop and ask if I can load it into there demo E3 and take some shots outside at f2 100mm.

The thing about sending in my whole kit is the reports about similar problems never really having been resolved when the kit returns from Olympus.
Should I give them more credit?

 

[dingenus]

Chris, this is not a really good testphoto but it looks like left is sharper, maybe the lens is a faulty example. (niet goed gecentreerd) Do some shots exactly parallel, wide open to a wall and look first for this. Use center af only. If all four edges are the same sharpness then you have a focus problem. If not, the centering need control. After this; shoot under 45 degrees the same or a other wall or a flat bookpage and controll in photoshop where the af point is. (diagonaal kruis in de foto zetten) Look for back or front focus. Shoot all controlphoto's in raw, set on cd, write a letter with the problems and send the lens to oly for repair.

succes!

 

[Chris Mak]

Chris, this is not a really good testphoto but it looks like left is sharper, maybe the lens is a faulty example. (niet goed gecentreerd) Do some shots exactly parallel, wide open to a wall and look first for this. Use center af only. If all four edges are the same sharpness then you have a focus problem. If not, the centering need control. After this; shoot under 45 degrees the same or a other wall or a flat bookpage and controll in photoshop where the af point is. (diagonaal kruis in de foto zetten) Look for back or front focus. Shoot all controlphoto's in raw, set on cd, write a letter with the problems and send the lens to oly for repair.

Hello,

The photo wás taken at a slight angle, but I have heaps of similar out of focus pictures at f2, simply with the same kind of blur.

Give that moving the manual focusring counterclockwise decreases the focal length, I assume that it must be back-focus.

Thanks for the tip about loading a cd with raw examples, when choosing to send it in.
Op een goed uitkomst
Chris

 

[dingenus]

Chris, this is not a really good testphoto but it looks like left is sharper, maybe the lens is a faulty example. (niet goed gecentreerd) Do some shots exactly parallel, wide open to a wall and look first for this. Use center af only. If all four edges are the same sharpness then you have a focus problem. If not, the centering need control. After this; shoot under 45 degrees the same or a other wall or a flat bookpage and controll in photoshop where the af point is. (diagonaal kruis in de foto zetten) Look for back or front focus. Shoot all controlphoto's in raw, set on cd, write a letter with the problems and send the lens to oly for repair.

Hello,

The photo wás taken at a slight angle, but I have heaps of similar out of focus pictures at f2, simply with the same kind of blur.

Thanks for the tip about loading a cd with raw examples, when choosing to send it in.
Op een goed uitkomst
Chris

Zeg dat wel, ik vind het beeld gewoon soft. De procedure heb ik zelf zo ook gedaan, werkte prima!

 

[RightRudder]

Hi Chris,

In the past

a while back I purchased a 35-100. My dreams of owning this lens deflated from day one when about 50% of my shots were front-focusing under most conditions (when coupled to E-3)

here's waht olympus' prompt service consisted of

To my surprize olympus service changed the following

• E-3: "Replaced Joint Button / MT Contact Frame
• E-3: "Checked / Adusted
• 35-100: "Repaired MT Contct Base
• 35-100: "Checked / Adjusted / Cleaned

Current status
After the service, the focusing has improved considerably.

After firmware 1.4 became available, the lens and camera have only missed a focus because I did something wrong, but no other reason. It has since been very reliable at focusing.

Hope this helps and consider that Olympus' service, when I used this, was very prompt and resolved my issues.

 

[Chris Mak]

Hi Chris,

In the past

a while back I purchased a 35-100. My dreams of owning this lens deflated from day one when about 50% of my shots were front-focusing under most conditions (when coupled to E-3)

here's waht olympus' prompt service consisted of

To my surprize olympus service changed the following

• E-3: "Replaced Joint Button / MT Contact Frame
• E-3: "Checked / Adusted
• 35-100: "Repaired MT Contct Base
• 35-100: "Checked / Adjusted / Cleaned

Current status
After the service, the focusing has improved considerably.

After firmware 1.4 became available, the lens and camera have only missed a focus because I did something wrong, but no other reason. It has since been very reliable at focusing.

Hope this helps and consider that Olympus' service, when I used this, was very prompt and resolved my issues.

Thanks for putting in a positive report,
So the lens cán AF to sharp results at f2-f2.8 100mm?

 

[RightRudder]

Hi Chris,

In the past

a while back I purchased a 35-100. My dreams of owning this lens deflated from day one when about 50% of my shots were front-focusing under most conditions (when coupled to E-3)

here's waht olympus' prompt service consisted of

To my surprize olympus service changed the following

• E-3: "Replaced Joint Button / MT Contact Frame
• E-3: "Checked / Adusted
• 35-100: "Repaired MT Contct Base
• 35-100: "Checked / Adjusted / Cleaned

Current status
After the service, the focusing has improved considerably.

After firmware 1.4 became available, the lens and camera have only missed a focus because I did something wrong, but no other reason. It has since been very reliable at focusing.

Hope this helps and consider that Olympus' service, when I used this, was very prompt and resolved my issues.

Thanks for putting in a positive report,
So the lens cán AF to sharp results at f2-f2.8 100mm?

Absolutely. When I have time, I'll try to find some taken at 100mm F/2.0. By the way taht is also the focal length and aperture at which I was noticing the front-focusing. It was probably occuring at other focal lenghts and apertures, but it was less visible.

Going beyond what you were asking about, I still find it more challening to get the focus right in conditions where the subject is very, very strongly back-lit, then in conditions where the back lighting is less pronounced.

Anyways, now it is an excellent lens for me and have used it indoors, outdoors, diff times of days, etc. Have it serviced if possible and let us know.

 

[photoski]

It's more to try and confirm if it is solely the lens. Of course there are always variations in tolerances from lens to camera matchup, and on a different camera, your lens might be better, but still off a little.

 

[pinnacle]

I'm sorry to hear that you have had the problems described. I am getting outstanding results with my lens and would recommend it highly to those for whom it would be useful based on their needs.

I recently received my new 14-35 F2 and it is proving to be a stellar performer as well.

I have heard very good things about Olympus service and I have confidence that they can remedy the issues you listed.

Dan
--

Its great to be alive. Look for the goodness in others and you shall surely find it.

 

[Chris Mak]

I'm sorry to hear that you have had the problems described. I am getting outstanding results with my lens and would recommend it highly to those for whom it would be useful based on their needs.

I recently received my new 14-35 F2 and it is proving to be a stellar performer as well.

I have heard very good things about Olympus service and I have confidence that they can remedy the issues you listed.

Thanks Dan,

I'm sure you'll like the 14-35 more and more if you're not plaqued by focus issues, it's the best lens I know, truely, it's amazing.

Chris

 

[mfahrur]

My experience with the 14-35 & 35-100 attached to the E-3 is the opposite.

My E-3 is at v1.4, but the 35-100 is v1.1.

The 35-100 has no trouble with AF with the E-3 with or without the HLD-4.

I think you need to send it back to Oly.

Hi Rob,

firmware 1.4 on the E3
firmware 1.2 on the 35-100

Chris

--
http://thru-the-zuiko.blogspot.com/

 

[Selamat]

I bet if you downgrade the E3 firmware to 1.2 it will work

Because I also experience the same issue.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

Same as mine. No issues on E-3 or E-30. I say verify it with another E-3, then send the lens back for service.

Hi Rob,

firmware 1.4 on the E3
firmware 1.2 on the 35-100

Chris

--
D620L -> D540 -> C750UZ -> E-500 -> E-510 -> E-3 + E-30

 

[Chris Mak]

Same as mine. No issues on E-3 or E-30. I say verify it with another E-3, then send the lens back for service.

I've phoned Olympus. Over the phone I got the response I had expected for a 2000,- euro lense (email support was less forthcoming).
It will be leaving for service, together with the E3, to Portugal on monday.

I simply don't have a need for a luxurious paperweight......

Chris

 

[pka]

Try this as support for your decision
http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf
sorry if already posted or tried, did not red all the post ...
--
pka
http://www.karlach.net/

 

[Chris Mak]

Try this as support for your decision
http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf
sorry if already posted or tried, did not red all the post ...

Thanks for the link.
I'll give it a look

Chris