Impulse buy

[AlecM]

Hoya had a pretty good reputation - slightly upmarket Tokina, from same maker. My first 80-200mm f4 was very good but its replacement, from Co. under 5 year guarantee following a 'service' glitch, was not as good. Had the 400mm f5.6 also an excellent performer, w/internal focussing.

The OM30, I prefer to forget!

Encouraging... (I'm ignoring the bit about the OM30!)

[0lybacker]

Tokina lenses were the later incarnation of Hoya lenses. Like all lenses there were good and not so good in the range, along with good and not so good copies.

There are few lens makers in Japan outside of the camera makers and a large number of independent maker names. Badge engineering in lenses, IIRC, went on before the more recent fashion for 35mm and digital compacts. Lens designs would be sold around these companies and they would have different cosmetic touches applied to differentiate between 'brands'. Underneath they could be, and often were, identical.

[Oly_Man]

If you're going to look for a Zuiko F/1.8, try to track one down which says "made in japan" on the front. The lens was subject to at lest four different variations though out its life, and the 'made in japan' ones have the best image quality. Not that the other ones are bad.

The two main things which can blight OM10s as they age are rotted seals round the door-aperture and 'sticky magnet' syndrome. Both can be fixed at home if you're a bit dexterous.

Hope you enjoy it.

[RogerMac]

If you're going to look for a Zuiko F/1.8, try to track one down which says "made in japan" on the front. The lens was subject to at lest four different variations though out its life, and the 'made in japan' ones have the best image quality. Not that the other ones are bad.

The two main things which can blight OM10s as they age are rotted seals round the door-aperture and 'sticky magnet' syndrome. Both can be fixed at home if you're a bit dexterous.

Hope you enjoy it.

Reasonably dexterous. The shutter does sound as if it is OK but I will not know until I have put a roll of film through it. Certainly it did seem very slow when I first used it but does seem to have normalised itself now.

Thanks for the tip about lens origins

Roger