This compact standard zoom sits alongside Miranda's wider 28-70mm in the brand's post-1978 Dixons-era range, offered as an affordable one-lens option for owners of the era's manual-focus SLRs rather than as a product of the original Japanese Miranda camera firm.
Built as a manual-focus MC Macro design, it has a variable f/3.5-4.8 maximum aperture, a 6-blade diaphragm closing to f/22, a 52mm filter thread and a minimum focus distance of about 0.4m. Miranda sold it in Pentax K and Olympus OM fittings.
Being a shorter-range zoom than its 28-70mm sibling, it stays sharper and more consistent across its focal range, with less corner softness at the long end, though contrast and flare resistance remain modest by the standards of contemporary first-party lenses.
Secondhand prices are low, reflecting its status as a basic kit-grade zoom. Buyers should check the zoom and focus rings move smoothly together, confirm the macro range locks and releases properly, and inspect the rear element for the fungus common in long-stored 1980s zooms.