28mm brief non scientific comparison

[atpaula]

@atpaula,
thanks for the work and for sharing your images with the 5 lenses.

In case you are interested, "how" the lenses transition from the focus plane to the background blur, you might setup your little buddha the next time a little bit different.

The current setup has 2 "planes". The "focus plane" and the "background plane", which is out of focus. While this shows the famous bokeh in the background, there is unfortunately no visual elements in between the 2 planes which would show the - what I would consider important - visual transition. It is interesting to see, how lenses with similar focal length but different optical design render this transition differrently - even when set to the same f-stop.

If the foliage in the background is a garden fence: You might shoot your little Buddha not 90 degree towards the fence, but for instance in 45 degrees or in 30 degrees (and closer to the fence). Or any other setup, where you can create a continous depth (i.e. here as an example)


May I share some 50/58mm pics I found on my webserver from the old "comparison" days a few years ago?
Nothing special, just a few quick&dirty shots to get a feeling about the different lens rendering characteristics


rgds,
Andy

Thanks for the tip and the images Andy.
Next time I'll try this.
In fact I don't have much patience to carry these tests.

[Tristin]

Focus issues sour the study.  I quickly found that repeated focusing with LV at full magnification to ensure perfect focus was critical to comparing lenses.  My initial comparisons with the 105mm f/2.5 and f/1.8 were soured by the same error.

Surprised by the lacking performance of the Zeiss f/2 wide open though.

[pluton]

Thanks for posting these, Aguinaldo...it's a well chosen test shot setup, though locked down on a tripod would have been better.
I like my Zeiss ZF 28/2, ironically, for stopped down, small aperture shots, and prefer my Nikon Ais 28/2.8 for wide open shots. 
My earlier samples of the Nikon 28/2 Ais were not good wide open, but a very early Nikkor-N.C 28/2 was optically very good, except it had the old-style greenish-yellow color cast which, on film, was not workable at the time.
Some day I'll collect all the 28mm Nikkors just because I like 28mm.

[atpaula]

Focus issues sour the study.  I quickly found that repeated focusing with LV at full magnification to ensure perfect focus was critical to comparing lenses.  My initial comparisons with the 105mm f/2.5 and f/1.8 were soured by the same error.

Surprised by the lacking performance of the Zeiss f/2 wide open though.

As I said, it is a brief non scientific test.
Quite annoying when you spend some time to share an honest, yet incomplete,  view of lenses performance and someone can not see it through an useful perspective as it should be.
Classic case of seeing a half empty glass instead of half full.

[atpaula]

Thanks for posting these, Aguinaldo...it's a well chosen test shot setup, though locked down on a tripod would have been better.
I like my Zeiss ZF 28/2, ironically, for stopped down, small aperture shots, and prefer my Nikon Ais 28/2.8 for wide open shots. 
My earlier samples of the Nikon 28/2 Ais were not good wide open, but a very early Nikkor-N.C 28/2 was optically very good, except it had the old-style greenish-yellow color cast which, on film, was not workable at the time.
Some day I'll collect all the 28mm Nikkors just because I like 28mm.

My pleasure to share it, Pluton.
My purpose was only to show the most obvious differences among those lenses.

[Andy]

As I said, it is a brief non scientific test.
Quite annoying when you spend some time to share an honest, yet incomplete,  view of lenses performance and someone can not see it through an useful perspective as it should be.
Classic case of seeing a half empty glass instead of half full.

Aguinaldo,
I hope my suggestion didn't annoy you.
It was rather intended as the usual forward looking recommendation for the next turn - as it is almost the same effort for the setup between the 2 types giving one additional piece of information.
In case it did - sorry. Didn't intend to be seen as a kind of "the glass is empty" statement.
rgds, Andy

[Erik Lund]

Mine are both Ais late versions.

Thanks! Now I understand,,, I know it took a while - was too busy working,,,  Sorry!

I went back and had another look, and yes the new Zeiss really throws out the BG nicely -

Jan Anne; The large aperture size surely helps but also the lens must be able to do this as well! Not all optics are created equal, in the old day I often heard tha WA all had bad Bokeh, The new Zeiss blast that myth, some of the new fast Nikkors does as well

Also don't forget the trick to get closer,,,

Andy; Nice comparison of the new and old Noct, it's quite clear here how the old Noct is kind of very bright/pale wide open, looses contrast in the dark leaves on the ground somehow, I remember seeing this before,,,

[atpaula]

Aguinaldo,
I hope my suggestion didn't annoy you.
It was rather intended as the usual forward looking recommendation for the next turn - as it is almost the same effort for the setup between the 2 types giving one additional piece of information.
In case it did - sorry. Didn't intend to be seen as a kind of "the glass is empty" statement.
rgds, Andy

Of course not Andy. You also saw positive aspects in my post.
I found your suggestion quite useful for the next time I'll do such tests.

[Tristin]

I meant no insult and apologies for showing not voicing appreciation.  There are noticeable differences between these lenses in your comparisons.  Just offering advice to help you get more out of your testing that I only figured out by doing the same. 

[JJChan]

Lots have been written about the Zeiss 28mm f2 - very pronounced field curvature and high micro-contrast.
I picked up mine very cheap second hand. It is very similar to the AFS 28mm f1.8 but has 'character' that has recently been discussed at length on Yannick Khong's site. It is my favourite 28mm.

Here are 2 shots wide open - give some idea of the transitions on focal plane: icecream with D800E, sweating Porsche with D5200

JJ