Author Topic: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?  (Read 2145 times)

Wally

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recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« on: October 02, 2016, 19:13:38 »
Subject says all. Evaluation shall be on the rendition rather than individual technical performance.
Goal is to pick the right / most suitable lens depending on picture subject.
Lenses in questions are a bunch of 50mm Nikkors from 5.8cm 1.4 to AF-S 58mm 1.4
This is probably a very subjective question. Thanks!
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Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2016, 21:34:53 »
There are many ways to do this, even for an 'objective' assessment.

To remove too much subjective influence, find a suitable test subject, put your camera on a tripod, and step through each of the candidate lenses in turn. Make at least three different shots with each lens (wide open at f/1.4-f/2), medium aperture (f/5.6), and stopped all the way down (f/16 should be available on all 50 mm lenses presumably).

If the lenses don't provide EXIF, ensure you keep copious notes of lens/settings to consult later.

Go through the test shots and look for chromatic aberrations, signs of flare and veiling, image contrast, colour rendition, and the way out-of-focus elements are rendered. Sometimes the rendition of the unsharp zones on either side of the plane of focus can be drawn very differently.

JJChan

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Re: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2016, 08:00:07 »
Strange coincidence - I had just done this before reading the thread - but only wide open and (guesstimate) f5.6.
I have 13(!) different ways of primes getting around 50mm.

I chose distance around 1.5m (typical head shot/top body distance) and shot using Sony A7II using magnified focus peaking - chose the Sony so that no chance of magic in camera assistance. I could have controlled a lot more eg exposure by shooting manual but I didn't have a huge amount of time and I did want to get a rough estimate of how each lens rendered.

JJChan

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Re: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2016, 08:02:16 »
The Nikon 50mm 1.8s

JJChan

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Re: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2016, 08:04:15 »
The micro Nikkors and Zeiss

JJChan

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Re: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2016, 08:06:27 »
The 58mm including Helios

JJChan

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Re: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2016, 08:09:15 »
The sweet SMC Takumars

Wally

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Re: recommended way to evaluate lenses (50mm)?
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2016, 23:45:04 »
Interesting comparison and differences. My aim is to focus on different Nikkors only ;)
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