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Re: [OM] lens comparasons

Subject: Re: [OM] lens comparasons
From: ALEXSCIFI@xxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 14:36:29 EST
In a message dated 2000-02-02 12:32:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
image66@xxxxxxx writes:

<< >I'm not so sure about that Ken. I recall seeing Zeiss MTF curves on one 
of 
 >their early zooms (a 40-80 or so) that seemed to imply that while a zoom 
 >might get close to a prime over much of it's range, there could be a point 
 >(or even points) in it's range where it could "surpass" a near equivalent 
 >fixed lens--because all that glass is in it's "sweet" spot. Another example 
 >is the 35-80F2.8 Olympus lens--there's no doubt that it has substantial 
 >barrel distortion at 35 mm and substantial pincushion distortion at 80 mm. 
 >But that implies there is a point between 35 and 80 where there is NO 
 >distortion!  Would anyone know what that point might be? Because it may 
also 
 >be especially sharp (as in very high contrast and resolution/MTFs) there.
 
 As I said in the previous post, you can get the specifications of a zoom as
 good if not better than a prime, but the resulting image still won't look
 the same.  This is especially true with the telephoto focal lengths.  
 
 Crazy anology to follow:
 
 A Chevy pickup truck could be outfitted with a mammoth engine, 4WD, and
 heavy duty suspension and brakes.  It has two seats and so does the Chevy
 Corvette.  Both have similar 1/4 mile times and both (with good rubber)
 have good skidpad numbers.  But which one actually feels right whipping
 around the twisties on the Pacific Coast Highway?
 
 It all comes down to how a lens deals with what is out of focus.  Even two
 nearly identical lenses from the same manufacturer (Nikon) one being
 internal-focus and the other uses focus by extension will have different
 bokeh characteristics.>> snip

      I agree wholeheartedly!
 
 <<In an oversimplification a zoom lens uses a different amount of the front
 glass surface area to achieve the same results as the prime lens does.
 Last winter I took a some identical pictures of a fence at my in-laws' farm
 with both the IS-3 and the OMs.  I even used the same focal lengths and
 lens openings.  The resulting images couldn't be any more different!  Maybe
 I will get them scanned one of these days to show everyone.  The OM/100/2.8
 combination produced silky smooth images where the critically focused area
 blended so smoothly into the out of focus area in one seamless image.
 Wheras the IS-3 image was equally sharp at the critical focus point but
 produced a disjointed image with the out-of-focus areas.  Think Cateye lens
 without the donuts.
 
 For an example of what I am describing look at the photograph on page 88-89
 (gorillas in tree) of the February 2000 National Geographic.
 
 Ken Norton
  >>

        I agree with some of what you said Ken. However, I think making the 
generalization that all zooms have bad bokeh or that all simple primes have 
good bokeh is too sweeping. A case in point is the Contax Zeiss 50F1.7 (7 
elements), which has been chastised for having bad bokeh by 
PhotoTechnique--otherwise highly regarded by some for pure sharpness. Since I 
personally don't have experience with the specific case of the 35-80 zoom, 
we'll have to solicit the opinion of the list members who have, with respect 
to bokeh, but I rather suspect it is good in that regard. Each lens design is 
a case by case (or even sample by sample) consideration.


Alex

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