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03-31-2013, 04:33 PM   #1
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List of lenses in the PF database scoring a 9+ for Bokeh/Aberrations/Sharpness

This was going to be posted as a reply to another thread, but I think it may be worth posting just on its own.

I poked through the lens database and every lens that showed as a 9+ for those three categories (regardless of the rest) I jotted down. In theory, these should be the 'best of the best' (at least according to people who peruse the forums).

The list was kind of surprising.

For the Pentax lenses, I just went through and picked qualifying lenses regardless of number of reviews.

For off-brands I used a 6 review minimum. For the miscellaneous off-off brands I dropped that back to 3 just because the reviews are spread incredibly thin (Lots of 1 and 2 review lenses) and at that point didn't feel like bothering going back to the off brands and redoing them.

A big caveat is that some of the reviews obviously were judged by only one or two people regardless of actual number of full reviews - ie, most of the reviews were older, and so weren't broken down into subcategories. Obviously some could have been judged by only one person who could be completely insane and as of yet doesn't have a number of other reviews to lower the ratings. The reverse is true as well, of course - I could be missing a lens because someone has an insanely high bar for quality.

Anyways... this is the list that kicked out. The biggest surprise to me was probably the DA 50mm trumping its FA/F/A/M cousins. It rated better overall then the others (despite them also showing on the list). The other big surprise was the amount of ancient K-glass and Taks showing up. I wonder if part of that could be a nostalgia boost.

QuoteQuote:
Pentax

DA 40mm f2.8 Limited
DA 50mm f1.8
DA* 55mm f/1.4
DA 70 f/2.4 Limited
DA* 300mm f4
DA* 50-135mm f2.8
DA* 60-250mm f4
D FA 100mm f2.8 Macro
FA 43 f1.9 Limited
FA 50mm 1.7
FA 50mm f2.8 Macro
FA* 85mm f1.4
FA 100mm f2.8 Macro
FA* 200mm f.2.8
FA* 300mm f2.8
FA* 300mm f4.5
FA* 80-200mm f2.8
F 50mm f1.7
F 50mm f1.7 Macro
F 100mm f2.8
F* 300mm f4.5
F* 250-60mm f5.6
A* 85mm f1.4
A 100mm f2.8 Macro
A* 135mm f1.8
A* 200mm f2.8
A* 300mm f2.8
A* 400mm f2.8
M 100mm f2.8
K 28mm f2
K 28mm f3.5
K 30mm f2.
K 50mm f1.2
K 50mm f4 Macro
K 55mm f2
K 85mm f1.8
K 85-210mm f3.5
Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (V1)
Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (V2)
Auto Takumar 85mm f1.8
Super Takumar 85mm f1.9
Macro Takumar 100mm f4 Macro
Takumar 200mm f3.5
Takumar 200mm f5.6

-----

Sigma (current)

70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro
300mm f2.8 APO EX DG
500mm f4.5 EX DG APO

-----

Sigma (Legacy)

70-200mm f2.8 EX DG APO Macro HSM II
70-200mm f2.8 APO EX
120-400mm f4.5-5.6 APO SG HSM

-----

Tamron (current)

70-200mm f2.8 Di LD Macro
90mm SP AF Di Macro

----

Tamron (Legacy)

Adaptall-2 180mm SP f2.5 IF
Adaptall-2 300mm SP f2.8 LD IF

-----

Vivitar

105mm f2.5 (Series 1) Macro
135mm f2.8 1:2 Close Focusing
55mm f2.8 1:1 Macro
90mm f2.5 (Series 1) macro

-----

Russian

KMZ Helios 44-2 58mm f2

-----

Voigtlander

125mm f2.5 Macro APO-Lanthar
180mm f4 APO-Lanthar SL
58mm f1.4

-----

Miscellaneous

Kiron 70-210m f4 Macro
Pentacon 135mm f2.8 Preset
Petri 28mm f2
Panogar 90mm f2.8 Macro PMC
Sears 50mm f/1.7
Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f/1.4
Revuenon 55mm f1.2
Chinon 50mm f1.4


03-31-2013, 04:48 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sagitta Quote
Russian

KMZ Helios 44-2 58mm f2
And there you have an example of just how much importance a "9 or higher" rating in the database means.

Seriously, some of these lenses are legendary and some are just "generally well-regarded and enjoyed." People around here tend to rate their lenses pretty high...
03-31-2013, 05:10 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by panoguy Quote
And there you have an example of just how much importance a "9 or higher" rating in the database means.
Can you please explain what you want to say?

I haven't reviewed this lens, but I own the 44K-4, which is generally regarded as slightly sharper than the 44M-2, but with a bokeh which is not as nice.

I haven't made side by side comparisons with my SMC-A 1.4/50, but with center sharpness it certainly outresolves the sensor of K10D / K200D / K-m (K2000 in US). I think even wide open. And contrast is VERY good.
There may exist copies which were not assembled with the precision needed to get the most out of this lens (a common problem with eastern lenses), but if you get a good copy . . .
03-31-2013, 05:17 PM   #4
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I would rate the DA 18-55 as a solid 9.5 in each category.... When compared to a brick

03-31-2013, 05:23 PM   #5
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It's hard to take the list seriously when the FA31 and FA77 are missing, and the DA40 and DA50 are on it. I know which I'd rather be using
03-31-2013, 05:23 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by RKKS08 Quote
Can you please explain what you want to say?

I haven't reviewed this lens, but I own the 44K-4, which is generally regarded as slightly sharper than the 44M-2, but with a bokeh which is not as nice.
There is no 44M-2. There were 3 preset Helios 44s. The 44 (mostly M39), 44-2 (M42, 8 blades), and 44-3 (M42 & Multi-Coated, 8 blades). The auto Helios 44Ms begin with the 44M (A/M switch, 8 blades). Then it skips to the 44M-4 (Multi-Coated, no A/M switch, 6 blades). There are a number of versions after the 44M-4 (44M-5, 44M-6 etc).
03-31-2013, 05:26 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by twitch Quote
It's hard to take the list seriously when the FA31 and FA77 are missing, and the DA40 and DA50 are on it. I know which I'd rather be using
An omission on Saggita's part. The FA 31 and FA 77 have a score of 9.47 and 9.79 respectively...

03-31-2013, 05:27 PM   #8
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Bokeh in particular is a very subtle and subjective criterion,
so I'm not sure how meaningful it is to weight it like this.
For example, I would personally rate the bokeh of the DA 35 Macro Ltd
as 9 or 10 in the macro range, but at best 8 at longer range.

As another example of how arbitrary this is,
why should the K55/2 show up, but not the K55/1.8,
or their equivalents in the M42 mount?
03-31-2013, 05:28 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sagitta Quote
The other big surprise was the amount of ancient K-glass and Taks showing up. I wonder if part of that could be a nostalgia boost.
The bigger surprise to me is that the Ks are rated so much higher than the identical SMC Taks in most cases...
03-31-2013, 05:28 PM - 1 Like   #10
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I think we are going to need popcorn for this thread..............
03-31-2013, 05:29 PM   #11
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I think they are missing because of aberrations scores. Still, if your answer is telling you DA40 and not FA31 money no object then you are asking the wrong question
03-31-2013, 05:30 PM   #12
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The newer lenses seems decently accurate but the problem is that price/performance really boost old cheaper lenses through the roof.
03-31-2013, 05:31 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by boriscleto Quote
There is no 44M-2
I know.

I just, like many others, added the "M" to mark it as a non-bajonet lens.
Just as people describe pre M series pentax K bajonet lenses as "K", which in fact never existed.
03-31-2013, 05:32 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by boriscleto Quote
An omission on Saggita's part. The FA 31 and FA 77 have a score of 9.47 and 9.79 respectively...
No, they just miss on "aberrations" (8.9 and 8.8 respectively).
03-31-2013, 05:36 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by boriscleto Quote
Another error. The K55/2 is rated 8.88, the 55/1.8 is rated 9.41...

The Tak 55/1.8 is rated 9.38...
The K55/1.8 is disqualified because it has 8.7 for aberrations.
@Sagitta is not taking the overall rating.

Of course realistically, we shouldn't be taking this all so seriously,
although it is a curious exercise,
maybe more in forum sociology than in optics.
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