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06-16-2013, 07:36 PM - 1 Like   #1
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Blind test - two fast 50mm

Lets have some fun.
This is a blind test.
One is a cheap as chips common lens, the other is more uncommon and costs about 3x more.
I'm prepared to be surprised myself.

Here's the first of a series of shots.
They are non scientific, but generally, I did not move from my position when I shot with the two lenses.
They also got the same processing wrt getting jpgs out of the RAW.

So I'm interested to find out, in a real world usage situation where its just the photo that counts.
Which one would you prefer as a photo or they are very similar to make any conclusive choice?
Why?

#1


#2


06-16-2013, 07:37 PM   #2
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Second one has busier bokeh. But then again, they are framed differently.
06-16-2013, 07:45 PM   #3
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Close enough for me, but I believe the 2nd has rounder OOF highlights so more or more-curved aperture blades.
06-16-2013, 08:31 PM   #4
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More PF on the first one. More onion rings on the bokeh in the second. #2 also looks to have a thinner DOF (larger aperture?). I think I'd prefer the first one if you had PP'd the purple fringes a little more.

06-16-2013, 08:33 PM   #5
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Hehehe....

I like neither... ;P

If you were to force me at gunpoint, i would closed my eyes and say, "Delete them both..."
06-16-2013, 09:04 PM   #6
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I'd prefer the first if the purple fringes is removed.
06-16-2013, 09:43 PM   #7
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oooo, this is a good one

I'll go out on a limb and say the first one is a more modern lens and the second is an old one. The transition from in-focus to out-of-focus seems a little smoother in the second, while the first seems to favor sharpness and contrast.

Prepared to be totally wrong, I'll say the first is a "contemporary 50mm" with a typical design and an f/1.4-1.8 max aperture, stopped down. The second is something weird like an Industar-50 wide open at f/3.5.

Elements of both are appealing although the downsides are somewhat unpleasant

06-16-2013, 09:50 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by ryan s Quote
oooo, this is a good one

I'll go out on a limb and say the first one is a more modern lens and the second is an old one. The transition from in-focus to out-of-focus seems a little smoother in the second, while the first seems to favor sharpness and contrast.

Prepared to be totally wrong, I'll say the first is a "contemporary 50mm" with a typical design and an f/1.4-1.8 max aperture, stopped down. The second is something weird like an Industar-50 wide open at f/3.5.

Elements of both are appealing although the downsides are somewhat unpleasant
Heh... And i was thinking the first one is just the M/A 50/2 while the second one is a 55/1.8...
06-16-2013, 10:53 PM   #9
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I like the second better. I'd would be easier to judge if they were both taken from the same exact place.
06-17-2013, 12:04 AM   #10
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The first one seems sharper with more contrast. However, I'm not sure if it's due to focusing/contrast, (as has been previously stated) since they are framed differently. I prefer the composition of the second
06-17-2013, 12:40 AM   #11
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If you did not move, then these are two different focal length glasses, right?

So the first one is a 43, and the second one is an M50 f/2 lens? hahaha!
06-17-2013, 02:05 AM   #12
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Like a challenge

I prefer 1 by some way over 2.
06-17-2013, 04:00 AM   #13
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the picture don't help in fact : the second framing don't help to have a decent idea of the lens.

But i think i could use both lens according to the picture.
06-17-2013, 06:51 AM   #14
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Original Poster
Thanks for participating.
Its good to see that preferences differ from ppl to ppl.

Results so far :

#1 - 3 counts
#2 - 2 counts
Either - 2 counts

I'm undecided too (a reason for this blind test as well).
There are some things going for #1 like smoother bokeh and sharper falloff from focus to OOF parts.
However #2 has a bit deeper color/contrast on the focus part and no CA (at least in the shot)

Keep the choices coming and we go for sample set #2 tomorrow.
06-17-2013, 07:08 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by pinholecam Quote
Which one would you prefer as a photo or they are very similar to make any conclusive choice?
I prefer the rendering of #2.

I find the bokeh of #1 busier.

I agree that #1 looks like being taken with a modern lens and #2 like being taken with an older design.

However, the images are really hard to compare because #1 has the focus much deeper in the frame. The bokeh is heavily influenced by the focusing distance so before anything conclusive can be said, there should be two images taken from exactly the same position, with identical framing, and the same focus.
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