The Sharpest of the Sharp. The face down.

**Mallee Boy** · 06-17-2008, 06:13 PM

OK, so which is the sharpest in your opinion and experience. Intended usage will be predominately Landscape, but need not be super wide, or even wide at all. Image quality is more important to me.

Very interested to hear what you think.

Please note I have given you the option of three (3) choices.
Cheers.

Last edited by Mallee Boy; 06-17-2008 at 06:19 PM.

lbam · 06-17-2008, 06:34 PM

The Holga has to be near the top..

omega leader · 06-17-2008, 06:36 PM

My sharpest lens is my Vivitar (Series 1) 105mm /2.5 Macro, by a long shot.

Not what I would use for landscapes. I use my Sigma 17-70 for that, but the Vivitar is miles ahead in terms of resolution.

**SCGushue** · 06-17-2008, 07:07 PM

There are a number of factors that go into making a lens appear sharp. While I voted here I would take the results with a grain of salt.

If I were to rate primes:
31 LTD overall winner... excellent contrast, flare control, color and sharpness, very usable focal length.

43 LTD the sharpest by far but an occasionally "iffy" bokeh. Great for pano work.

35 LTD Macro is looking pretty good in early tests.

A 50 2.8 Macro can be scarey sharp.

Zooms:

Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX DG APO IF non macro version. Excellent color, great sharpness and perfect balance

Sigma 100-300 f/4 EX DG APO IF. Sharp wide open and unbelievably sharp stopped down.

Pentax DA* 50-135 2.8. Very sharp, small, great color and contrast to go with sharpness.

Stephen

OniFactor · 06-17-2008, 07:12 PM

are m42 lenses allowed?

k100d · 06-17-2008, 07:16 PM

i chose FA31 but the sharpest lenses i'm aware of are the FA50 Macro and the FA35 which is technically sharper than the FA31

Peter Zack · 06-17-2008, 07:22 PM

I voted for the 31,43 and 77mm in that order but I also have the FA50/2.8 macro as well and I've never used a sharper lens. I've never had a VL125mm or the VIV 105 but I'd say the FA50 Macro would compete with either without trouble.

Tom M · 06-17-2008, 07:29 PM

The DA 16-45 is prime sharp but it's not on that list.

Ole · 06-17-2008, 07:31 PM

Your list is too short! The DA40 is one of the sharpest around, and it has well-controlled CA to boot. Some lenses match or exceed the DA40 sharpness ever so slightly (77 limited for example) but not until stopped down quite a bit, whereas the DA40 is great already from f2.8. The 31 Limited is also great from f2.8 but it has more CA. The 43 Limited is perhaps the sharpest of them all but with quite some CA. If you look solely at sharpness, the 43 gets my vote (expept at f/1.9 where it is very soft).

What would be the best lens for you really depends on you and your needs: Your preferred focal length, do you usually stop the lens down quite a bit, etc.

TourDeForce · 06-17-2008, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by Ole

Your list is too short! The DA40 is one of the sharpest around, ....

I disagree. The copy I had was beautiful, but it was a tad soft. I saw the same in the pictures posted by jsherman. Beautiful pictures, but just a touch of softness. The A series 50s I had (every one of them, including the 2.0s) were sharper than the DA 40mm Limited.

Now as for the lenses on the list; I don't own any of them, nor have I had any experience with any of them.

My grade as a fine lens hoarder - FAIL !!!

Peter Zack · 06-17-2008, 07:50 PM

Sorry Ole, I have to agree with TourDeForce on this one. I had the 43 and 40 at the same time. The 40 is a beautiful lens and quite a feat of optics and engineering but the 43 is the better lens. To repeat the FA50 macro is still better than both.

**Marc Langille** · 06-17-2008, 08:32 PM

Since I own some lenses you cannot easily obtain any more. The financial pain was worth it - every time I look at images from these lenses!!!

Without any doubt, the following are my choices...

FA* 200/4 Macro... phenomenal bokeh: rich, creamy, wonderful bokeh... (or A* 200/4 macro) Others may be quite good, I'm just not familiar with their characteristics.
FA* 300/2.8 (eyelash, pupil and iris detail is wonderful on my hummingbird pics)
The 31mm LTD seems to be a real treat on all fronts - too many good things said about it to ignore it, even with it's price. Luminous Landscape gave it one of the 3 best lenses in existence.

Sadly #1 is no longer available and extremely rare, and #2 is quite expensive when available. I consider myself very fortunate to own these lenses every time I use them. I missed the fact that you could choose 3 from the list when voting... I must admit that my copy of the DA 12-24 and my FA* 80-200/2.8 are very sharp zooms though.

The FA* 200/4 is so sharp (so long as my DOF is correct), my images NEVER require any sharpening. Even at 100% it's razor sharp... the print tech was shocked when I told him there was no sharpening done to most of my macro images...

and to prove it I showed him the RAW file! (My lowly 6MP DS took wonderful images with this lens.)

Regards,
Marc

jsherman999 · 06-17-2008, 08:48 PM

.

In my experience, it's probably tiered this way, roughly:

1st tier: Vivitar S1 105 2.5 macro, FA 50 2.8 macro, DA 35ltd 2.8 macro

2nd tier: FA/A/M 50 1.7, M85 2, , 77ltd, DA 40ltd, M 50 4 macro, M 100 2.8

3rd tier: FA/A/M 50 1.4, M 200 4, K 35 3.5 + 55 1.8, Viv 28 close focus, Super Tak 135 3.5 + 50 1.4, M 135 3.5

4th tier: M 28 2.8, most other Pentax branded primes + DA* 50-135 + 16-50

5th tier: DA 50-200 + Lotsa stuff, everything else not ^ or v

Basement: FA 28-80, Tamron 28-200, various Quantary and Sigma consumer zooms

4th tier & above are excellent, 5th tier is still good/usable, basement... won't even put them on the camera at this point.

Some in the same tier are sharper than others of course, but so very close I'm calling them as being in the same tier. Some in the mid tiers are very, very sharp stopped down, but aren't in the top tiers due to their higher-aperture performance (ex: 50 1.4 variants) .

(and yes, the DA 40ltd is super sharp, and its edge-to-edge performance puts it near the top there ! Don't be dissin' the 40!

)

.

creampuff · 06-17-2008, 09:08 PM

Originally posted by Peter Zack

I voted for the 31,43 and 77mm in that order but I also have the FA50/2.8 macro as well and I've never used a sharper lens. I've never had a VL125mm or the VIV 105 but I'd say the FA50 Macro would compete with either without trouble.

I have both the FA50 Macro and the Voigtlander 125mm and the Voigtlander is far and away the better lens in terms of sharpness. The Voigtlander also edges the Viv 105.

jsherman999 · 06-17-2008, 09:30 PM

Originally posted by creampuff

I have both the FA50 Macro and the Voigtlander 125mm and the Voigtlander is far and away the better lens in terms of sharpness. The Voigtlander also edges the Viv 105.

Forgot about the Voigtlander 180 I owned. That's probably in the top tier also, but the Viv 105 and FA 50 2.8 macro were both a bit sharper than it. I haven't had the VL 125.

.

View Poll Results: The Sharpest of the sharp
FA 31 LTD	33	38.37%
FA 43 LTD	19	22.09%
FA 77 LTD	26	30.23%
DA 14MM	1	1.16%
DA 12-24MM	5	5.81%
DA 35 LTD	12	13.95%
DA* 16-50	4	4.65%
DA* 50-135	11	12.79%
OTHER PENTAX	29	33.72%
OTHER 3rd PARTY	12	13.95%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 86. You may not vote on this poll

06-17-2008, 07:16 PM	#6
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	i chose FA31 but the sharpest lenses i'm aware of are the FA50 Macro and the FA35 which is technically sharper than the FA31 Last edited by k100d; 06-17-2008 at 07:38 PM.

06-17-2008, 08:32 PM	#12
Marc Langille Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NW Arkansas, USA Posts: 4,710	well, my choices might be a little controversial... my vote is for Other Pentax... Since I own some lenses you cannot easily obtain any more. The financial pain was worth it - every time I look at images from these lenses!!! Without any doubt, the following are my choices... FA* 200/4 Macro... phenomenal bokeh: rich, creamy, wonderful bokeh... (or A* 200/4 macro) Others may be quite good, I'm just not familiar with their characteristics. FA* 300/2.8 (eyelash, pupil and iris detail is wonderful on my hummingbird pics) The 31mm LTD seems to be a real treat on all fronts - too many good things said about it to ignore it, even with it's price. Luminous Landscape gave it one of the 3 best lenses in existence. Sadly #1 is no longer available and extremely rare, and #2 is quite expensive when available. I consider myself very fortunate to own these lenses every time I use them. I missed the fact that you could choose 3 from the list when voting... I must admit that my copy of the DA 12-24 and my FA* 80-200/2.8 are very sharp zooms though. The FA* 200/4 is so sharp (so long as my DOF is correct), my images NEVER require any sharpening. Even at 100% it's razor sharp... the print tech was shocked when I told him there was no sharpening done to most of my macro images... and to prove it I showed him the RAW file! (My lowly 6MP DS took wonderful images with this lens.) Regards, Marc

06-17-2008, 08:48 PM	#13
jsherman999 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,237	. In my experience, it's probably tiered this way, roughly: 1st tier: Vivitar S1 105 2.5 macro, FA 50 2.8 macro, DA 35ltd 2.8 macro 2nd tier: FA/A/M 50 1.7, M85 2, , 77ltd, DA 40ltd, M 50 4 macro, M 100 2.8 3rd tier: FA/A/M 50 1.4, M 200 4, K 35 3.5 + 55 1.8, Viv 28 close focus, Super Tak 135 3.5 + 50 1.4, M 135 3.5 4th tier: M 28 2.8, most other Pentax branded primes + DA* 50-135 + 16-50 5th tier: DA 50-200 + Lotsa stuff, everything else not ^ or v Basement: FA 28-80, Tamron 28-200, various Quantary and Sigma consumer zooms 4th tier & above are excellent, 5th tier is still good/usable, basement... won't even put them on the camera at this point. Some in the same tier are sharper than others of course, but so very close I'm calling them as being in the same tier. Some in the mid tiers are very, very sharp stopped down, but aren't in the top tiers due to their higher-aperture performance (ex: 50 1.4 variants) . (and yes, the DA 40ltd is super sharp, and its edge-to-edge performance puts it near the top there ! Don't be dissin' the 40! ) . Last edited by jsherman999; 06-17-2008 at 09:20 PM.

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06-17-2008, 06:13 PM	#1
Mallee Boy Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,904	The Sharpest of the Sharp. The face down. OK, so which is the sharpest in your opinion and experience. Intended usage will be predominately Landscape, but need not be super wide, or even wide at all. Image quality is more important to me. Very interested to hear what you think. Please note I have given you the option of three (3) choices. Cheers. Last edited by Mallee Boy; 06-17-2008 at 06:19 PM.

06-17-2008, 06:34 PM	#2
lbam Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery Posts: 442	The Holga has to be near the top..

06-17-2008, 06:36 PM	#3
omega leader Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 417	My sharpest lens is my Vivitar (Series 1) 105mm /2.5 Macro, by a long shot. Not what I would use for landscapes. I use my Sigma 17-70 for that, but the Vivitar is miles ahead in terms of resolution.

06-17-2008, 07:07 PM	#4
SCGushue Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,449	There are a number of factors that go into making a lens appear sharp. While I voted here I would take the results with a grain of salt. If I were to rate primes: 31 LTD overall winner... excellent contrast, flare control, color and sharpness, very usable focal length. 43 LTD the sharpest by far but an occasionally "iffy" bokeh. Great for pano work. 35 LTD Macro is looking pretty good in early tests. A 50 2.8 Macro can be scarey sharp. Zooms: Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX DG APO IF non macro version. Excellent color, great sharpness and perfect balance Sigma 100-300 f/4 EX DG APO IF. Sharp wide open and unbelievably sharp stopped down. Pentax DA* 50-135 2.8. Very sharp, small, great color and contrast to go with sharpness. Stephen

06-17-2008, 07:12 PM	#5
OniFactor Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Binghamton, NY, USA Posts: 643	are m42 lenses allowed?

06-17-2008, 07:22 PM	#7
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	I voted for the 31,43 and 77mm in that order but I also have the FA50/2.8 macro as well and I've never used a sharper lens. I've never had a VL125mm or the VIV 105 but I'd say the FA50 Macro would compete with either without trouble.

06-17-2008, 07:29 PM	#8
Tom M Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lincoln Park, NJ Photos: Gallery Posts: 780	The DA 16-45 is prime sharp but it's not on that list.

06-17-2008, 07:31 PM	#9
Ole Administrator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,408	Your list is too short! The DA40 is one of the sharpest around, and it has well-controlled CA to boot. Some lenses match or exceed the DA40 sharpness ever so slightly (77 limited for example) but not until stopped down quite a bit, whereas the DA40 is great already from f2.8. The 31 Limited is also great from f2.8 but it has more CA. The 43 Limited is perhaps the sharpest of them all but with quite some CA. If you look solely at sharpness, the 43 gets my vote (expept at f/1.9 where it is very soft). What would be the best lens for you really depends on you and your needs: Your preferred focal length, do you usually stop the lens down quite a bit, etc.

06-17-2008, 07:44 PM	#10
TourDeForce Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 514	Originally posted by Ole Your list is too short! The DA40 is one of the sharpest around, .... I disagree. The copy I had was beautiful, but it was a tad soft. I saw the same in the pictures posted by jsherman. Beautiful pictures, but just a touch of softness. The A series 50s I had (every one of them, including the 2.0s) were sharper than the DA 40mm Limited. Now as for the lenses on the list; I don't own any of them, nor have I had any experience with any of them. My grade as a fine lens hoarder - FAIL !!!

06-17-2008, 07:50 PM	#11
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Sorry Ole, I have to agree with TourDeForce on this one. I had the 43 and 40 at the same time. The 40 is a beautiful lens and quite a feat of optics and engineering but the 43 is the better lens. To repeat the FA50 macro is still better than both.

06-17-2008, 09:08 PM	#14
creampuff Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,953	Originally posted by Peter Zack I voted for the 31,43 and 77mm in that order but I also have the FA50/2.8 macro as well and I've never used a sharper lens. I've never had a VL125mm or the VIV 105 but I'd say the FA50 Macro would compete with either without trouble. I have both the FA50 Macro and the Voigtlander 125mm and the Voigtlander is far and away the better lens in terms of sharpness. The Voigtlander also edges the Viv 105.

06-17-2008, 09:30 PM	#15
jsherman999 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,237	Originally posted by creampuff I have both the FA50 Macro and the Voigtlander 125mm and the Voigtlander is far and away the better lens in terms of sharpness. The Voigtlander also edges the Viv 105. Forgot about the Voigtlander 180 I owned. That's probably in the top tier also, but the Viv 105 and FA 50 2.8 macro were both a bit sharper than it. I haven't had the VL 125. .