Macro-bokeh-test

**Kerrowdown** · 05-23-2018, 03:15 PM

Originally posted by normhead

But it's unlikely there will ever be one here for a test.

Who do we know that's got one... bet that Gentleman Digitalis has one.

swanlefitte · 05-23-2018, 04:20 PM

So once again normhead has me questioning what I think which is good. I took a cut up grocery bag and placed a white board behind it. Then I took a flash and gelled it and took pictures with my sigma 70mm and each color is different. So I took my 77mm to the same thing and it is really different. Some of this is the sensor of my ks2 but look at the differences. And yes the light moved slightly and the gels cut slightly different amounts of light and my camera was sett to AWB but still.

**c.perkins** · 05-23-2018, 04:36 PM

To my eyes #3 has the best Bokeh and the sharpest image.

**AggieDad** · 05-23-2018, 04:40 PM

Originally posted by swanlefitte

Its interesting how the divide goes considering how different 1 is from 4. Reminds me of a ted talk about spaghetti sauce. On spaghetti sauce - Malcolm Gladwell | TED-Ed.

Thank you for the link. I thoroughly enjoyed Gladwell's talk.

I said it a little differently when I posted, "So now we know why there is both vanilla and chocolate" but the concept is the same – variety (Gladwell's horizontal differentiation) works best because we all have somewhat different criteria.

In the case of these photos, we all want the "most pleasing" bokeh, but we don't all agree as to what makes the most pleasing bokeh. Ergo, the poll results we see.

Last edited by AggieDad; 05-23-2018 at 05:01 PM. Reason: changed "best" photo to "most pleasing" bokeh

swanlefitte · 05-23-2018, 06:30 PM

to add another layer to discernment I desaturated the above and my order of favorites has changed again slightly. I wonder if the originals were desaturated if their would be more or less agreement.

normhead · 05-23-2018, 06:34 PM

The thing is, for people using the forum for lens choices, 4 out of five people can say you'll like a lens, but you might be the fifth guy, who would like something else more. No lens I've tested in polls has ever had even 40% of the vote.

swanlefitte · 05-23-2018, 06:59 PM

My guess is some variables would have a high degree of agreement and some very low. If you can eliminate variables you can tell more. Perhaps a small long rectangular crop desaturated would demonstrate that. One thing the pole shows is in this scene is the sigma is not a favorite.
In my test the 77mm red is my favorite and the sigma red my least favorite. In color 77 r, b, g, sig b, g, r.
Desaturated 77 r,g, b, sig g, b, r

MarkJerling · 05-24-2018, 12:35 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by normhead

The thing is, for people using the forum for lens choices, 4 out of five people can say you'll like a lens, but you might be the fifth guy, who would like something else more. No lens I've tested in polls has ever had even 40% of the vote.

Winner winner chicken dinner! For option 3. 42%.

Andrea K · 05-24-2018, 01:23 AM

#4 is blur then is difficult to understand where the blur ends and the bokeh starts

bassek · 05-24-2018, 02:26 AM

#4 is not sharp enough even if the bokeh is appealing.

I wish there would have been an odd lens (like the F35-70) among these 4...

Seb

PS: Are we allowd to guess? In order: Sigma70, FA50, DFA100, Tamron90 ?

normhead · 05-24-2018, 05:07 AM

They are in order, 50, 70, 90 100 (and my luggage combination is 1-2-3-4) but you can check by clicking on the image, then scrolling down to see the flickr exif.

Steve75 · 05-31-2018, 10:29 PM

#4. The photo has the least amount of distraction.

**aslyfox** · 06-15-2018, 06:31 AM

when ever I look at these comparison threads

I wonder how my computer affects the view

isn't the settings on my computer capable of " adjusting " the images without my realizing it?

just wondering folks

reeftool · 06-15-2018, 07:04 AM

I prefer the bokeh in #3 but the flower looks better in #1.

normhead · 06-15-2018, 07:20 AM

Originally posted by reeftool

I prefer the bokeh in #3 but the flower looks better in #1.

Here we have the effect so many people ignore, #1 is the 50 macro. it has more DoF than the longer lenses, but to get the same framing I had to move closer. And closer to the subject often means a better image. So I think you might be right, the 50 gives you the best image of the flower, but the others give you better bokeh. I'm guessing if i had the 35 macro that breakdown would be even more extreme.

View Poll Results: Which lens has the best bokeh?
Picture 1	16	22.86%
Picture 2	2	2.86%
Picture 3	27	38.57%
Picture 4	25	35.71%
Voters: 70. You may not vote on this poll

05-23-2018, 06:34 PM	#36
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451 Original Poster	The thing is, for people using the forum for lens choices, 4 out of five people can say you'll like a lens, but you might be the fifth guy, who would like something else more. No lens I've tested in polls has ever had even 40% of the vote. Last edited by normhead; 05-23-2018 at 06:51 PM.

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05-23-2018, 03:15 PM	#31
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,815	Originally posted by normhead But it's unlikely there will ever be one here for a test. Who do we know that's got one... bet that Gentleman Digitalis has one.

05-23-2018, 04:20 PM	#32
swanlefitte Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,068	So once again normhead has me questioning what I think which is good. I took a cut up grocery bag and placed a white board behind it. Then I took a flash and gelled it and took pictures with my sigma 70mm and each color is different. So I took my 77mm to the same thing and it is really different. Some of this is the sensor of my ks2 but look at the differences. And yes the light moved slightly and the gels cut slightly different amounts of light and my camera was sett to AWB but still.

05-23-2018, 04:36 PM	#33
c.perkins Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: New Lisbon, WI. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 515	To my eyes #3 has the best Bokeh and the sharpest image.

05-23-2018, 04:40 PM	#34
AggieDad Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Houston, TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,453	Originally posted by swanlefitte Its interesting how the divide goes considering how different 1 is from 4. Reminds me of a ted talk about spaghetti sauce. On spaghetti sauce - Malcolm Gladwell \| TED-Ed. Thank you for the link. I thoroughly enjoyed Gladwell's talk. I said it a little differently when I posted, "So now we know why there is both vanilla and chocolate" but the concept is the same – variety (Gladwell's horizontal differentiation) works best because we all have somewhat different criteria. In the case of these photos, we all want the "most pleasing" bokeh, but we don't all agree as to what makes the most pleasing bokeh. Ergo, the poll results we see. Last edited by AggieDad; 05-23-2018 at 05:01 PM. Reason: changed "best" photo to "most pleasing" bokeh

05-23-2018, 06:30 PM	#35
swanlefitte Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,068	to add another layer to discernment I desaturated the above and my order of favorites has changed again slightly. I wonder if the originals were desaturated if their would be more or less agreement.

05-23-2018, 06:59 PM	#37
swanlefitte Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,068	My guess is some variables would have a high degree of agreement and some very low. If you can eliminate variables you can tell more. Perhaps a small long rectangular crop desaturated would demonstrate that. One thing the pole shows is in this scene is the sigma is not a favorite. In my test the 77mm red is my favorite and the sigma red my least favorite. In color 77 r, b, g, sig b, g, r. Desaturated 77 r,g, b, sig g, b, r

05-24-2018, 12:35 AM - 1 Like	#38
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,404	Originally posted by normhead The thing is, for people using the forum for lens choices, 4 out of five people can say you'll like a lens, but you might be the fifth guy, who would like something else more. No lens I've tested in polls has ever had even 40% of the vote. Winner winner chicken dinner! For option 3. 42%.

05-24-2018, 01:23 AM	#39
Andrea K Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 822	#4 is blur then is difficult to understand where the blur ends and the bokeh starts

05-24-2018, 02:26 AM	#40
bassek Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 706	#4 is not sharp enough even if the bokeh is appealing. I wish there would have been an odd lens (like the F35-70) among these 4... Seb PS: Are we allowd to guess? In order: Sigma70, FA50, DFA100, Tamron90 ?

05-24-2018, 05:07 AM	#41
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451 Original Poster	They are in order, 50, 70, 90 100 (and my luggage combination is 1-2-3-4) but you can check by clicking on the image, then scrolling down to see the flickr exif.

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05-31-2018, 10:29 PM	#42
Steve75 New Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 4	#4. The photo has the least amount of distraction.

06-15-2018, 06:31 AM	#43
aslyfox Seeker of Knowledge Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Topeka, Kansas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,581	when ever I look at these comparison threads I wonder how my computer affects the view isn't the settings on my computer capable of " adjusting " the images without my realizing it? just wondering folks

06-15-2018, 07:04 AM	#44
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	I prefer the bokeh in #3 but the flower looks better in #1.

06-15-2018, 07:20 AM	#45
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451 Original Poster	Originally posted by reeftool I prefer the bokeh in #3 but the flower looks better in #1. Here we have the effect so many people ignore, #1 is the 50 macro. it has more DoF than the longer lenses, but to get the same framing I had to move closer. And closer to the subject often means a better image. So I think you might be right, the 50 gives you the best image of the flower, but the others give you better bokeh. I'm guessing if i had the 35 macro that breakdown would be even more extreme.