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03-07-2011, 02:25 PM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by Thomas Quote
Dilloyd just posted his review of the 35mm FA- lukewarm praise. Likely a lot of sample variation in this lens, since many find it outstanding
Take a different altitute and thinking the glass is half full.

For example, if I had the 35mm lens Lloyd tested, I would be actually very happy for the little skew he has seen. Rotate to the left, and shooting vertically, it becomes a lens with little bit down tilt, just like my purposely and elaborately modified P67 55mm. My foreground would be much sharper without the needs to stop down to f/16-f/22 in a near-far composition, which is part of my shooting style, from what I can see in Lloyd's 100% crops (the left side foreground is very sharp at f/5.6, while the right side is very sharp at far greater distances). Even the shot I use as my icon on the left would benefit a little, since the rock is nearby on the left, and the mountains to the right are far away.

If I don't need the tilt (or the swing), at f/11-f/16 the results are passible on prints as well, so I actually have a little bit of the both worlds, and would not exchange it for a perfectly aligned sample.

Thinking things not purely technical, and be creative.


Last edited by leping; 03-07-2011 at 07:32 PM.
03-07-2011, 06:18 PM   #32
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Good points Leping.
I think we all get distracted looking for a great lens on a great camera, when the real goal is a great photograph.
05-12-2011, 10:47 PM   #33
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Kuau,

I think we are on a similar mission, to find a wide lens on the 645 that can achieve sharp focus through the entire frame, and retain very good corner sharpness. 35mm is the widest (until the 25mm is released, at a large expense and no filter options to attach on the front yet).

I picked up 2 copies of the 35mm manual lens - and 1 model was CLEARLY better than the other. What surprised me is how sensitive the focus is on both lenses. I ended up taking a ton of shots, and so far, my ideal setup is nowhere close to infinity focus. I've taken note of the ideal focus location so I can easily repeat it. I think I'll mark it with gaffer's tape. It's a pain to find the sweet spot, but now that I've found it, it's stupid easy to check that I have the right f-stop / focus, and shoot away.

My takeaways are:

1. Based on a n = 2, there appears to be sample variation
2. The focus and the aperture is very sensitive. If I put my lens at infinity focus and f/8, it's mushy in the corners. When I stop down to F/16 at the "right" closer focus, it's very sharp in the corners and repeatable.
3. Add #1 & #2 together, and you'll get a ton of variation in testing. I wish I could grab any wide lens off the used market, set it at hyperfocal distance, f/8 and it would rock, but that isn't what I'm experiencing. However, I think that with an investment in time to do some upfront testing, good repeatable results can be achieved.
05-13-2011, 04:03 AM   #34
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QuoteOriginally posted by lnorton Quote
3. Add #1 & #2 together, and you'll get a ton of variation in testing. I wish I could grab any wide lens off the used market, set it at hyperfocal distance, f/8 and it would rock, but that isn't what I'm experiencing. However, I think that with an investment in time to do some upfront testing, good repeatable results can be achieved.

I don't understand why you want to use F:8? That is a recipie for frustration on MF as the DOF is simply not enough for most three dimentional subjects typically shot with a wide angle lens.

97% of all shots I've done on MF the 13 years I have used the format is shot at F:16 and smaller. F:8 and be there is OK for 35mm but for the 645 format it is F:16 and be there.

05-13-2011, 05:57 AM   #35
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I was referring to Kuau's observation that on both of his copies, he couldn't get good results for landscapes, even stopped down to f/13. I'm getting best results past that - at f/16.

It's a great point that for those of us new to MF, many of the old 35mm rules shift, including the point at which diffraction is a real problem.

Thanks.
05-13-2011, 05:58 PM   #36
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QuoteOriginally posted by Pål Jensen Quote

...
97% of all shots I've done on MF the 13 years I have used the format is shot at F:16 and smaller. F:8 and be there is OK for 35mm but for the 645 format it is F:16 and be there.
What about all the other genres of photography that utilizes selected focus? The landscape with crisp, infinite DOF is only one branch of photography, doesn't constitute the whole and is not the photographic gold standard.
05-13-2011, 06:13 PM   #37
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Excellent work!
Could you expand on how we can determine resolution limits with the presence of moiré?

ps. the accent on moiré in your post is pointing in the wrong direction

05-14-2011, 11:29 AM   #38
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QuoteOriginally posted by tuco Quote
What about all the other genres of photography that utilizes selected focus? The landscape with crisp, infinite DOF is only one branch of photography, doesn't constitute the whole and is not the photographic gold standard.
With selective focus you usually have distinctive subject that stands out from the surroundings. Edge definition is usually not a problem in such circumstances. Only if you have a flat subject from frame to frame and you want to shoot at wide apertures is this a problem. This is however a rare a weird type of photography.
According to Ansel Adams the landscape is the ultimate test of the photographer ...
05-14-2011, 11:42 AM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by Pål Jensen Quote
...
According to Ansel Adams the landscape is the ultimate test of the photographer ...
I think if he told that to a fashion, portrait, journalist, sports or wildlife photographer to name a few, he'd have been confronted with dissenting opinions.
05-14-2011, 08:44 PM   #40
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Here are a few examples of the wide aperture type of photography that I practice. None taken stopped down past f/5.6 and none would have worked if the rules of landscape photography were to be applied. Whether a lens is sharp to the corners is not of any real significance here, but out of focus rendition means the world - rare is the lens that provides such desirable rendering. Beyond the lens, the technical and compositional problems of wide aperture photography are every bit as challenging as those confronted in landscape work.

Alan

1) Lotus: 645 NII + CZJ 180mm Sonnar at f/4;
2) Lillies: 67II + CZJ 180mm Sonnar at f/2.8;
3) Girl: 67II + CZJ Sonnar at f/5.6;
4) Bubble: 645 NII + CZJ 50mm Flektogon at f/5.6; and
5) Hip Hop dancer: 645 NII + Pentax FA 35mm at f/3.5.

QuoteOriginally posted by Pål Jensen Quote
With selective focus you usually have distinctive subject that stands out from the surroundings. Edge definition is usually not a problem in such circumstances. Only if you have a flat subject from frame to frame and you want to shoot at wide apertures is this a problem. This is however a rare a weird type of photography.
According to Ansel Adams the landscape is the ultimate test of the photographer ...
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Last edited by ARCASIA; 05-14-2011 at 10:22 PM.
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