Nikon D800E -in pursuit of sharpness
- Thread starter Achim Reh
- Start date
Cheesecake
Senior Member
I am very sorry to see / read that some people here have no clue or not the eye to see/ just / analyze image problems / sharpness / resolution.
Everyone who is implementing that the sharpness and resolution difference in the enlarged images below form the Nikon 24-120 and the Zeiss Planar came form wind has no idea what he is talking about.
Nikon 24-120 VR at 50mm, F8 100%
[/url] Ni24_120_50corncrop100 by AchimReh, on Flickr[/IMG]
Zeiss Planar 50 1.4 F8 ( all other condition/settings exactly same )
[/url] ZeissPlan50corncrop100 by AchimReh, on Flickr[/IMG]
i think ur 24-120VR is a lemon.
even my AF28-105 f3.5-4.5D shines at f8, and it is a cheaper and older lens.
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Actually, I tried my 28-105mm on my colleague's D800 and the corners were soft at f8, maybe you got a great copy. I remember lensrental.com commenting that the 24-120VR was soft at the corners as well with the D800, and I think this test, while not 100% foolproof, confirms that.
Cheesecake
Senior Member
the corners are not that fantastic but clearly overall, much better than what the CSer has shown here with the samples from 24-120 VR.
likely a lemon.
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Cheesecake
Senior Member
i've a few samples...
but mine are shot with strobes in controlled lighting condition, might not be the best examples. i post up in a while when i resize them.
but mine are shot with strobes in controlled lighting condition, might not be the best examples. i post up in a while when i resize them.
Cheesecake
Senior Member
just for reference.
this is shot at f10. 1/200s with D800E and the AF28-105 f3.5-4.5D.
u can check the exif from the cropped image.
the cropped image is straight from the camera, at Small Basic Jpg setting.
not resized nor edited, but cropped at 100% and saved at JPG setting 5.
this is shot at f10. 1/200s with D800E and the AF28-105 f3.5-4.5D.
u can check the exif from the cropped image.
the cropped image is straight from the camera, at Small Basic Jpg setting.
not resized nor edited, but cropped at 100% and saved at JPG setting 5.
Cheesecake
Senior Member
i've got an f8 image too but it is at my home pc. it is again shot with strobes in a controlled lighting environment.
i'll post it up later in the evening when i get home.
i'll post it up later in the evening when i get home.
Cheesecake
Senior Member
yup, it is indeed soft, no denying, probably due to the f10 image is straight from camera at basic setting and smallest size jpg.
it is then cropped and saved at JPG setting 5 in photoshop CS4.
i'm not sure about the sharpness setting on my camera, sorry for that.
but can't deny that it is sharper than the sample shown by the TS, right?
i'll post the proper ones later this evening, from the f8 foto that i have at my home PC.
Cheesecake
Senior Member
on my monitor, it looks better than the zeiss ....
there, i would think that sharpness is subjective.
YMMV.
i would think that the best way to test lens' sharpness would probably be in a controlled lighting environment, shooting at the same arrangement/items.
categorise the lens into zoom or prime and focal length.
and at the same condition with the same camera etc.
not trying to prove nor dispel anything, but the truth is, some older, cheaper lens can still shine with the D800E.
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that would be the minimum requirement when it comes to comparing one lens with another ....
and looking at that 2 leafy images again, it is obvious that the zeiss shot was with a brighter lighting and I assumed the leaves are all frozen, not moving at all ....
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Think you don't get what I mean.
Can you say for sure that there was no wind? If you can, then good for you. I am glad you have such confidence in your eyesight (which has little to do with whether one can tell if the blur in the picture is caused by wind, sharpness of the lens, or anything. The 100% crops you post up mean nothing since the leaves and foliage are out in the open, therefore subject to the environmental conditions there. Unless you are Zhuge Liang and can predict the timing of the wind with perfect accuracy? :bsmilie.
As an passer-by, with the obvious knowledge that outdoor conditions are not within YOUR control, I have every reason to doubt if wind was present. Please note that I have never at any point said that "oh, the softness of a particular lens HAS to be because of the wind". What I'm saying is this: it might be the wind. We don't know. Please shoot in conditions where you can control and therefore run a fair test. I don't see why you feel the need to be so defensive or refer to me as "some people", especially since we're adults and this is an open forum.
You might want to think about why most of the image comparisons on reputable sites use indoor shots for direct comparison (e.g. DP Review, Imaging Resource). Because they don't like to go in the sun? Do you also think that they don't know what they are doing and should go and find a pile of grass and leaves exposed to the elements? It is precisely because they shoot indoors, that no one can offer the explanation that wind plays a factor in such things. I don't think anyone will go so far as to say "oh, there may be a cat/bird/human shaking the table/chair/piles of thread in the picture". :bsmilie: Cheers.
Edutilos,
maybe I look at image quality and problems in a different way than other people do . The reason for this might be, that i judge and analyze all types of image quality and defects every day, and I do this for a living for the last 25 years . So, yes, I think I can truly say, thats the one thing where I know for sure what I am talking about.
Again to some other fellow poster here, it was not my intention to "compare " primes with fixed lenses, it was my intention to find out which lenses perform well enough to use the D800E to its full potential. I would be more than happy to find out the my 24-120 performed well ...but this is just not the case. I agree that wind is a factor , and if the difference in this samples would be from wind , I would not have posted it. But this difference you see here is clearly the resolution and sharpness difference form 2 different lenses, and one lens does not perform well enough to be used on the D800E ....if , and only in this case , you have the same high quality demands on a picture that I have. In the meantime , I repeated the test with some other ( borrowed) lenses , and so far , only some performed to my demand. Among them , besides the Zeiss Planar 50/1.4 is the Zeiss Planar 18/3.5 ( also this has some problems at the extreme ends of the outer corners) , and the Zeiss 100 Macro Planar, which a friend in Germany tested in the same way. Lots of other lenses I tried , among them the Nikon 20/2.8 , are just not meeting my demands.
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just for reference.
this is shot at f10. 1/200s with D800E and the AF28-105 f3.5-4.5D.
u can check the exif from the cropped image.
the cropped image is straight from the camera, at Small Basic Jpg setting.
not resized nor edited, but cropped at 100% and saved at JPG setting 5.
Yes, nice, but the crop is more or less form the center. Actually, in the center , the 24-120 also is good. I would love to see a crop with some fine structure from the outer corners with the 28-105 , shot at 28mm setting.
edutilos-
Senior Member
Yes, but all we have are your assurances that there are no wind.
Do you think that is enough? I'm afraid it is not, and that is up to every individual's judgement. I hope you understand where I'm coming from. I'm not intending to put down your tests, just pointing out that they will definitely withstand scrutiny better if done under controlled conditions. Cheers.
Cheesecake
Senior Member
Achim Reh said:
Yup, bcos tat is where the focus area is.
I've yet to shoot at 28mm with the 28-105, probably it will be nt as gd as it is in the center. I doubt i will have much chance to shoot at that focal length specifically jus to test the corner sharpness.
At the end of the day, i'm nt tat particular abt minute detail such as sharpness as much as most ppl. So long as the end product works and it gives me the sharpness as the sample tat i've posted, its a keeper. :}
it is very simple, if you are doubtful about the tests, don't use it .... if the tests are not conducted under conditions good enough for you, also don't use it .... the only proof is in the photos, and a picture speaks a thousand word, if one has to imagine what the photo is suppose to be, then there is not need for that photo at all, in short, why bother ....
in reading the testings done on any equipment, one must question its reliability, and never that it at face value .... look around the internet, there are several tests done and some are good to go ....
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Let have a little graciousness here. TS had the generosity to post his find from test he conducted. Was there a law that said he had to share ? No. If you feel that the test were not done right by your lights you are most definitely free to conduct your own test and share or not the results with us.
Let me share with you a little secret. No matter who did the test (it could be the Almighty himself), you need to do run your own tests to counter check. No do arm chair professor and weight test done by A vs tests done by B , C, D .... and come to conclusion based on what was reported back to you. If there is/are differences then you need to test some more to check. Then draw your own conclusions. That is also how you learn the quirks of your tools.
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