Author Topic: The same image from two lenses - which is better? (Read 1488 times)

mikmas101 · « **on:** January 05, 2011, 05:30:43 PM »

Here are two full size crops of the same subject taken within minutes of each other using two MF lenses from the same manufacturer but with slightly different focal lengths - both were set to f16.

Which is better - top or bottom?
(If you can access the EXIF data it will tell you nothing....)

Details

voyager · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2011, 05:36:28 PM »

The top is much more bright and clear.

cosinaphile · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2011, 06:16:08 PM »

they are close but the top seems more contrasty or am i imagining it

rogerml · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2011, 06:47:06 PM »

Not looking at voyager's or cosinaphile's results until after my own couple of minutes with the two crops. I decided that the top one comes through a tad sharper, - not much, though. Both are pretty sharp. My (educated,

guess is that the top crop represents the Zuiko Pen F 38mm/1.8, whereas the bottom crop comes from your Zuiko Pen F 40mm/1.4?

russell · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2011, 08:38:38 PM »

It looks to me like the bottom one might have been focussed a bit closer than the top one? The bottom one appears a bit sharper/more contrasty in the light band just to the right of the horizontal centre whereas the top one seems clearer in the darker bit immediately above this (and to the rear). Also the bokeh is different, the top one seems to have almost a double image akin to motion blur on the gear in the back.

adash · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2011, 12:40:16 AM »

Why limit testing to F/16? Test them at F/32 and try to find the difference then!

sirlylos · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2011, 12:07:07 PM »

is this a trick? they look exactly the same to me!

mikmas101 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2011, 12:21:19 PM »

Thanks all for the comments - Roger had indeed a bit of an edge as he had prior knowledge from a Flickr post

Interesting that the comments here draw pretty much the same conclusions about these two lenses I read on other forums. The top crop is from a Pen F 38mm f1.8 and the bottom from the Pen F 40mm f1.4 (sorry adash - f16 is the max for both lenses)

Looking at them prior to posting it was almost impossible to tell which was sharper but the 38 has a tad more contrast of itself and perhaps this is why it seems just that bit sharper (a similar perception occurred with the 'gloss paint' pics I posted a short while back). Where the 40 absolutely shines is in soft focus areas when wide - decidedly smoother than the 38, which already has a fairly pleasant characteristic. I'll post some samples when I have time......

adash · « **Reply #8 on:** January 06, 2011, 02:22:31 PM »

I didn't get the idea about testing lenses at high F-numbers. At F/16 the system is diffraction limited, actual aberrations the glass may have will become minuscule and totally irrelevant. Do test them at wide open!

mikmas101 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 06, 2011, 03:34:06 PM »

adash - I have done comparisons at every f stop on each lens.

That's not really 'testing' them, just comparing the visual outcome within the same circumstances

mikmas101 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 06, 2011, 03:53:38 PM »

Tripod at same distance for both shots, taken with G1, EV set to zero, no PP other than resize and save in PSE

40mm wide open at f1.4

Details

38mm wide open at f1.8

Details

mikmas101 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 06, 2011, 04:13:18 PM »

Like for like - the same parameters as above but both lenses set to f2.0

40mm

Details

38mm

Details

mikmas101 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 06, 2011, 04:31:43 PM »

(handheld) sample shot taken today, unfortunately I didn't take notes but I think this was at f4 but could be f2.8 (about 2ft away)
The blob in the distance is someone with a white shopping bag.

Details

mikmas101 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2011, 05:38:35 PM »

Forgot to mention that I'm so impressed with the capabilities and opportunities that these lenses offer (including the Panny 20mm) that I'm in process of selling off all the other stuff I've accumulated in the last year which includes CV, OM and KH glass - if anyone has any interest please PM me for details before they go to the bay.....

voyager · « **Reply #14 on:** January 06, 2011, 07:47:59 PM »

How much were those lenses?

mikmas101 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 07, 2011, 11:21:21 AM »

Very reasonable considering the prices they fetch

adash · « **Reply #16 on:** January 07, 2011, 11:26:17 AM »

Both look great. The 40 is a bit soft wide open, though still usable.

The same image from two lenses - which is better?