How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

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Jonas B
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p.2 #1 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Bif, I have the 75/1.8 and I was impressed with the "sharpness". It's not perfect, too much flare for that and it is not an APO lens. Technically the bokeh is "neutral" which is very well done for a lens with that contrast at 60lp/mm.

I don't trust SLRGear or other places; they to often test lenses indoors at short distances only and tend to blindly trust their measured data and not what is seen in the real world images. So I "measure" the lenses myself by a simple setup and then I know what they can make out of a 2D target at a distance of 55xFL.

Comparing the 75mm to the Zuiko 12/2, the Panasonic 25/1.4 and the Zuiko 45/1.8 the 75 wins. The exact same setup, the same camera (E-M5) the same light and the same hour focused by the same idiot behind said camera it is a notch sharper than the 45mm. That is not a soft lens. (With sharper in this case means resolving power at 50% contrast and what can be seen looking at an image of a standard USAF chart at 100%.)

I don't know how the old FD lens would compare in the same situation but I think the Zuiko would beat it from f/1.8 and up to f/4. I have reason to believe the Zuiko draws background OOF areas smoother than the FD 85/1.2.

Dec 12, 2012 at 05:31 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #2 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

The Oly 75/1.8 is my favorite lens for portrait work because of the sharpness and the ability of this lens to blur out the background. Here's a shot of a Cambodian girl taken with this lens. I had smoothened her face somewhat to flatter her. The cropped version (to show sharpness and detail) is w/o any skin smoothening.

Dec 14, 2012 at 07:31 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #3 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Here's another sample shot. Notice how the headdress just pops. This girl was trying to sell me this scarf and she show showed me how the scarf could be worn as a headdress too. I ended up buying the scarf from her for $2 just because she's so sweet!

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/800 sec 200 ISO 0.0 EV

Dec 14, 2012 at 08:03 PM

Jonas B
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p.2 #4 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Bobbytan, those images are really nice and I think they also are a good answer to the (hypothetical?) question How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?. As an owner of the lens I know it is this sharp, also when looking at crops and bigger images.

But two dollars only for that smile? I guess some blurring (the scarf) could help if printing.

Dec 14, 2012 at 08:25 PM

Bifurcator
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p.2 #5 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Yeah, those are sharp Bobby! I again didn't think the dkmiles1 boy image was above average however. Is this sample variation at work or is something else going on? The EXIF says he's using E-M5 so there's plenty of rez... <shrug>

Dec 14, 2012 at 09:25 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #6 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Another sample, of the snow monkeys in Japan.

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/640 sec 200 ISO 0.0 EV

Dec 15, 2012 at 07:21 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #7 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

A Kyoto Geisha.

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/160 sec 1250 ISO -1.7 EV

Dec 15, 2012 at 07:56 PM

Takira71A
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p.2 #8 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

>> Judging by these so far, both the FD 85/1.2L @f/1.8 and the Zeiss C/Y 85/1.4 @1.8 just trounce
>> this Oly.

@Bifurcator:
No disrespect at all...

But if you ***Honestly*** think that the C/Y Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.4 Lens (at f/1.8) trounces the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 75mm f/1.8 Lens (... also at f/1.8 and hence 'Wide Open')... Then I REALLY don't know what you are SMOKING!

The Planar is a very nice lens (especially for 'Female Portraiture' IMNSHO), but if you think that it outresolves the NEW Olympus 75mm... Than I would seriously question the rest of your 7800+ Postings!

. Smile.
--
As for the Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 L Lens, I will refrain from (commenting on it directly)... As I have NOT shot with it for many, many years now.

But since even the *Latest* Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II Lens is *STILL* not as sharp (at f/1.8) as the Olympus 75mm is (at f/1.8)... I don't honestly see how you think that the older FD would still trounce the Olympus.
--
I agree that not ALL of the images shown in this thread show the Olympus 75mm at its best (But some of them clearly do showcase the virtues of the Olympus).

However... Just a little bit of 'Common Sense' (taking into consideration the Specifications and 'Design Parameters' of the Olympus 75mm) AND a quick glance around the Internet... Should tell you *ALL* that you need to know.

In conclusion... The Olympus 75mm 'Clearly' trounces the two lenses that you have mentioned (at least in terms of 'Sheer Resolution')... *** When shooting at f/1.8. ***

This of course is not just my personal opinion... But also the opinion of the majority of others who have chimed in on this thread. And those are the facts!

--
Cheers.
______

I hear people "saying" it's great but these images aren't showing what I would comparatively call "great".

Any others to show?

Judging by these so far, both the FD 85/1.2L @f/1.8 and the Zeiss C/Y 85/1.4 @1.8 just trounce this Oly.

That said, it looks soft enough to indeed be a nice and forgiving portrait lens.

Edited on Dec 18, 2012 at 12:00 PM · View previous versions

Dec 18, 2012 at 11:38 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.2 #9 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Jman13 wrote:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Great pic Jordan.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 18, 2012 at 12:00 PM

Takira71A
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p.2 #10 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

I too definitely agree with Yakim...
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The 'Image Composition' that you used here Jordan was very, very interesting (i.e. 'Lower Right Quadrant').
Needless to say... I too like this image a LOT!!!

_____

>> Great pic Jordan.

>> Happy shooting,
>> Yakim.

Dec 18, 2012 at 12:15 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #11 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Portrait of a snow monkey.

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/500 sec 200 ISO -0.7 EV

Dec 18, 2012 at 06:01 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #12 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

One more ....

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/500 sec 200 ISO -0.7 EV

Dec 18, 2012 at 06:46 PM

Michael H
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p.2 #13 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Those are great Bobby. More DOF than I would have expected being that close. What would you estimate your distance was from the monkey?

Dec 18, 2012 at 08:20 PM

carstenw
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p.2 #14 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Wow, a whole page full of great portraits!

Dec 18, 2012 at 11:16 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #15 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Thanks! I think I was no more than 4 feet away from the monkey. You can get extremely close to them (they are used to being gawked at and photographed) and I am often having to step back because of the 33" MFD of the 75.

Michael H wrote:
Those are great Bobby. More DOF than I would have expected being that close. What would you estimate your distance was from the monkey?

Dec 18, 2012 at 11:28 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #16 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

...... from one terrific lens - possibly and arguably the finest m43 lens!

carstenw wrote:
Wow, a whole page full of great portraits!

Dec 18, 2012 at 11:29 PM

bobbytan
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p.2 #17 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Crop of a baby monkey.

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/800 sec 200 ISO 0.0 EV

Dec 19, 2012 at 01:28 AM

bobbytan
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p.2 #18 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Something different ....

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/250 sec 200 ISO -1.3 EV

Dec 19, 2012 at 01:55 AM

bobbytan
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p.2 #19 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Cambodian girl in a temple in Angkor.

E-M5 75 mm f/1.8 1/160 sec 320 ISO -2.0 EV

Dec 19, 2012 at 02:16 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.2 #20 · How sharp is the Oly 75mm f/1.8 Really?

Bobby, I find the last one to be great both because of composition and her facial expression. Well done.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 19, 2012 at 08:52 AM

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