p.1 #2 · The greatest lens ever??? Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro
The designer of this lens is an FMer...or at least used to be. Can't remember what his username is to look him up. I'd like to try one out, but I can't really justify $200 for a 4 day rental just to try a lens I'll never buy.
p.1 #3 · The greatest lens ever??? Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro
The greatest lens ever? It has amazing performance, but it is too short and slow to be a portrait lens, too long and slow to be a normal lens, too expensive for anyone but businesses, law enforcement and selected rich people to enjoy, and doesn't hit any other targets, other than being a short macro and good for extended spectrum photography. It is surely one of the greats, within its narrow niche, but IMO it could never be a candidate for the best lens ever, any more than the Canon 17mm TS-E or the Nikkor 800/5.6 could be.
p.1 #4 · The greatest lens ever??? Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro
The only reason I would rent it would be to pick it apart. We already know it has a hot spot issue. And yes - there's the 90-10 rule again. You can get 90, maybe 98% of this lens with 10% of the cost. My wife's $20 Minolta 50mm Imatests better than Leica and Zeiss lenses costing 10-40x as much.
p.1 #12 · The greatest lens ever??? Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro
This, "best lens ever" topic is akin to herding cats, an inexact science to be sure.
There is so much emotional reaction and memory involved. I have owned and used many, many lenses over the years. I currently own and use around 20 lenses.
The one I sold years ago, the "one that got away", etc, my sentimental memory filled favorite was the amazing Pentax A * 85/1.4 lens. Simply stunning...
p.1 #14 · The greatest lens ever??? Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro
Nothing like those characteristics of this lens appeared in my knowledge before , it seems like a combination of 2 space Zeiss lenses.But not many real life pictures of this lens much, I found 1 site (long time ago), and VIS part not that absolutely convinced. http://www.robert-chisholm.com/Multispectrum/index.htm
p.1 #15 · The greatest lens ever??? Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro
contas wrote:
Nothing like those characteristics of this lens appeared in my knowledge before , it seems like a combination of 2 space Zeiss lenses.But not many real life pictures of this lens much, I found 1 site (long time ago), and VIS part not that absolutely convinced. http://www.robert-chisholm.com/Multispectrum/index.htm
Well, its shot on Fuji. That wont tell much about lens quality.
His conclusion (pre Nikon D800) "The Coastal Optics 60/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro is a reference lens for other lenses, and uniquely capable of imagery across the UV/visible/IR spectral bands simply not possible with any other lens available today. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is a 5+."
His conclusion (pre Nikon D800) "The Coastal Optics 60/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro is a reference lens for other lenses, and uniquely capable of imagery across the UV/visible/IR spectral bands simply not possible with any other lens available today. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is a 5+."
He's added a caveat to that since the Nikon D800!
The curse of 36...56...? 100 MP 35mm sensors? Precious few present-day lenses will be "good enough" and as diffraction sets in earlier and earlier with these conventional sensors as MP count rises all the while photosite size shrinks, ƒ/4 will be all the stopping-down you get until non-Bayer sensors might change the game.
Hence, Zeiss and the 55/1.4 as precursor to another stratum of highly corrected glass few will be able to afford.
In Lloyd Chambers' recent excursions on the D800E, even the vaunted Leica R APO's show their weaknesses (and the Sigma 180 APO Macro made quite the showing against the Leica R 180 Elmarit APO).
The Coastal's cost is so crazy as unjustifiable for anything but specialized scientific applications.
His conclusion (pre Nikon D800) "The Coastal Optics 60/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro is a reference lens for other lenses, and uniquely capable of imagery across the UV/visible/IR spectral bands simply not possible with any other lens available today. On a scale of 1 to 5, it is a 5+."
He's added a caveat to that since the Nikon D800!
Right, which is that the corners don't get sharp until f/8, and diffraction starts at f/5.6. He also mentions the D3x in this sentence, so presumably also the D600 is affected, as well as all future Nikon FX cameras.
p.1 #20 · The greatest lens ever??? Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO macro
But Digiloyd forgets the Nikon/Rayfact 105mm UV better UV capabilities.
The Coastal is specified to work form 290 to 1500nm wavelength, the Nikon from 220nm to 900nm. It seems to be still available, but is not produced continusly like other manual Nikon lenses for machine vision and such.
