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The 'old' photodo site is a useful reference when you're looking for a sharp lens. Here's the top 20 of 458 lenses tested (all formats). The first number is the weighted MTF score, which is on a logarithmic scale that tops out at 5.0.
In my experience, a relatively low score on the old photodo weighted MTF metric is not necessarily a bad thing (the legendary Contax CZ 35-70/3.4 scored 3.8), but a high score on this scale is a reliable indicator of an excellent lens. I own or have owned nine of these twenty lenses.
4.8 Canon EF 200/1,8L USM
4.7 Contax G Planar 45/2,0
4.6 Canon EF 85/1,2L USM
4.6 Contax Planar T* 50/1,7
4.6 Contax Planar T* 85/1,4
4.6 LeicaM Summicron-M 50/2,0
4.6 LeicaR Elmarit-R 90/2,8
4.6 Pentax SMC-A 85/1,4
4.6 Pentax SMC-F 50/1,4
4.6 Pentax SMC-F 50/2,8 macro
4.6 Tokina AT-X 90/2,5 macro
4.5 Canon EF 135/2L USM
4.5 Contax Planar T* 50/1,4
4.5 Konica M-Hexanon 50/f2
4.5 LeicaM Elmarit-M 90/2,8
4.5 LeicaM Summilux-M 75/1,4
4.5 LeicaR Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 100/2,8
4.5 LeicaR Summicron-R 50/2
4.5 Minolta AF 100/2,8 Macro 1:1
4.5 Minolta AF 50/2,8 Macro1:1
It appears that the "old photodo" lens test results site has been completely absorbed into the contemporary site. The original data that I have were downloaded from the original photodo site on 3 Sept 2003. The transition of the photodo site from what it was then to what it is now is described here,
- "About photodo.com", http://www.photodo.com/topic_140.html
The "How we test our lenses" article at the current photodo site describes a relatively new methodology using Imatest, which was not available when the original photodo tests were performed. The current photodo site says it has 428 MTF test results. My version of the original data has 458 MTF test results, including 32 for medium format lenses, which gives 426 "small format" lenses in 'my' file. I did a quick comparison of the "top twenty" average-MTF scores, and the current site only lists ninteen of them (link below); the Contax CZ Planar 50/1.7 is missing from the current list. Something is awry.
- current photodo database sorted on MTF scores, http://www.photodo.com/browse-lenses/sort-mtf-score-desc
As far as I can tell, the current photodo site does not identify which lenses were tested using the 'new' Imatest method, and which were tested using the original procedure. I suspect that the great majority of weighted-MTF test results on the current site were tested using the old methodology. The old test methodology (using Hasselblad lens test equipment at infinity) is briefly described in the following article,
- Understanding Photodo's MTF graphs, numbers and grades, http://www.photodo.com/topic_136.html
These articles provide a bit more information on the old photodo weighted-MTF score, plus a general discussion on lens resolution testing from Zeiss (which was posted on the original photodo site),
- Resolution, contrast and MTF, http://www.photodo.com/topic_110.html
- Understanding the MTF graph, http://www.photodo.com/topic_108.html
- Lens performance - the view from Carl Zeiss, http://www.photodo.com/topic_137.html
You can download a tab-delimited text file of the original 2003 photodo MFT scores here,
- photodo MTF scores text file, www.jcolwell.ca/ftp/_p_photodo-sorted-all-formats.txt
[edited to include non-35mm lenses, some discussion, and link to download old photodo scores]
Edited on May 17, 2015 at 04:01 PM · View previous versions
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