I am happy to see that my costly Noct is a decent performer compared to this top of the line group, but I am very impressed with the Konica... If only it didnīt require a 4.5mm mirror shave on a 5d.... Thanks for the thorough test, Dmitry!
Have done another 58mm - FL Canon 58mm f1.2 with infinity on mine 5D - will make more interesting comparison a bit later. In short - its rear lense at infinity mark has a half height as konica ar 57 f1.2, so this lens needs 5D mirror trimming about 2mm as well.
Test snaps right from jpg camera file - just resize.
The Canon is very nice, but that Konica is again something special. Thanks for posting another unique comparison. P.S. Havenīt seen you around here for a while...
Any chance of using a more 'difficult' bokeh background? Flowers tend to make nervous bokeh lenses look good.
I would also love to see FL 55/1.2 shots.
I shoot at f2 to avoid bokeh swirls and other artifacts (my FL 55/1.2 has bokeh friendly aperture blades). I've noticed that there isn't so much difference in degree of oof background between f1.2 and f2 surprisingly. Since a smaller aperture makes so many improvements (foreground and background) a second test at f1.7 or f2 would be wonderful.
Another thought: for us people shooters a focus range of 1m is very interesting and could change bokeh characteristics markedly. I realise however that with my above requests you would be having to do 4 times the tests. Since I'm on a roll here tests at .8m 1m 1.2m and 1.5m would be great too. That would be 32 tests!!!!
lorriman, i will try to test as you have suggested and i am looking for a good copy of canon fl 55mm f1.2 - if someone wants to sell, let me know via PM.
Note: The best way to judge sharpness in these images (IMO) is to look at the ground and find the focal plane. There are enough differences in focus between the shots to make comparing the scooter meaningless. For instance, the Noct, FD 50L and both OMs are significantly front-focused (but by varying degree) and there are smaller variations amongst all the rest.
Once you look at the ground in those shots, the conclusions become quite obvious.
Also, despite the differences seen and the immediate conclusions, it is important to keep in mind that the front-focused lenses have a disadvantage because the area of sharp focus is a bit closer to the bottom edge of the frame (is further from centre) where f1.2 lenses can reasonably be expected to drop in resolution.
Note: The best way to judge sharpness in these images (IMO) is to look at the ground and find the focal plane. There are enough differences in focus between the shots to make comparing the scooter meaningless. For instance, the Noct, FD 50L and both OMs are significantly front-focused (but by varying degree) and there are smaller variations amongst all the rest.
Once you look at the ground in those shots, the conclusions become quite obvious.
Also, despite the differences seen and the immediate conclusions, it is important to keep in mind that the front-focused lenses have a disadvantage because the area of sharp focus is a bit closer to the bottom edge of the frame (is further from centre) where f1.2 lenses can reasonably be expected to drop in resolution....Show more →
I agree with all of this, but:
"Once you look at the ground in those shots, the conclusions become quite obvious."
I can't see the obvious, sorry. Spell it out for me.
Is there much camera to camera variation, even between similar models, that would factor into taking the test results like these from one person's camera and concluding how the lens would perform on my specific camera (assuming similar sensor size and other obvious variables)?
cavewalker wrote:
To compare sharpness for real it's needed to shoot a resolution chart like at Dpreview
But resolution charts are flat and real subject rarely are (especially subjects where thin DoF is desired). Furthermore you can shoot resolution charts at only one (short) distance. This way of testing gives you quite limited information.
"Once you look at the ground in those shots, the conclusions become quite obvious."
I can't see the obvious, sorry. Spell it out for me.
Well, if it is obvious to me and not obvious to others, then it will merely be a point of disagreement.
But, for what it's worth, the sharpest part of the Rokkor sample is sharper than the sharpest parts of the Konica and the Noct samples. The Konica shows more macro-contrast, but the Rokkor resolves more fine detail. The Noct is at a disadvantage due to front-focusing, which pushes the plane of sharpest focus closer to the edge, but this also gives it a "bokeh advantage" due to closer focusing resulting in a more blurred background. The OM 50/1.2 looks softer and lower contrast initially, but if you pay attention only to the detail resolved on the sharpest part of the ground, you'll see that it is on par with the Rokkor, but the Rokkor has better bokeh (subjective). The FD 50L, like the Konica, has high macro-contrast which tends to make it look "sharper" but the fine detail is not quite there.
This is all from memory, due to the facts that:
a) The link to those test images has now been changed to a site called "radikal.ru" which my site filter is blocking due to potentially harmful content. It used to be at album.foto.ru, where all the rest of the samples are and which is not blocked.
b) The link in my post above, which used to be a link directly to the comparison shots, has been changed to a link to the first page of this thread. I did not change this myself, as you can see the post has not been edited. This is the sort of shit that happened on my forum before I finally decided to just shut it down.
Paul, sorry if i get your thoughts wrong, but this thread i have started (this thread is called - Major 50mm and 58mm shootout 2!) because i have had the new test material of 58mm lenses and by that time you forum was already closed (i have placed test shots on Radikal.ru server because it is free and allow to upload files over 5mb, album.foto.ru max 5 mb.) and some FM members wanted to see original shootout of 58 and 85mm.
Here is your thread about this https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/730975/0?keyword=Major,50mm,and#6622818
Finally i have got FL 55 1.2 - after convertion to eos mount, i will try to make the real test with the next lenses. Will try to make it with different distances to focus object and backstage and with harsh and even lighting conditions with focus bracketing for more consistent result. The main stress to lens drawing and sharpness wideopen
Rokkor MC 58 1.2
Rokkor MD 50 1.2
Canon FDn 50 1.2L
Canon FL 58 1.2 (II version)
Canon FL 55 1.2
Olympus OM 55 1.2
Olympus OM 50 1.2
Konica Hexanon AR 57 1.2
Nikon Noct nikkor 58 1.2
Canon EF 50 1.2L
Canon EF 50 1.4
Hope to include into the same test scenes Sigma 50 1.4 as well and the test moment i do not have Pentax smc 50 1.2 but when i haD it lookED similar to minolta MD 50 1.2 but the contast and color more vivid wideopen.
Another plan to make shootout of 85 mm all on mine 5D
FD Canon 85 1.2 ssc asph
FDn Canon 85mm f1.2L
EF Canon 85 1.2L Mark II
Nikon AiS 85 1.4
Minolta rokkor MC 85 1.7
Konica Hexanon AR 85 1.8
Canon FL 85 1.8 (ernostar type not planar)
CZJ Biotar 75 1.5
Helios 40-2 85 1.5
