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Archive 2012 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?

  
 
teebat
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p.2 #1 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


nixland wrote:
Yeah, usually it's more about bokeh ..

#1 Top : Sony 135 STF, Bottom : Canon 135L



Great examples.



Aug 09, 2012 at 04:04 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.2 #2 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


trumpet_guy wrote:
Just be glad you aren't in the Alternative board; they talk there about how a lens
"draws."


Good point. In light of my earlier answer - see the second post in the thread - I would amend it to say that "drawing" might or might not be equivalent, to a greater or lesser extent, to what "rendering" might or might not be. Depending. ;-)

You might as well say, "It looks cool to me!"

coranda wrote:
I don't think of it as vague or subjective, nor does it have any subtle technical meaning. According to the OED it just means express, represent, repeat.


The OED definition (along with similar ones found elsewhere) makes a certain kind of sense, but a) implies more complications than you might think and b) is not objectively related to the sort of use in photographic lingo that the OP was asking about.

Dan

Edited on Aug 09, 2012 at 04:51 PM · View previous versions



Aug 09, 2012 at 04:47 PM
outlawyer
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p.2 #3 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


"Rendering" measures how well a lens recycles slaughterhouse waste and by-products into usable goods.


Aug 11, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Yakim Peled
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p.2 #4 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


snapsy wrote:
It usually means you'll spend about $1,000 more than you need to





Happy shooting,
Yakim.



Aug 11, 2012 at 01:36 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.2 #5 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


coranda wrote:
I don't think of it as vague or subjective, nor does it have any subtle technical meaning. According to the OED it just means express, represent, repeat. I think the reason it has crept into photography is that it is regularly used in computer graphics where the idea of how realistic the "rendered" image appears is a much more relevant concept.

It seems to get often get used in photography to simply mean what the image looks like - and I agree that, in that sense, it is both vague and subjective.

EDIT: I suppose that, technically, you could argue that a
...Show more

By the way, don't think that I failed to enjoy your response, which seemed to start out by discounting any possible "vague or subjective" or "subtle" component, but which then got longer... and longer... and more complex... and, dare I say it, "pretentious and metaphysical." Which is pretty much what my point was, right? ;-)

Dan



Aug 11, 2012 at 01:41 PM
Tom Dix
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p.2 #6 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


very deep subject for some and unimportant for others; subjective for all


Aug 11, 2012 at 09:22 PM
Jonathan Huynh
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p.2 #7 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


Fancy word to spend for L lens.


Aug 11, 2012 at 10:35 PM
SKumar25
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p.2 #8 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


gdanmitchell wrote:
By the way, don't think that I failed to enjoy your response, which seemed to start out by discounting any possible "vague or subjective" or "subtle" component, but which then got longer... and longer... and more complex... and, dare I say it, "pretentious and metaphysical." Which is pretty much what my point was, right? ;-)

Dan


It is puzzling why you put your two bits into topics like rendering and 3-D look etc that you clearly have a disdain for.

To you it may not mean much but it is very useful in describing the output of a lens to others, especially cross brands.

You have a bunch of very similar "rendering" lenses, it is no wonder this is a challenging topic for you, but to come along and flaunt your ignorance with smugness and sarcasm is becoming your style.

Back on topic, doesn't the 24 TSE II have Zeiss like rendering at MFD?:

http://www.lotuscreativeworks.com/Flora/Flora/i-cvmD6hR/0/O/20111109-081.jpg

Oh crap... mentioned Zeiss in the context of rendering, now you'll tell us about the emperor with no clothes, lens lust, and expensive gear...



Aug 12, 2012 at 05:33 AM
n0b0
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p.2 #9 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


Wow... warm coloured flower against cool coloured background... Never mind Colour Theory, it must be the lens!!!

This is about as vague, subjective and pretentious as talking about an abstract painting.



Aug 12, 2012 at 07:57 AM
SKumar25
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p.2 #10 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


Who cares about the colors... The image is not entering any competitions.

Subjective yes, vague, perhaps, but how's this pretentious? This is about lens character description, it has nothing to do with pretense. How do you feel this is pretentious?



Aug 12, 2012 at 08:17 AM
Monito
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p.2 #11 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


The topic is pretentious because it is much beloved of gearheads who debate excessively the nuances real or imagined between expensive lenses in preference to more important topics or other activities.

It bears debunking because, though it is an actual attribute (vague and subjective) of lenses, it is not important for most photographs. That is something newbies reading these kind of threads need to be made aware of, especially when they ask about it.

Lens rendering doesn't have to be paid attention to until you have a good grip on Lighting, Composition, Timing, and Emotional Connection to the Viewer. Even among skilled photographers those are much more dominant and any one of those will break a picture.

A photograph that nails those four qualities will not be broken by inferior lens rendering even if the lens is common and sneered at by the cognoscenti and cost a pittance compared to the lenses that are babied and don't see much light. Yes, it is possible that it might look poorly at 20 x 30 on a gallery wall beside the identical photo with the better rendering, but by time that becomes an issue the photographer has spent a lot of time mastering the important elements of photography and very little time in comparison worrying about "rendering".



Aug 12, 2012 at 08:48 AM
outlawyer
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p.2 #12 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


Id buy a book consisting of GDan's 2 cent contributions to this and other fora. They've been very helpful to me over the years.


Aug 12, 2012 at 10:06 AM
n0b0
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p.2 #13 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


SKumar25 wrote:
Who cares about the colors... The image is not entering any competitions.

Subjective yes, vague, perhaps, but how's this pretentious? This is about lens character description, it has nothing to do with pretense. How do you feel this is pretentious?


Who cares about the colours? Are you serious? Have you heard about Colour Theory? Specially on warm colours vs cool colours? How warm colours seem closer towards you while cool colours seem further away? If there's anything in that flower image that gives you a "3D look", it's the colours, not the lens... and you asked me how this is pretentious? lol



Aug 12, 2012 at 11:19 AM
chez
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p.2 #14 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


Monito wrote:
The topic is pretentious because it is much beloved of gearheads who debate excessively the nuances real or imagined between expensive lenses in preference to more important topics or other activities.

It bears debunking because, though it is an actual attribute (vague and subjective) of lenses, it is not important for most photographs. That is something newbies reading these kind of threads need to be made aware of, especially when they ask about it.

Lens rendering doesn't have to be paid attention to until you have a good grip on Lighting, Composition, Timing, and Emotional Connection to the Viewer. Even among skilled
...Show more

So Monito, it appears like you don't give a crap about lens rendering so why don't you just go practice those 4 other attributes rather than coming onto this thread and trying to save the newbies from falling into the lens traps. Surely you must have better things to do than constantly bash threads which you have interest in.

I've said it before. If people have no interest in a thread topic, why not just leave it alone rather than try to disupt the flow of the thread? There are a couple of members that seem to enjoy this behavior day in and day out. I think we know who these members all. Stop it already as you are not helping out this community.



Aug 12, 2012 at 11:44 AM
Monito
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p.2 #15 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


chez wrote:
So Monito, it appears like you don't give a crap about lens rendering


That would be an error in reading comprehension.

chez wrote:
so why don't you just go practice those 4 other attributes rather than coming onto this thread and trying to save the newbies from falling into the lens traps.


I do both, but see above for how the premise you base your suggestion on is flawed.

chez wrote:
Surely you must have better things to do than constantly bash threads which you have interest in.


Your statement is self-contradictory, but even if we presume to supply a word that might be missing so that it would read "have no interest in", it would be false because I do have an interest in it.

chez wrote:
I've said it before. If people have no interest in a thread topic, why not just leave it alone rather than try to disupt the flow of the thread? There are a couple of members that seem to enjoy this behavior day in and day out. I think we know who these members all. Stop it already as you are not helping out this community.


Yes, please stop, chez. I have written in this thread about what "rendering" actually is and not even remotely a bash, i.e. on topic, cogently enough that a couple of posts later someone agreed with what I wrote about rendering. You have not written anything on topic in this thread, as this is your first post in it. You are not helping out this community by making personal attacks.



Aug 12, 2012 at 12:44 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.2 #16 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


SKumar25 wrote:
You have a bunch of very similar "rendering" lenses, it is no wonder this is a challenging topic for you, but to come along and flaunt your ignorance with smugness and sarcasm is becoming your style.

Oh crap... mentioned Zeiss in the context of rendering, now you'll tell us about the emperor with no clothes, lens lust, and expensive gear...


Indeed. When challenged by an alternate point of view or otherwise in doubt, insult the person rather than engage the subject. That is an old and timeworn argumentative strategy that is too often employed by those who have little concrete to offer about the actual subject under discussion. Another approach is to say, essentially, just go away if you don't agree with our premise. (Thinking of chez's response here, too.)

These are the distractions and disruptions of rational discussion that send threads like this one spinning out of control. SKumar25, disagreeing with your point of view is a valid exercise of the very purpose of this forum, namely open and (one hopes) intelligent and reasonable - and occasionally humorous - discussion of photographic subjects. But personal attacks on the person you disagree with lower the quality of discussion right into the gutter. To me, they seem to reflect more on you than on the validity of anyone's point of view.

I think it is fair to say that I'm not alone in my position relative to much of the business about the "rendering" of this lens or that lens. Disagreement in general and disagreement with you in particular is hardly evidence of my "ignorance." In fact, if you go back and read my first response (intentionally ironic and satirical, in the great tradition of debate and discussion) you will find quite a few follow-up posts that take essentially the same position.

I note the irony of your ability to (or so you think) attribute my inability to agree with your point of view to the set of lenses I own. ("You have a bunch of very similar "rendering" lenses, it is no wonder this is a challenging topic for you") The next time you visit my blog to look at my gear list, how about looking at my photography, too? You might even find time to read a few of my articles.

Monito wrote:
Yes, please stop, chez. I have written in this thread about what "rendering" actually is and not even remotely a bash, i.e. on topic, cogently enough that a couple of posts later someone agreed with what I wrote about rendering. You have not written anything on topic in this thread, as this is your first post in it. You are not helping out this community by making personal attacks.


For some time I've resisted writing about what you observe here concerning chez. It has been clear for some time that what some of us write sets chez off. I have also noticed that his most common contribution to these threads is, as you observe, to jump in and angrily tell me and you and others that we should not post on this or that topic - often impugning the character of the person he addresses and otherwise adding little or nothing to the photography subject actually under discussion. A few weeks ago I looked, mostly in vain, for other sorts of posts from him. I recall seeing some images posted in the landscape forum, where I frequently post, too, but little here besides the messages "correcting" the behavior of those he disagrees with.

I'm open to disagreement about an issue when it is based on facts and when it remains focused on those facts. I'm even open to subjective and emotional notions being part of the discussion when they are acknowledged as such - they most certainly have a place in photography. However, I find it difficult or impossible to engage in a discussion with anyone whose primary response is to attack the personal character of the person holding a different point of view.

Folks are free to continue to believe that "rendering" is a substantial and meaningful and significant term that can be quantified, but not free to expect that anyone who holds an opposing point of view should be any less free to express it and disagree with you. Folks are certainly in a tenuous ethical position if they declare their own right (which I agree with) to speak vociferously about their perspectives and then turn around and personally attack, insult, demean and disparage the person who disagrees with them. To my way of thinking, that is an unfortunate form of "schoolyard bullying," and I'm not impressed nor will I succumb to it.

Feel free to explain and defend your perspective on issues such as this one. But if you believe in your right to express and discuss, please extend to those who disagree with you the same rights that you claim for yourself.

I'll stand by the quality of my posts, my ideas, my experience, and my photography. ;-)

Dan

Edited on Aug 12, 2012 at 04:20 PM · View previous versions



Aug 12, 2012 at 01:14 PM
PetKal
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p.2 #17 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


Forumography topics such as this one often turn into acrimony.
We are much better at discussing more tangible qualities of gears and techniques, such as lens weight, firmware updates, equipment defects, camera prices, etc.



Aug 12, 2012 at 02:28 PM
SKumar25
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p.2 #18 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


n0b0 wrote:
Who cares about the colours? Are you serious? Have you heard about Colour Theory? Specially on warm colours vs cool colours? How warm colours seem closer towards you while cool colours seem further away? If there's anything in that flower image that gives you a "3D look", it's the colours, not the lens... and you asked me how this is pretentious? lol


Nobo, you've again misunderstood what is being discussed.

Colour Theory has its place, but in the context of that example the image could have been black and white. That is a warm blue BTW.

That image has no 3-D look at all. 3-D look is a tiny subset of rendering. 3-D look is pop. Rendering is the visual signature of a lens, with factors including what was mentioned by Jman here: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1138807/0#10869730

What I'm discussing is rendering of the lively bokeh, which is unusual from a Canon lens.

Again, how is this topic pretentious?



Aug 12, 2012 at 07:10 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.2 #19 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


Oh, God, please, no! Not the 3D look business! Now I remember where I first got to read the posts of some of the principals in this thread.

(I believe that the ever-present PetKal is probably rolling his eyes right about now... ;-)

Some of you may know what color theory actually is, in which case you understand that it has essentially nothing to do with the performance of lenses and a whole lot to do with certain decisions you might make about composing a photograph, or perhaps some choices you might make in post - and typically they would not be subtle ones.

Dan



Aug 12, 2012 at 07:22 PM
BrianO
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p.2 #20 · What exactly does a lens' "rendering" mean?


coranda wrote:
...I think the reason ["rendering"] has crept into photography is that it is regularly used in computer graphics where the idea of how realistic the "rendered" image appears is a much more relevant concept.


Kids these days! No sense of history!

We were talking about the way different lenses and different film stocks and different film formats "rendered" a scene long before the digital age.

It may be creeping back into photographic discussions, but it's hardly a new-to-photography term.



Aug 12, 2012 at 07:25 PM
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