Archive 2005 · Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
p.1 #1Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
Olympus Zuiko 24mm Shift
As many of you already know, I've been doing a series of tests on the very rare Olympus Zuiko 24mm Shift lens. I've been doing most of this testing with my good friend Jack Flesher, and now it's time to release some results.
Here's a photo of a sample lens:
http://www.thehatams.com/Images/Zuiko24Shift.jpg
A few things stand out about this lens:
The front element is made of a rare earth element, and the lenses are all hand-assembled. Very few were made, and this is a very rare lens.
The lens has a built-in set of color filters. There is a ring (near the built-in hood) that you turn to switch between "neutral", "Y48" (yellow), "O56" (orange), and "R60" (red).
The lens has a "FOV button", which toggles the apeture between wide open and stopped down to the apeture ring setting. This is a useful aid for manual focus. You set the apeture ring to f8, then when you need to focus, simply press the "FOV" button to "release" the apeture, and the lens opens up to f3.5. After you've focused, then press the button back in, and you're ready to shoot at f8.
The lens does not have a "tilt" capability, but it does have two separate "shift" axes. In the "landscape" orientation (horizontal), the lens will shift up to 8mm in either direction. In the "portrait" orientation (vertical), the lens will shift up to 10mm in either direction. For those of us who enjoy "stitched pano" shots, this is a tremendous advantage. We can now shoot two rows of images (by combining the two shift axes) without moving the tripod, and produce higher resolution images.
Pressure is used to shift the lens. This is fine (and very convenient) for lenses that are "tight". But some copies (mainly the well-worn copies) can get a little lose, and the weight of the lens can cause it to shift in the vertical position while mounted on the camera.
The lens requires an adapter to be used with EOS bodies. I used the cameraquest adapter for my testing. It's an exceptional adapter, and the lens easily slides in-and-out of the adapter, so you can use a single adapter for multiple lenses.
OK, enough about the lens, now let's talk about the testing...
Teseting Methodology
I worked extensively with Jack Flesher on this project. In order to accurately test these lenses, we spent three months acquiring as many copies as possible Overall, we ended up testing 8 copies of this lens, and I currently have 5 in my posession.
Next, we needed competition for this lens. The logical choice is the Canon 24-TSE. I tested four separate copies of the Canon 24-TSE, and used the sharpest copy for the comparison tests.
The two lenses have different shifting capabilities. The Zuiko shifts to 8mm horizontal and 10mm vertical. The Canon shifts 11mm in either direction, however Canon only recommends 7mm of shift in the horizontal direction (you'll notice that all the shift marks on the lens are colored red beyond 7mm).
Some of the tests compare the extreme edge of the full shift on both lenses. Some compare certain areas less-than-full shift. I've included a little of each below.
All shots were taken on my 1DsII at f8, tripod mounted, mirror lock-up, and timed release. All focusing was manually performed using an Angle-C finder. Multiple shots were taken of each image (re-focusing between each shot), and the best shot was used in the comparison. Basic processing was performed in RSE - white-balance and exposure were normalized, sharpening was set to 0, and "extract detail" was set to 20.
Notes about the test image:
The top image shows the whole scene. The 1st row of 100% crops (under the "whole scene") shows a comparison of "full shift". Next is a "partial shift" of the Canon which covers the same area on the image as teh Zuiko. Finally, a comparison of an interior area of the image at the 7mm shift point.
http://www.thehatams.com/Images/24Shift-Test1.jpg
Commentary:
The strength of the Zuiko over the Canon is most apparent at the full edges of the shift. The Canon has more CA, more light fall-off, and less sharpness. When you move in to the 7mm area, the difference in sharpness is less pronounced, but it's still there (look at teh detail in the wood post on the left).
This comparison was using my sharpest Zuiko and sharpest Canon. I've actually tested 8 different Zuiko's against 4 different Canons. On average, the Zuiko's are slightly sharper than the Canon's, have noticably less CA, and noticably less light fall-off.
The sharpest Canon (the one used in this test) is sharper than the "least-sharp" Zuiko, but just barely. Even then, I'd prefer the Zuiko for the advantages of CA and fall-off.
I was impressed with the overall handling and image quality from the Zuiko, and chose to keep the Zuiko over the Canon. I value the dual-axis shift more than I do the "tilt", so the Zuiko is a much better lens for me.
For anyone who does shift-pano-stitch type landscape work, this lens is a dream - it is simply the best wide-angle shift on the planet.
As many of you already know, I've been doing a series of tests on the very rare Olympus Zuiko 24mm Shift lens. I've been doing most of this testing with my good friend Jack Flesher, and now it's time to release some results.
Here's a photo of a sample lens:
http://www.thehatams.com/Images/Zuiko24Shift.jpg
A few things stand out about this lens:
The front element is made of a rare earth element, and the lenses are all hand-assembled. Very few were made, and this is a very rare lens.
The lens has a built-in set of color filters. There is a ring (near the built-in hood) that you turn to switch between "neutral", "Y48" (yellow), "O56" (orange), and "R60" (red).
The lens has a "FOV button", which toggles the apeture between wide open and stopped down to the apeture ring setting. This is a useful aid for manual focus. You set the apeture ring to f8, then when you need to focus, simply press the "FOV" button to "release" the apeture, and the lens opens up to f3.5. After you've focused, then press the button back in, and you're ready to shoot at f8.
The lens does not have a "tilt" capability, but it does have two separate "shift" axes. In the "landscape" orientation (horizontal), the lens will shift up to 8mm in either direction. In the "portrait" orientation (vertical), the lens will shift up to 10mm in either direction. For those of us who enjoy "stitched pano" shots, this is a tremendous advantage. We can now shoot two rows of images (by combining the two shift axes) without moving the tripod, and produce higher resolution images.
Pressure is used to shift the lens. This is fine (and very convenient) for lenses that are "tight". But some copies (mainly the well-worn copies) can get a little lose, and the weight of the lens can cause it to shift in the vertical position while mounted on the camera.
The lens requires an adapter to be used with EOS bodies. I used the cameraquest adapter for my testing. It's an exceptional adapter, and the lens easily slides in-and-out of the adapter, so you can use a single adapter for multiple lenses.
OK, enough about the lens, now let's talk about the testing...
Teseting Methodology
I worked extensively with Jack Flesher on this project. In order to accurately test these lenses, we spent three months acquiring as many copies as possible Overall, we ended up testing 8 copies of this lens, and I currently have 5 in my posession.
Next, we needed competition for this lens. The logical choice is the Canon 24-TSE. I tested four separate copies of the Canon 24-TSE, and used the sharpest copy for the comparison tests.
The two lenses have different shifting capabilities. The Zuiko shifts to 8mm horizontal and 10mm vertical. The Canon shifts 11mm in either direction, however Canon only recommends 7mm of shift in the horizontal direction (you'll notice that all the shift marks on the lens are colored red beyond 7mm).
Some of the tests compare the extreme edge of the full shift on both lenses. Some compare certain areas less-than-full shift. I've included a little of each below.
All shots were taken on my 1DsII at f8, tripod mounted, mirror lock-up, and timed release. All focusing was manually performed using an Angle-C finder. Multiple shots were taken of each image (re-focusing between each shot), and the best shot was used in the comparison. Basic processing was performed in RSE - white-balance and exposure were normalized, sharpening was set to 0, and "extract detail" was set to 20.
Notes about the test image:
The top image shows the whole scene. The 1st row of 100% crops (under the "whole scene") shows a comparison of "full shift". Next is a "partial shift" of the Canon which covers the same area on the image as teh Zuiko. Finally, a comparison of an interior area of the image at the 7mm shift point.
http://www.thehatams.com/Images/24Shift-Test1.jpg
Commentary:
The strength of the Zuiko over the Canon is most apparent at the full edges of the shift. The Canon has more CA, more light fall-off, and less sharpness. When you move in to the 7mm area, the difference in sharpness is less pronounced, but it's still there (look at teh detail in the wood post on the left).
This comparison was using my sharpest Zuiko and sharpest Canon. I've actually tested 8 different Zuiko's against 4 different Canons. On average, the Zuiko's are slightly sharper than the Canon's, have noticably less CA, and noticably less light fall-off.
The sharpest Canon (the one used in this test) is sharper than the "least-sharp" Zuiko, but just barely. Even then, I'd prefer the Zuiko for the advantages of CA and fall-off.
I was impressed with the overall handling and image quality from the Zuiko, and chose to keep the Zuiko over the Canon. I value the dual-axis shift more than I do the "tilt", so the Zuiko is a much better lens for me.
For anyone who does shift-pano-stitch type landscape work, this lens is a dream - it is simply the best wide-angle shift on the planet.
Jun 16, 2005 at 12:21 AM
p.1 #2Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
Could be my monitor, but the zuiko at 7mm shift left looks like it has a whole load of purple fringing (CA) going on in the test chart area...
Jun 16, 2005 at 12:27 AM
p.1 #3Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
David - both lenses show CA out at that shift range, and it get's worse as you go further to the edge. However, if you look closely, the CA is worse on the Canon. It may not be so easy to tell from this test shot, but after looking at many test shots, I noticed more CA on the Canon.
Jun 16, 2005 at 12:30 AM
p.1 #4Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
Yes, I see that. I'm eager to see your report on the 35. Mine will be here in the morning. Needless to say, I'm glad I have the Leica 28 pc
Thanks for your efforts here Mike, looking forward to seeing the rest of your reports.
Thanks for your efforts here Mike, looking forward to seeing the rest of your reports.Jun 16, 2005 at 12:31 AM
p.1 #5Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
glowrider wrote:
Could be my monitor, but the zuiko at 7mm shift left looks like it has a whole load of purple fringing (CA) going on in the test chart area...
My monitor actually shows there are more CA with the Zuiko lens than with the Canon at 7 mm.
Also, the Canon at 8 mm shift holds itself very good against the Zuiko at 8 mm. Sure, Canon at 11 mm shift is not as good as either lens at 8 mm shift, which is expected.
From all the talks comparing the shift lenses, I was expecting the Canon 24 TS-E to be blown away completely. BTW, I almost got a copy of the Zuiko lens.
Could be my monitor, but the zuiko at 7mm shift left looks like it has a whole load of purple fringing (CA) going on in the test chart area...
My monitor actually shows there are more CA with the Zuiko lens than with the Canon at 7 mm.
Also, the Canon at 8 mm shift holds itself very good against the Zuiko at 8 mm. Sure, Canon at 11 mm shift is not as good as either lens at 8 mm shift, which is expected.
From all the talks comparing the shift lenses, I was expecting the Canon 24 TS-E to be blown away completely. BTW, I almost got a copy of the Zuiko lens.
Jun 16, 2005 at 12:38 AM
p.1 #6Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
Stephen-
My comments were alluding to your conclusions, that the 24 TSE appears to hold its own quite well.
My comments were alluding to your conclusions, that the 24 TSE appears to hold its own quite well.
Jun 16, 2005 at 12:40 AM
p.1 #7Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
glowrider wrote:
Stephen-
My comments were alluding to your conclusions, that the 24 TSE appears to hold its own quite well.
David,
The 24TSE at 8 mm shift seems to have less light fall off and sharper than the Zuiko too. Look at the stucco texture in the shade.
But, this is from looking at the compressed images posted by Mike. If Mike tells me that is not the case from looking at his original files, I believe him.
Edited by slau on Jun 15, 2005 at 11:50 PM GMT
Stephen-
My comments were alluding to your conclusions, that the 24 TSE appears to hold its own quite well.
David,
The 24TSE at 8 mm shift seems to have less light fall off and sharper than the Zuiko too. Look at the stucco texture in the shade.
But, this is from looking at the compressed images posted by Mike. If Mike tells me that is not the case from looking at his original files, I believe him.
Edited by slau on Jun 15, 2005 at 11:50 PM GMT
Jun 16, 2005 at 12:46 AM
p.1 #8Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
Great report.
By the way one of these puppies sold for over $2800 earlier today on ebay. The zuiko rush has begun
By the way one of these puppies sold for over $2800 earlier today on ebay. The zuiko rush has begun
Jun 16, 2005 at 12:48 AM
p.1 #9Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
Stephen-
Agree with everything you say. But Mike posted the photos and put the preparation into this, so he must assume we are all going to come to our own conclusions based upon what we're seeing That's the nature of this game, hehe.
Agree with everything you say. But Mike posted the photos and put the preparation into this, so he must assume we are all going to come to our own conclusions based upon what we're seeing
That's the nature of this game, hehe.Jun 16, 2005 at 12:52 AM
p.1 #10Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
i was going to sell my 24 TS-E but might hold onto it now. i don't see the zuiko being all that much of an improvement. besides, CA can easily be corrected in photoshop.
-erik
-erik
Jun 16, 2005 at 01:00 AM
p.1 #13Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
true enough, the lens doesn't make the photographer, but it can enhance the work...I just couldn't justify 1700$ on (if any at all) marginal improvement.
Jun 16, 2005 at 01:18 AM
p.1 #14Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
One of the lessons learned from Mike's test: don't use the full shift of the 24TSE and limit the horizontal shift to no more than 8 mm. Have to do my own test to see how much vertical shift (or rise) before the image becomes too soft at the edge.
Jun 16, 2005 at 01:51 AM
p.1 #15Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
I'm sure if you had the 24tse before this though, you knew that there is significant falloff and quality degradation at full shift...
Jun 16, 2005 at 01:53 AM
p.1 #16Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
the 24 TS-E has red lines denoting what canon's scientists have entitled the "don't go there" area of shift. as long as you don't shift into the red, it is a very good lens.
-erik
-erik
Jun 16, 2005 at 01:58 AM
p.1 #18Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
I've been very disapointed with the 24 TSE both on the 20D and 1Ds2 - loads of CA and not very sharp at all. The 24 setting on my 16-35L is way better and I therefore shoot wider and correct the verticals in PS to get a good image if I need to. Canon needs to revamp this lens ( and it's other wides) to exploit the 1Ds2 sensor and future cameras.
Jun 16, 2005 at 03:21 AM
p.1 #20Zuiko Test: 24mm Shift
I was a little concerned about posting that particular test, because it shows the two lenses to be very close in performance. That particular copy of the 24-TSE is exceptional, and does hold up well to the Zuiko.
Here's another comparison, which is more representative of "average" copies of these lenses. On the left is a "middle of the pack" Zuiko at 7mm shift (I believe it was the 5th sharpest out of 8 copies). On the right is the 2nd-best Canon TSE (out of four copies tested) at 7mm shift.
http://www.thehatams.com/Images/24Shift-Test2.jpg
I was going to use this as the test to post, but I thought it was more fair to use the absolute best copy of each lens.
But this test image is more likely what you will experience when comparing these two lenses. Also, notice that the 5th-best Zuiko is fairly close in performance to the best Zuiko, while the 2nd-best Canon is far from the best Canon. That's why I think the original test may be a little mis-leading about these lenses, because that sharpness is very rare from a Canon 24-TSE.
Here's another comparison, which is more representative of "average" copies of these lenses. On the left is a "middle of the pack" Zuiko at 7mm shift (I believe it was the 5th sharpest out of 8 copies). On the right is the 2nd-best Canon TSE (out of four copies tested) at 7mm shift.
http://www.thehatams.com/Images/24Shift-Test2.jpg
I was going to use this as the test to post, but I thought it was more fair to use the absolute best copy of each lens.
But this test image is more likely what you will experience when comparing these two lenses. Also, notice that the 5th-best Zuiko is fairly close in performance to the best Zuiko, while the 2nd-best Canon is far from the best Canon. That's why I think the original test may be a little mis-leading about these lenses, because that sharpness is very rare from a Canon 24-TSE.
Jun 16, 2005 at 07:54 AM