Thank you very much for the very informative reply.
I am extermely interested in the Zeiss lenses (like a moth to a flame?) , but every time I buy one, I do struggle to see the major impact I was expecting. Might be an issue with my subjects, which do tend to be animals, and more subdued colors than any lack of optical brilliance in the Zeiss lenses.
When you same "micro contrast" are you refering to the ability to hold the highlight details in the white petals of teh flowers in this string? Or do you really mean color contrast? I only ask because I have really struggled to be able to hold the levels of details in Johns examples with any of my Canon lenses, and that would be tha main objective of my purchase.
Micro contrast is directly related to the perceived sharpness of the lens. The way I understand it, it is the ability of the lens to separate adjacent tones. Macro contrast is the lens overall contrast, which can be compensated for with levels or curves. Micro contrast can be enhanced by USM (high radius, low amount). But maybe I got it all wrong
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billsnature wrote:
Thank you very much for the very informative reply.
I am extermely interested in the Zeiss lenses (like a moth to a flame?) , but every time I buy one, I do struggle to see the major impact I was expecting. Might be an issue with my subjects, which do tend to be animals, and more subdued colors than any lack of optical brilliance in the Zeiss lenses.
When you same "micro contrast" are you refering to the ability to hold the highlight details in the white petals of teh flowers in this string? Or do you really mean color contrast? I only ask because I have really struggled to be able to hold the levels of details in Johns examples with any of my Canon lenses, and that would be tha main objective of my purchase.
Micro contrast refers to a lens's ability to record very small changes in contrast and colour. This means that more hues of a particular colour can be captured, and more tones from pitch black to total white.
The fine example posted is exactly the reason that Zeiss lenses are so highly regarded.
My experience is that Zeiss lenses will record more detail throughout the colour spectrum, and in shadows and highlights, providing of course that the exposure is at the optimum level.
This, I believe, is partly due to greater micro-contrast, and partly due to Zeiss lenses' legendary high resolution. Both factors together will contribute to the ability to separate and record minute differences in detail.
edwardkaraa wrote:
Micro contrast is directly related to the perceived sharpness of the lens. The way I understand it, it is the ability of the lens to separate adjacent tones. Macro contrast is the lens overall contrast, which can be compensated for with levels or curves. Micro contrast can be enhanced by USM (high radius, low amount). But maybe I got it all wrong
Sounds correct to me. My experience with the canon 180mm, is a lens with very high macro contrast and very saturated color. The micro contrast is there but it needs to be pulled out with considerable (fine detail) USM, as compared to say the 135L.
In the past I've questioned the quality of my 180mmL until I changed my processing technique (with just this lens). In dpp I set the contrast to -1, or -2, and I lower the color saturation to a -1. Then I use a contrast mask to enhance edge separation. And then considerable fine detail USM to pull out the acutance of the micro contrast. A photographer I know said that the 180mmL is leaning more towards the qualities to the older (discontinued) leica 180mm 3.4.
I believe this is opposite of what zeiss is accomplishing with the 100mm. I think the canon 100mm is functioning more along the lines of the zeiss 100, but at a lower resolving power.
This is a very different look from either the zeiss 100 or the canon 100. I think I'll be buying the zeiss 100, when it becomes available in ZE mount...
) leica 180mm 3.4.