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2021-01-26 Sony A1 Reader Comments (4)

2021-01-26 Sony A1 Initial Impressions

2021-01-07 Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH Aperture Series: Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney Sunrise from Alabama Hills (Leica M10-R)

2020-12-13 Leica M10 Monochrome: Filters and Focus Error / Sharpness

2020-12-07 Reader Comment: Mirrorless Camera Perhaps Nikon Z7 II to go with Nikon D850, Tempted by Sony A7R IV

2020-10-14 Nikon Z7 II Narrows the Gap with Last Year’s Cameras

2020-09-27 Evaluating Focus Shift with the Sigma FE 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

2020-09-11 Sigma FE 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art: Micro Contrast, Moiré, Color Aliasing with/without Pixel Shift and Distortion Correction

2020-09-11 Sigma FE 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art: Hideous Pincushion Distortion and Its Effects on Micro Contrast

2020-08-29 Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S: Assessing Sharpness Losses from Mandated Distortion Correction

Pages at other diglloyd sites:

See also 29 pages at macperformanceguide.com

See also 1 pages at windinmyface.com

2020-10-01 OWC Introduces OWC Mercury Pro LTO Tape Archiving Solution

2020-01-31 macOS Catalina Screws up My Display Arrangement and Resolution EVERY TIME I Reboot

2020-01-05 Apple 2019 Mac Pro: Display Will Not Re-Sync with NEC PA302W after Coming Out of Sleep + Base Video Card vs Other Cards, Thunderbolt 3 Ports

2019-06-30 Displayport™ 2.0 Video Standard Enabling Support for Beyond-8k Resolutions

2018-03-07 2017 iMac Pro: Real World Photoshop: Make Multi-Res Image Series

2018-01-02 New Year’s Resolution for Apple: Can We Please Have macOS 'Sobered Up' in 2018? Keychain Crash and Others—macOS Increasingly Unstable = Unacceptable

2017-08-18 Reader Question: Connecting a Dual-Link DVI-D Display to new Macs with Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C

2017-08-12 Reader Comment: How to Solve Connecting Mini DisplayPort Display to Macs with USB-C/Thunderbolt 3

Getting Started

Introduction and overview of making sharp images..

  1. Introduction
  2. Sharpness and Blur Counterpoint

Bokeh and Blur

How a lens blurs when out of focus is a Big Deal..

  1. Bokeh Overview
  2. Pleasing Bokeh

Sharpness and Blur by Optics

Blur from optical behavior or subject-related issue..

  1. Blur by Focus Shift
  2. Blur by Depth of Field

Sharpness and Zone of Focus

Sharpness loss by focusing or zone of sharp focus..

  1. Blur by Autofocus Error

Blur from Camera or Support

Sharpness loss by camera or support or technique..

  1. Blur by Camera Movement
  2. Resolving to Sensor Resolution

Appendices

Glossary and further reading..

  1. Further Reading

Digital Sensor Technology

Digital capture technology is discrete, and not the same as film..

  1. Blur by Bayer Pattern Demosaicing
  2. Resolution with Color Sensor vs Monochrome Sensor
  3. Effects of Diffraction Blur on Color Aliasing
  4. Diffraction vs Color Aliasing (Leica M240)
  5. Resolving to the Sensor Resolution
  6. Are More Pixels Better at High ISO?
  7. Oversampling for High Image Quality (Sony NEX-7)

Ray Angle, Vignetting, Color Shading on a Digital Sensor

Evenness of illumination, color shading, digital sensor effects, ray angle..

  1. Ray Angles for Rangefinder Lenses

Post Processing for Sharpness

Making image captures look sharp..

  1. Restoring Sharpness Lost from Digital Capture (RAW)
  2. Restoring Sharpness Lost to Digital Capture
  3. Local Contrast Enhancement for Perceived Sharpness
  4. Levels and Curves for Higher Perceived Sharpness
  5. Mitigating Micro Contrast Losses from Diffraction Blur

Choosing Equipment

How to choose a camera, lenses, and the other stuff that’s worthwhile..

  1. Choosing Lenses

Workflow Tips and technique

An introduction to digital workflow and best practices. .

  1. RAW Conversion: Adobe Camera RAW vs DXO Optics Pro

Photoshop How-To

Working with Photoshop for raw conversion and more. .

  1. How to Downsample and Sharpen an Image

Frame Averaging

Maximizing dynamic range and image quality by minimizing noise via multiple exposures..

  1. Introduction to Frame Averaging
  2. Frame Averaging: Automated Script

Expose To The Right (ETTR)

Maximizing image quality, dynamic range, minimizing digital noise. .

  1. How JPEG Sharpness and Contrast Settings Affect Live View

How To Get Peak Sharpness With Perfect Focus

Focusing is more complicated than it first appears..

  1. Hedge Your Bet By Stopping Down
  2. Case Study: Major Sharpness Gains via Ideal Focus with Lenses having Peripheral Forward Field Curvature (Pine Creek High Peaks)

Focusing Accuracy (Case Studies)

Focusing accuracy and errors..

  1. Focus Bracketing with a 15mm Lens on Nikon D800E
  2. Focus Bracketing Study (Canon 5D Mark III, 40mm f/2.8 STM)
  3. Rangefinder Focus Error With Leica M9 and Zeiss Lenses
  4. Rangefinder Focus Error With Leica M9 + 50/1.4 Summilux
  5. Focus Bracketing Study (Nikon D800 / Leica 100/2.8 APO)

How To Banish Blur Whether Handheld or Tripod

Using your camera’s mirror lockup, self timer, and Live View features..

  1. Live View Settings With Canon DSLRs
  2. Using Live View With Nikon DSLRs

Depth of Field

Controlling the zone of sharp detail..

  1. Depth of Field As a Creative Tool
  2. Case Study: Format-Equivalent F-Stop: APS-C vs 35mm Full Frame (Pellegrino)
  3. Practical Tips

Depth of Field Mitigations

Increasing Depth of Field by means other than stopping down..

  1. Focusing for Optimal Tilt Placement
  2. Example: Focus Stacking For Infinite DOF (Wagon)

Focus Stacking Overview

Bypass the limits on depth of field and diffraction..

  1. Overview of Focus Stacking
  2. Focus Stacking = ONLY Solution for Full Resolution with High-Res Digital
  3. Focus Stacking Gains in Sharpness vs Single Frame, File Size as a Proxy Measurement

Focus Stacking Shooting Tips

Best practices for shooting stacking frames..

  1. Tips for Focusing for Focus Stacking

Focus Stacking Examples

Examples of Focus Stacking..

  1. Example: 3-Frame Stack (Warm and Cool Aspen, Nikon D810)
  2. Example: Medium-Far Range (Two Bristlecone Logs on Hillside)
  3. Example: Near Far at 28mm (Hardy Pine View of Unicorn and Cathedral Peaks)
  4. Example: Subject Movement (9050 Pine Creek Rd Waterfall)
  5. Example: Dual Not-Quite-Enough Examples (Bristlecones Near to Far)
  6. Example: Shallow Stack for Sharpness in Narrow Zone (Blue Engine on Green Machine)
  7. Example: Two-Frame Stack (Huge Boulder, Sony 85/1.4 GM)
  8. Example: Getting Close to 50 Megapixels in Real Photography (Spotted Boulder, Canon 5Ds R)

Diffraction

Getting peak performance from your lens.

  1. Diffraction—Resolution Taxed to Its Limits
  2. Example—Resolution Chart
  3. Diffraction Limits for High Resolution DSLR (Dolls, Nikon D7100)

Field Curvature

Zone of focus, not plane of focus.

  1. Looking for Sharpness in all the Wrong Places
  2. Field Curvature Focusing Tips
  3. Field Curvature and MTF Charts
  4. Detecting and Mitigating
  5. Examples with 50mm Lenses

Field Curvature (Case Studies)

Actual example of field curvature..

  1. Field Curvature with Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon
  2. Field Curvature with Two Leica 24mm Lenses

Focus Shift and Spherical Aberration

Elusive sharpness, depending on aperture.

  1. Your Lens Might Be Sharper Than It Seems!
  2. Detecting and Mitigating Focus Shift
  3. Optics (MTF)

Focus Shift (Case Studies)

Focus shift with a variety of lenses..

  1. Focus Shift with the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G (Early Tests)
  2. Focus Shift Over the Frame, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G (Cabin)
  3. Mitigating Focus Shift In the Field, Nikon 14-24/2.8G (Cottonwood Canyon Cabin)
  4. Focus Shift with 28mm Lenses
  5. Focus Shift: Canon 50mm f/1.2L (Dolls)

Understanding Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)

Understanding resolution and contrast graphs..

  1. MTF Introduction
  2. Fantasy MTF
  3. Reading MTF Charts
  4. MTF Measurement vs Field Curvature
  5. MTF and Sensor Size
  6. Lateral Chromatic Aberration and Astigmatism
  7. Zeiss MTF Examples
  8. Leica MTF Examples
  9. Leica MTF Analysis / Summilux, Elmarit, Elmar 24mm
  10. Leica MTF For Leica 35/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  11. Canon MTF Examples
  12. Nikon MTF Examples

Vignetting (Field Illumination)

Evenness of illumination across the frame and related effects..

  1. Vignetting

Astigmatism

Understanding astigmatism..

  1. Astigmatism

Camera and Lens Tolerances

Sharpness issues related to camera and lens tolerances and build quality..

  1. Case Study: Severe Lens Skew (D800E, Samyang 14mm f/2.8)

How to Test A Lens

How to verify a good sample and assess all aspects of lens performance..

  1. My Approach to Testing a New Lens
  2. Know Your Goals
  3. Choosing a Test Scene for Evaluating Sharpness
  4. Focusing Accuracy When Testing
  5. Ruling Out Camera/Sensor Alignment
  6. Testing for Field Curvature

Optical Behavior (Case Studies)

Illuminating examples of lens behavior..

  1. Lens Skew (Nikon D800E, Sigma 35/1.4)
  2. Asymmetric Sharpness with Leica 180mm f/3.5 APO-Elmar-S
  3. Lens Asymmetry/Blur With Fuji X100
  4. Lens Asymmetry/Blur With Sony NEX-7 + 24mm ƒ/1.8 Sonnar

Research — Handheld Shooting

Research into sharpness of handheld images with and without image stabilization.

  1. Handheld Sharpness
  2. Handheld vs. VR Shootout

Research — Tripods and Camera Technique

Stability of tripods and ballheads, controlling camera vibration, selecting equipment..

  1. Shutter Speed and Critical Sharpness on a Tripod
  2. Sharpness on Light/Medium/Heavy Tripods
  3. Sharpness with Mirror Lockup, Exposure Delay, VR
  4. Tripod Performance for Burst Shooting
  5. Tripod Collars: Wimpy or Strong

Panasonic S1R

High-resolution L-mount full-frame from Panasonic..

  1. Overview of Panasonic S1R
  2. Panasonic S1R: Notes on Focusing in HighRes Mode
  3. Panasonic S1R: EVF and Rear LCD
  4. Examples: Portraits with Panasonic S1R Eye AF
  5. Examples: Portraits using Panasonic S1R Eye AF in Color and Monochrome

Panasonic S1R Image Quality

Aspects of image quality..

  1. Panasonic S1R: ISO Series 50 to 51200 (Dolls)

Panasonic S1R Multi-Shot High-Res Mode

Evaluating Multi-Shot High-Res Mode..

  1. Panasonic S1R: Overview of Multi-Shot High-Res Mode
  2. Panasonic S1R: Diffraction Limits for Multi-Shot High-Res Mode
  3. Panasonic S1R: Standard vs Multi-Shot High-Res Mode (Various)

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS

All-arounder entry-level mid-range zoom for L-Mount..

  1. Optical Distortion Across the Zoom Range, with/without Distortion Correction
  2. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Mosaic
  3. Aperture Series @ 35mm: Mosaic
  4. Aperture Series @ 71mm: Mosaic
  5. Aperture Series @ 99mm: Mosaic
  6. Shootout: Leica 50mm f/1.4 SL vs Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 50mm f/1.4 vs Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm f/4 (Mosaic)

Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4

Premium fast normal lens for L-Mount..

  1. Aperture Series: Pines by Creek (Panasonic S1R)
  2. Shootout: Leica 50mm f/1.4 SL vs Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 50mm f/1.4 vs Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm f/4 (Mosaic)
  3. Shootout: Leica 50mm f/1.4 SL vs Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 50mm f/1.4: Rotten Log

Panasonic Lumix S PRO 70-200mm f/4 OIS

Image stabilized classic 70-200mm for L-Mount..

  1. Aperture Series @ 87mm: Mosaic (Panasonic S1R, HighRes)
  2. Aperture Series @ 135mm: Mosaic (Panasonic S1R, HighRes)
  3. Aperture Series @ 200mm: Mosaic (Panasonic S1R, HighRes)

Leica 35mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL ASPH

Fast apochromatic prime lens for L-Mount cameras..

  1. MTF for Leica 35mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL ASPH

Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-SL ASPH

Fast apochromatic prime lens for L-Mount cameras..

  1. Overview of Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-SL ASPH
  2. MTF for Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-SL ASPH
  3. Examples: Lee Vining Canyon (Panasonic S1R)
  4. Examples: Portraits using Eye AF in Color and Monochrome (Panasonic S1R)
  5. Sharpness Losses from Field Curvature at Distance: Grassy Meadow
  6. Aperture Series: Curved Creek, Using Field Curvature to Advantage
  7. Shootout: Leica 50mm f/1.4 SL vs Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 50mm f/1.4 vs Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm f/4 (Mosaic)
  8. Shootout: Leica 50mm f/1.4 SL vs Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 50mm f/1.4: Rotten Log

Leica 75mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL ASPH

Fast short telephoto lens for L-Mount cameras..

  1. MTF for Leica 75mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL ASPH
  2. Examples: Mountains
  3. Aperture Series: Huge Pine Among Aspen

Leica 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL ASPH

Fast short telephoto lens for L-Mount cameras..

  1. MTF for Leica 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL ASPH
  2. Examples: Portraits with Panasonic S1R Eye AF
  3. Examples: Natural Subjects at Dusk
  4. Aperture Series: Huge Pine Among Aspen
  5. Aperture Series: Painted Rock (Focus Stacked)

Leica SL Lenses

Leica’s offerings in L-mount..

  1. Overview of Leica SL
  2. Leica SL: Color Moiré Example

Leica 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Super-Vario-Elmar-SL ASPH

Ultra wide angle premium zoom lens relying on distortion correction..

  1. MTF for Leica 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Super-Vario-Elmar-SL ASPH
  2. Lens Flare for Leica 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Super-Vario-Elmar-SL ASPH
  3. Aperture Series @ 16mm: View over Bike Path to Tower
  4. Aperture Series @ 16mm: Pescadero Creek, Upstream
  5. Aperture Series @ 16mm: Mosaic
  6. Aperture Series @ 33mm: Bikes and Tower at Dusk
  7. Shootout @ 35mm: Leica 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 vs Leica 24-90/2.8-4 vs Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon: Downed Aspen in Lee Vining Creek (Panasonic S1R)

Leica 24-90mm f/2.8-4 Vario-Elmarit-SL ASPH OIS

All-arounder zoom with dubious optical compromises..

  1. MTF for Leica 24-90mm f/2.8-4 Vario-Elmarit-SL ASPH
  2. Focus Shift and Autofocus Evaluation at 90mm
  3. Aperture Series @ 58mm: Boulders Amid Rushing Water in Pescadero Creek (Leica SL)
  4. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Pescadero Creek, Upstream View (Leica SL)
  5. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Fresh June Snow on White Mountain Road (Leica SL)
  6. Aperture Series @ 24mm: DeChambeau Barn (Leica SL)
  7. Shootout @ 35mm: Leica 24-90mm f/2.8-4 vs Leica 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 vs Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon: Downed Aspen in Lee Vining Creek (Panasonic S1R)
  8. Aperture Series @ 44mm: Bristlecones on Hillside (Leica SL)
  9. Aperture Series @ 46mm: Downed Aspen Trunks in Creek (Panasonic S1R)
  10. Aperture Series @ 63mm: Bristlecones on Hillside (Leica SL)
  11. Aperture Series @ 90mm: Bristlecones on Hillside (Leica SL)
  12. @35mm Shootout vs Zeiss ZM 35/1.4 Distagon: Fresh June Snowfall on White Mountains (Leica SL)

Gigapan Epic Pro

Gigapixel images, automated..

  1. Gigapan Epic Pro

Sigma SD1 Merrill

Sigma/Foveon true-color sensor in a DSLR body..

  1. SD1 Autofocus Errors
  2. Aperture Series: 18-35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm (SD1M, Red Barn)

Nikon D850

The best becomes better..

  1. Sensor Resolution: Technical Challenges in Exploiting It
  2. Nikon Quality Control: Misaligned Sensor Examples
  3. D850 vs D810 Sharpness: Pine Creek Forested Hillside
  4. Experience Report: Autofocus Precision and Focus Shift, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G

Nikon D850 Image Quality

Oustanding image quality, but with some limitations..

  1. Examples of Outstanding Resolving Power
  2. ISO Series: Creek to Pines to Mountain Peaks

Nikon D810

Improvements on the workhorse D800E..

  1. D810 vs D800E: ISO 3200 Noise + White Balance + Sharpness (Decorated Bike)
  2. D810 vs D800E: Depth of Sharpness (Decorated Bike, ISO 100/64)
  3. Nikon D810 + Zeiss Otus 55/1.4 APO vs Pentax 645Z (Pine Creek Sunflowers)

Nikon D800E

36 megapixels in a compact full-frame DSLR..

  1. Alternative ~36 Megapixel Cameras
  2. Examples — Church Interior
  3. Examples — Portraits
  4. Examples — Downsampling to Competing Sizes
  5. Focus Accuracy (Focus Assist with Green Dot)
  6. ISO Series from 50 to 25600 (Flowers)
  7. ISO Series from 50 to 12800 (Mosaic)
  8. Resolution: D3s vs D800 from ISO 100 to 12800 (Dolls)
  9. LENS Evaluations: Notes
  10. LENS: D800 + Voigtlander Color-Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL-II
  11. LENS: D800 + AF-S 35/1.4G
  12. LENS: D800 + PC-E Micro Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED
  13. LENS: D800 + Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL-II
  14. LENS: D800 + AF-S 85/1.4G
  15. Optimal Aperture, Depth of Field

Nikon D800 / D800E Image Quality Best Practices

Image quality best practices and how-to with the Nikon D800/D800E..

  1. Sharpness with RAW vs JPEG
  2. Exposure Latitude with RAW vs JPEG

Nikon D800E vs D800

D800E supplement and comparisons with Nikon D800..

  1. D800 vs D800E Optical Low Pass Filter and Wave Plate
  2. D800 vs D800E Sharpness
  3. D800E vs D800 (Aerial, Fountain)
  4. D800E vs D800 RAW Sharpening Comparison (Aerial, Fountain)
  5. D800E vs D800 (Dolls)
  6. D800E vs D800 RAW Sharpening Comparison (Dolls)
  7. D800E vs D800 Sharpening Noise (Dolls)

Overview of Video with Nikon D800, D800E, D4, Canon 5DM3

How does video quality compare with crop of mid-2012 DSLRs?.

  1. Overview of Nikon/Canon DSLR Video

Nikon D800E vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Comparing the 2012/2013 high-res pro DSLRs..

  1. Canon 5DM3 vs Nikon D800E: Sharpness (Dolls / Pellegrino)

Nikon D4

Nikon’s pro-body high speed low light wonder..

  1. Resolution of Nikon D4 vs D3s and D800 (Dolls)
  2. Resolution of Nikon D4 vs D3s and D800 (Dolls), ISO 50 - 204800

Nikon D5

High speed big brick shooter..

  1. Nikon D5 vs Nikon D810, ISO 1600 to 51200 (Dolls)

Nikon D3200

24-megapixel APS-C consumer DSLR..

  1. D3200 Sharpness from ƒ/4 - ƒ/45

Canon EOS 1D X

18 megapixel big black brick, Canon’s top of the line DSLR..

  1. Resolution: 1D X vs 5D Mark III (Dolls)
  2. Noise/ISO: 1D X vs 5D Mark III from ISO 50 to 204800 (Dolls)

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

22 megapixel successor to the popular 5D Mark II..

  1. Examples — Carrizo Plain
  2. 5D Mark III vs 5D Mark II from ISO 50 to 25600 (Flowers)
  3. Shadow Noise vs Nikon D800E
  4. Sharpness: RAW vs JPEG

Canon EOS 5DS / 5DS R

50 megapixel successor to the 22 megapixel Canon 5D Mark III..

  1. Overview of Canon EOS 5DS / 5DS R
  2. RAW vs mRAW: Sharpness, Tone, Color
  3. RAW vs sRAW: Sharpness, Tone, Color
  4. What 50 Megapixels of Sharpness Looks Like (Dolls)
  5. Sharpness: 5DS R vs 5D Mark III (Mosaic)
  6. Sharpness: 5DS R vs 5DS vs 5D Mark III (Zeiss Siemens Chart)
  7. Sharpness: 5DS R vs 5DS vs 5D Mark III vs Nikon D810 (Old Map)
  8. Noise at ISO 100, Native Resolution and at Canon 5DM3 Resolution (Dolls)
  9. Moiré and Diffraction Across Apertures: Canon 5DS R vs 5DS (Window Screen)
  10. Monochrome Potential, thoughts vs Leica MM246 (Dolls)

Nikon D3s

Nikon D3s low-light versatile DSLR..

  1. Still-life ISO Series Intro
  2. Limits of Resolution—Golden Gate

Nikon AF-S 28mm f/1.4E ED

Nikon’s finest wide angle lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Tower View
  2. Aperture Series: Courtyard View to Tower
  3. Aperture Series: Mosaic
  4. Aperture Series: Fishing Boats at Dawn, Lundy Lake

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR

Nikon’s finest 70-200 zoom as of 2017..

  1. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Tailings Piles (Nikon D810)
  2. Focus Shift @ 200mm at Close Range

Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/4 ED VR and 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II

Which speed zoom for the Nikon D800/D800E?.

  1. Examples: Close Range (Forest
  2. Comparison: Focus Shift at Close Range
  3. Aperture Series: Church Doorway (200mm)
  4. Comparison: 70-200/4 VR vs 70-200/2.8 VR II (170mm)

Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

Nikon’s bread and butter telephoto zoom.

  1. Examples: Backyard Frost
  2. Examples: At the Zoo

Sony A900

The 24.6 megapixel Sony A900 digital SLR is compared with Canon’ top-of-the-line 21.1MP EOS 1Ds Mark III. A field report including two comparisons with the Canon 1Ds Mark IIII, example images in color and black and white, and the Zeiss ZA 135mm f/1.8 Sonnar. Anti-Shake (SteadyShot) is assessed, as is noise behavior..

  1. Sony A900 vs Canon 1Ds Mark III at 135mm
  2. Anti-Shake
  3. Sony A900 vs Canon 1Ds Mark III at 50mm
  4. Conclusions

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200mm f/2G ED VR II

Ultra fast 200mm with gorgeous bokeh and high resolving power..

  1. Overview of Nikon 200mm f/2G ED VR II
  2. Sharpness and Focus Shift at Close Range, Dolls (Nikon D810)

Nikon D3x 24.4-megapixel DSLR review

Includes: D3x resolution comparisons (res chart) with Nikon D3, Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, resolution comparison on outdoor shot with Nikon D3, large examples, large wildlife examples, Nikon 200mm f/2 VR on D3x, long exposure noise ISO series, D3x sensitivity on diffraction, D3x dynamic range at ISO 100 vs ISO 50, D3x vs D3 color and noise..

  1. Shooting Mode Issues
  2. Examples
  3. D3x Resolution vs Others
  4. D3x Resolution vs Others
  5. D3x vs D3 Matched Resolution
  6. ISO Series
  7. ISO Series

Canon 1D Mark IV

Canon 1D Mark IV 16-megapixel DSLR..

  1. Sharpness Example over Aperture Range
  2. Noise: Real World from ISO 100 - 3200

Nikon vs Canon: noise and sharpness

Nikon vs Canon: Noise and Sharpness.

  1. Noise
  2. Noise at All ISO Values
  3. Sharpness—creek scene at dusk
  4. Sharpness—extensive comparison

Canon 14mm f/2.8L II

In-depth review of the Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II including flare, distortion, field curvature, resolution charts, numerous field examples and comparison to the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G. The Canon EF 14/2.8L II is a superb lens, but with some peculiarities which may enhance or degrade its appeal for different uses. The review is as much a “user guide” as a review; even if you use this lens it’s well worth your time to read this review..

  1. Main Page
  2. Examples
  3. Curvature of Field
  4. Resolution Chart on 10.1MP EOS 1D Mark III
  5. Resolution Chart on 21.1MP EOS 1Ds Mark III
  6. Comparison to Nikon 14-24/2.8 Zoom
  7. Conclusions
  8. Glossary

Voigtlander 20mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar

Very compact ultra wide angle..

  1. Examples—20/3.5 Color Skopar

Voigtlander 40mm f/2.8 SL II Color-Skopar

Ultra compact normal lens..

  1. Main—40/2 Ultron SL II

Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4

Normal lens..

  1. Comparison—58/1.4 Nokton vs NOCT-Nikkor

Voigtlander 90mm f/3.5 APO-Lanthar SL II

Medium telephoto with world-class chromatic correction..

  1. Aperture Series: Shimano Drive Train (Sony A7R II)

Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8

Normal lens with tilt/shift.

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Canyon Lower Cabin (5D Mark III)

Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8

Medium telephoto tilt/shift lens.

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Canyon Lower Cabin (5D Mark III)

Canon TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro

Medium-long telephoto tilt/shift lens.

  1. Aperture Series with Swing: Ancient Log, Oblique View

Nikon 19mm f/4E ED PC-E

Ultra wide tilt/shift lens.

  1. Shifting for Stitching: Double the Camera Megapixels (Alpine Creek)
  2. Aperture Series, 12mm shift: Maple Trees in Sunken Area (Nikon D810)
  3. Aperture Series: Focus Shift on Frosty Picnic Table (Nikon D810)
  4. Aperture Series: Oak Tree and Deck with Lens Tilt (Nikon D810)

Nikon 85mm f/2.8D PC-E Micro-Nikkor

Medium telephoto tilt/shift macro focusing lens.

  1. MTF

Shift Lenses for Nikon and Canon

[Older material, but still relevant]. Shift lens performance of Nikon/Canon/Schneider/Olympus on various cameras..

  1. Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 on EOS 5D Mark II
  2. Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 on EOS 5D Mark II
  3. Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 on EOS 5D Mark II
  4. Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED
  5. Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED on Nikon D3x
  6. Schneider 28mm f/2.8 PC Super Angulon on D3x
  7. Nikon 35mm f/2.8 PC-Nikkor
  8. Nikon PC-E 45mm f/2.8D ED
  9. Nikon PC-E 45mm f/2.8D ED on Nikon D3x (Pond View, Nikon D3x)
  10. 85/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkor (Pond View, 5D Mark III)

28mm Shift Lenses for Nikon

[Archive] In-depth review on the Nikon D2x of the Nikon 28mm f/3.5 PC-Nikkor, Nikon 28mm f/4 PC-Nikkor and the Schneider 28mm f/2.8 PC-Super-Angulon. Flare, distortion, color fringing, color rendition, sharpness, ergonomics, aligmnent, sample variation..

  1. Optical Alignment
  2. Resolution Charts

Historical perspective on digital technology.

The rapid evolution of digital imaging quality..

  1. Eagles at 4 Megapixels

Landscape Photography at Wide Apertures

Escape the banale postcard look by shooting landscapes at f/1.4 or f/0.95..

  1. Wide Aperture Landscapes, Introduction
  2. Challenges
  3. Examples with Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux-M ASPH
  4. Examples with Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G

Pentax K-1 Mark II

Verions 2 — 36-megapixel full-frame DSLR with SuperRes Pixel Shift Mode..

  1. Overview/Comparison of Resolving Power with Pixel Shift
  2. Pixel Shift vs Single-Shot: Poleta Mining Milling Building

Pentax K-1

36-megapixel full-frame DSLR with SuperRes Pixel Shift Mode..

  1. Pentax K-1 Overview
  2. Super Resolution Pixel Shift Mode
  3. Super Resolution Mode File Format
  4. SuperRes Pixel Shift Mode vs Std Res: Pellegrino Bottles
  5. SuperRes Pixel Shift Mode: Golden Trout Closeup

Pentax HD FA 15-30mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR

Full frame ultra wide angle zoom..

  1. Aperture Series @ 15mm, with Pixel Shift: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)
  2. Aperture Series @ 21mm, with Pixel Shift: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)

Pentax HD DA 24-70mm f/2.8 SDM ED

Bread and butter zoom lens..

  1. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Sunset over Snowy Landscape, White Mountains View to Sierra Nevada
  2. Aperture Series @ 29mm: Backlit Sprinter on White Mountain Road
  3. Aperture Series @ 40mm: Snowy Landscape at Dusk, View Towards Big Pine

Pentax HD FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW

All-new high performance design..

  1. Examples: White Mountains
  2. Aperture Series: View South Over Fresh Snow on White Mountains to Deep Springs
  3. Aperture Series: View to Silver Peak from White Mountain Road

Pentax SMCP-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited

Full frame slightly wide normal lens, pancake form factor..

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)

Pentax smc PENTAX-FA 77mm f/1.8

Full frame medium telephoto..

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes + StdRes)

Pentax smc P-D FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro

Macro lens focusing to life size 1:1 in a normal lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Church Mosaic, Sunlit (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)
  2. Aperture Series: Church Mosaic, Dusk (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)

Pentax smc Pentax-D FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro

Macro lens focusing to life size 1:1..

  1. Aperture Series: Tiled Water Fountain (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)

Pentax K-3 II (APS-C)

24-megapixel APS-C DSLR with SuperResolution true-color..

  1. Pentax K-3 II Overview
  2. SuperResolution: Checkerboard Effect
  3. SuperResolution: Zeiss Siemens Test Target
  4. SuperResolution: Texture and Detail (Flower Paper)
  5. SuperResolution: Fabric and Color (Cycling Jersey)
  6. SuperResolution: Tarnished Silver Pitcher
  7. SuperResolution: Ultra Fine Details (Silver Coin, Engraving, Carved-Stone Box)

Pentax HD DA Limited 15mm f/4 ED

APS-C wide angle lens equivalent to 22mm on full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn (Pentax K3)
  2. Aperture Series: Ice on Beaver Pond at Sunrise (Pentax K3)

Pentax HD DA Limited 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED DC WR

APS-C mid-range zoom equivalent to 30-60mm on full-frame..

  1. Pentax HD DA Limited 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED DC WR Overview

Pentax HD DA Limited 21mm f/3.2 AL

APS-C moderate wide angle lens equivalent to 33mm on full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn (Pentax K3)

Pentax HD DA Limited 35mm f/2.8 Macro

APS-C normal lens equivalent to 53mm on full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn (Pentax K3)
  2. Aperture Series: Map of the World (K-1 Full Frame, SuperRes, Shade Retracted)
  3. Aperture Series: Mosaic (K-1 Full Frame, SuperRes, Shade Retracted)

Pentax HD DA Limited 40mm f/2.8

APS-C slightly tele normal lens equivalent to 60mm on full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn (Pentax K3)
  2. Aperture Series: Waterfall and Backlit Mountains(Pentax K3)

Pentax HD DA Limited 70mm f/2.4

APS-C moderate telephoto equivalent to 105mm on full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn (Pentax K3)

Canon 24mm f/2.8 IS USM

Canon’s compact high-performance 24mm prime..

  1. Examples: 5D Mark III (White Mountains, Yosemite)
  2. Compared to Canon 24-70/2.8L II (Green Machine)

Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM

Canon’s tiny and lovely pancake lens..

  1. Comparison: Canon 40/2.8 STM vs Voigtlander 40mm f/2 SL II
  2. Aperture Series: Rancher’s Cabin
  3. Aperture Series: Ancient Bristlecone Pine (with Focus Shift Analysis)
  4. Dual Aperture Series - Choice of Focus: Tioga Pass
  5. Aperture Series: Industrial Feed Plant in Oakdale (5DS R)
  6. Aperture Series: Green Machine, Oblique View (5DS R)

Canon 50mm Lenses

Is Canon’s f/1.2 lens really better than an inexpensive f/1.4 or f/1.8?.

  1. Focus Shift: Canon 50mm f/1.2L (5D Mark III, Dolls)
  2. Canon 50/1.2L vs 50/1.4 (5D Mark III, Wyman Cabin)

Canon 85mm f/1.4L IS USM

Canon’s best-ever medium telephoto and with image stabilization..

  1. Aperture Series: Mt Dana, Early Morning
  2. Aperture Series: Hanging Dead Brown Needles Pine Branch
  3. Aperture Series: Sprinter Van in Blue Shade Just After Sunrise

Canon 85mm Lenses

Canon’s ultra-fast medium telephoto compared and in the field.

  1. Aperture Series: Canon 85mm f/1.2L II (Bristlecones)
  2. Aperture Series: Canon 85mm f/1.2L II (Bristlecone Stump)
  3. Aperture Series: Canon 85mm f/1.2L II (Backlit Scene)
  4. Aperture Series: Canon 85mm f/1.2L II (SUV Rocky Ground)

Canon TC III

Do Canon’s 1.4X and 2X version III tele extenders offer image quality at reasonable apertures?.

  1. Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS + EF Extender III 1.4X

Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS

Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS .

  1. Canon 100mm f/2.8L: Main Page
  2. Canon 100mm f/2.8L: Blur example
  3. Canon 100mm f/2.8L: Blur example 2
  4. Canon 100mm f/2.8L: Example
  5. Canon 100mm f/2.8L: Examples

Canon 35mm f/1.4L II

Canon’s updated fast 35mm prime, evaluated on Canon 5DS R..

  1. Overview of Canon 35mm f/1.4L II
  2. Aperture Series: Lundy Canyon
  3. Aperture Series: Below the Icy Waterfall
  4. Aperture Series: Upper Reaches of Lundy Beaver Pond, early November
  5. Aperture Series: Streamside Tetrahedron Boulder Amid Brush
  6. Aperture Series: Wood at Base of Waterfall, Gold Glimmer

Canon 35mm f/2 IS

Canon’s image stabilized 35mm..

  1. Compared vs 35mm f/1.4L, 24-70/2.8L II (MTB, Canon 5DM3)
  2. Compared to 35/1.4L, 24-70/2.8L II (Dolls, Canon 5DM3)
  3. Compared to 35/1.4L, 24-70/2.8L II (Fence Gate, Canon 5DM3)
  4. Focus Shift, Close Range

Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS

Canon’s versatile super telephoto..

  1. Examples: Silver Canyon Bighorn Sheep
  2. 350mm Aperture Series: Radio Antennas

Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD

Tamron’s ultra wide to medium fast zoom..

  1. Tamron 15-30mm vs Nikon 14-24/2.8G [Bad Sample] (Pescadero Creek, Nikon D810)
  2. @15mm vs Nikon 14-24/2.8G Dual Focus: Pescadero Creek Downstream (Nikon D810)
  3. @15mm vs Nikon 14-24/2.8G: Pescadero Creek Rushing Water (Nikon D810)
  4. Image Stabilization on Tripod Destroys Sharpness (Nikon D810, Dark Rocks)

Sigma 12-24mm f/4 DG HSM Art

Fast constant-aperture ultrawide zoom..

  1. Aperture Series @ 12mm: Sunlight on the Beaver Pond
  2. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Two Aspen
  3. Aperture Series @20mm: Forest Stream

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art

Superwide optimized zoom lens..

  1. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Checkerboard Mesa, Zion
  2. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Sand Dunes Junction, Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley
  3. Aperture Series @ 17mm: Cracked Mud Patterns in Sand Dunes to Distant Peaks at Sunrise, Death Valley
  4. Aperture Series @ 19mm: Snake Tracks on Rippled Dunes, Death Valley
  5. Aperture Series @ 20mm: Flowering Creosote Bush in Sand Dunes, Figure on Dune, Death Valley
  6. Aperture Series @ 22mm: Rising Sun Strafing Bedded Sandstone, Zion
  7. Aperture Series @ 22mm: Across the Canyon View of Checkerboard Mesa, Zion
  8. Aperture Series @ 23mm: Dead Brush Closeup in Cottonwood Canyon Wash

Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art

Mid-range optimized groundbreaking f/2 zoom..

  1. Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art
  2. Distortion @ 35mm, Corrected vs Uncorrected
  3. Panorama: Oneida Lake (Nikon D810, 14 frames)
  4. Shootout: vs Sigma 24-105mm f/4A: Colorful Creek
  5. Shootout: vs Sigma 35/1.4A: Cottonwood Canyon Rancher’s Cabin
  6. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Rocky Outcrop and Aspen Fall Color

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art

High performance mid-range zoom..

  1. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Alabama Hills Rainstorm Creek

Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG HSM Art

Wide angle to telephoto all purpose zoom..

  1. Examples: Eastern Sierra (Nikon D810)

Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art

A whopping 4/3 stop faster than other lenses in its range..

  1. Aperture Series: Clearing Storm Over Pywiack Dome
  2. Aperture Series: Slush Ice on Shallow Pond
  3. Focus Stack: Two Aspen at Beaver Pond, Sunset
  4. Examples: Eastern Sierra

Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

The fastest extreme wide angle yet..

  1. MTF for Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
  2. Field Curvature
  3. Aperture Series: Late Season Pomegranates (Canon 5DS R)
  4. Aperture Series: Grumpy Toad (Canon 5DS R)
  5. Aperture Series: Leaves, Fence and Backlit Tree (Canon 5DS R)
  6. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek (Canon 5DS R)

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Sigma’s fast high performance wide angle..

  1. MTF for Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
  2. Examples: Mt Conness Watershed (Canon 5DS R)
  3. Aperture Series: Glistening Rocks and Running Water (Nikon D810)
  4. Aperture Series: Huge Barn Interior (Nikon D810)
  5. Aperture Series: Collapsed Ranch House at Sunset (Nikon D810)
  6. Aperture Series: Defunct Ranch Buildings at Sunset (Nikon D810)
  7. Aperture Series: Huge Barn Interior (Nikon D810)
  8. Aperture Series: Checking for Lens Symmetry, Bristlecone on Bare Hill (Canon 5DS R)
  9. Shootout: Sigma 24/1.4 Art vs Canon 24/1.4L II, 24/2.8 IS, 11-12/4L (Bench, Canon 5DM3)
  10. Shootout: Sigma 24/1.4 Art vs Canon 24/1.4L II, 24/2.8 IS, 24-70/2.8L II, 11-12/4L (Pescadero Creek, Canon 5DM3)
  11. Shootout: Sigma 24/1.4 Art vs Nikon AF-S 24/1.4G (Dolls, NikonD810)

Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Extraordinary optical efforts for outstanding performance..

  1. MTF
  2. Aperture Series: Alabama Hills, Late Dusk
  3. Aperture Series: View to Mt Whitney Peaks From Alabama Hills, Very Late Dusk

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Sigma’s fast and affordable moderate excellent wide angle..

  1. Examples (Alpine Creek, Canon 5DM3)
  2. Compared to Canon 35/1.4L (Gate, Canon 5DM3)
  3. Compared to Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G (Dolls, Nikon D800E)
  4. Portraits AFTER Fine Focus Adjust (Nikon D800E)
  5. Aperture Series: White/Green Beater Bike (Nikon D800E)
  6. Aperture Series: Red Beater Bike (Nikon D800E)
  7. Lens Skew (Nikon D800E)
  8. Lens Skew Confirmation (Nikon D800E)

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Extraordinary optical efforts for outstanding performance..

  1. MTF
  2. Focus Shift
  3. Aperture Series: Laws Railroad Museum Locomotive
  4. Aperture Series: Painted Rock (Focus Shift Study)
  5. Examples: Laws Railroad Museum
  6. Examples: Lundy Canyon Portraits
  7. Aperture Series: Sprinter by Moonlight

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Sigma’s fast high performance normal lens..

  1. MTF for Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM A
  2. Sigma 50/1.4A vs Canon 50/1.2L and 50/1.4 (5D Mark III, Dolls)
  3. Sigma 50/1.4A vs Canon 50/1.2L and 50/1.4 (5D Mark III, Decorated Bike)
  4. Sigma 50/1.4A vs Nikon 50/1.4G, 50/1.8G (Nikon D810, Decorated Bike)
  5. Aperture Series: Backlit Bristlecones (5D Mark III)
  6. Near/Far Focus Series: Tuolumne River Cascade (5D Mark III)

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports

Extraordinary optical efforts for outstanding performance..

  1. Examples: Mt Whitney and Alabama Hills, Pre-Dawn to Early Sun

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Sigma’s best portrait lens..

  1. MTF for Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
  2. Shootout: Sigma 85/1.4A vs Zeiss Milvus 85/1.4 vs Nikon 85/1.4G (Lundy Beaver Ponds, Nikon D810)
  3. Shootout: Sigma 85/1.4A (Two Samples) vs Zeiss Milvus 85/1.4 (Siemens Chart, Nikon D810)

Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Extraordinary optical efforts for class-leading performance?.

  1. Overview of Sigma 105mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art
  2. Examples: Portraits
  3. Aperture Series: Mt Conness Green Meadow, Dusk
  4. Aperture Series: White Rock Near Dead Pine

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art

Fastest 135mm lens yet, with ultra high performance..

  1. MTF for Sigma 135mm f/1.8A
  2. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Nikon D810)
  3. Aperture Series: Hotel Cerro Gordo, Deep Dusk (Nikon D810)
  4. Examples: Autofocus Accuracy (Nikon D810)
  5. vs Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 FL ED VR (White Flowers, Nikon D810)
  6. Aperture Series: Pink Flowers (Nikon D810)
  7. Aperture Series: American Hotel, Cerro Gordo (Nikon D810)
  8. Aperture Series: View Over Conness Creek Drainage to Saddlebag Lake (Nikon D850)
  9. vs Nikon 70-200/2.8E FL ED VR (Cerro Gordo Bunkhouse, Nikon D810)

Sigma Telephoto APO Macro Lenses: 150mm, 180mm

Sigma’s fast telephoto APO macro lenses..

  1. Overview of Sigma 180/2.8 and 150/2.8 APO Macro
  2. Sigma 180/2.8 APO vs Leica 180/2.8 APO vs Voigtlander 180/4 APO
  3. APO.chromatic: Sigma 180 and 150 + Leica 180/2.8, Voigtlander 180/4 + Nikon 70-200/2.8 VRII
  4. Performance at ~ 1:2.2 (Doll Seated, D800E)

Sigma Super Tele Varifocal 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM S

Sigma’s fast an flexible moderate super telephoto..

  1. Overview of Sigma 120-300mm
  2. Symmetry Across the Frame
  3. Aperture Series: White Mountain Research Center (Canon 5DM3, 300mm)
  4. Aperture Series: Bottles at Close Range (Canon 5DM3, 270mm)
  5. Examples (Canon 5DM3, Yosemite)

Schneider PC-TS Perspective Control Tilt/Shift Lenses

Tilt/Shift by Schneider for Canon and Nikon and other brands..

  1. Higher Resolution from Stitching Multiple Frames, 90/4.5

Schneider PC-TS Super-Angulon 28mm f/4.5 HM Aspheric

Wide angle tilt/shift lens at 28mm..

  1. Aperture Series: Maple Trees at Close Range, 12mm Fall (D810)
  2. Aperture Series: Drive Train and Chromatic Correction, 12mm Shift (D810)

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM on Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 is a worthy contender in the crowded 50mm area. See how it performs compared to the Canon EF 50/1.4 and EF 50/1.2L..

  1. Introduction
  2. Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
  3. Examples

180mm Lenses for the Nikon D3x

Explores options for 180mm lenses on the Nikon D3x, including the Leica 180/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R in Nikon mount, Nikon 180/2.8 ED, Nikon 70-200/2.8 VR, Nikon 70-300/4.5-5.6 VR, and Tamron 70-200/2.8. Updated: now includes the Voigtlander 180/4 APO!.

  1. Comparison
  2. Voigtlander 180mm f/4 vs Leica 180/2.8 APO Elmarit-R

Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4G VR

Nikon’s latest wide range zoom with vibration reduction and fixed f/4 aperture..

  1. MTF Curves
  2. Examples

Nikon 35mm f/1.4 AIS

Nikon’s classic-design manual focus moderate wide angle..

  1. Aperture Series: Kitchen Counter Items (Sony A7R)

Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AIS

Nikon’s classic high speed normal lens.

  1. Aperture Series: Cottonwood Stump (D800E)
  2. Aperture Series: DeChambeau Ranch House (D800E)
  3. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn (Leica M Typ 240)

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

Nikon’s latest 50mm lens compared with the Zeiss ZF 50/1.4, Nikon 50/1.4D and Sigma 50/1.4..

  1. Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
  2. Comparison — Mosaic
  3. Focus Shift: 50/1.4G, 50/1.4D, 50/1.8G, 50/1.8G, Voigtlander 58/1.4

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G

Nikon’s High Performance Moderately-Priced 50mm..

  1. MTF Chart for Nikon 50mm f/1.8G
  2. Autofocus Accuracy Check With Ad-Hoc Field Shots
  3. Detailed Comparison 50/1.8G vs 50/1.4G (Mosaic)
  4. Examples in Yosemite, Emphasis on f/1.8

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G

Nikon’s High performance normal lens.

  1. MTF Chart
  2. Close Range Comparison vs NOCT-Nikkor (D800E, Bathroom)
  3. Shootout: 58/1.4G vs 50/1.4G, 50/1.8G, 50/1.2 AIS (D800E, DeChambeau Sidelit Barn)
  4. Matched Comparison vs 50/1.4G (D800E, Beaver Dam)
  5. Aperture Series: Boulder Logjam (D800E)
  6. Aperture Series: DeChambeau Ranch Outbuilding (D800E)
  7. Aperture Series: DeChambeau Ranch 'Garage at Dusk' (D800E)
  8. Aperture Series: DeChambeau Ranch Cottonwood Rounds (D800E)
  9. Aperture Series: Church at Night (D800E)
  10. 58/1.4G vs NOCT-Nikkor vs Voigtlander 58/1.4 SL (D800E, Persimmon Tree)
  11. 58/1.4G vs NOCT-Nikkor vs Voigtlander 58/1.4 SL (D800E, Street at Night)

Canon 24mm f/1.4L II

State of the art design in a fast ultra wide angle lens..

  1. Overview: ergonomics and optical qualities
  2. Examples—field shots
  3. Examples—night shots
  4. Field curvature and Aberrations (Night-time)

Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4.0D IF-ED

Nikon’s workhorse 200mm macro lens, and not just sharp at close-ups!.

  1. Examples
  2. Central Sharpness At Distance
  3. Achieving Corner to Corner Sharpness: Mosaic

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G

Nikon’s fast ultra wide angle..

  1. MTF for Nikon 20mm f/1.8G
  2. Shooting at Dusk: f/1.8 vs f/2.8 (D810, Egg Erratic)
  3. Aperture Series: Glacial Erratics in Blue Skylight, Westering Sunstar (D810)
  4. Aperture Series: Glacial Erratic To Peak (D810)
  5. Aperture Series: Mt Conness Glacier Remnants (D810)
  6. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Sun Wedge (D810)
  7. Aperture Series: Pine Lake Peak, Last Kiss of Sunlight (D810)
  8. Aperture Series: Sparkling Lake (D810)
  9. Aperture Series: Dusk Glow On Bristlecone Graveyard (D810)
  10. Focus Shift: 20/1.8G vs 14-24/2.8G (D810, Rulers)

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR

Versatile image-stabilized mid-range zoom..

  1. Introduction to Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR
  2. Aperture Series @ 38mm: Bristlecone and Earth Shadow at Dusk
  3. Nikon 24-70/2.8E VR vs 24/1.8G: Snowy White Mountain Road

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.8G

Versatile autofocus wide angle..

  1. MTF for Nikon 24mm f/1.8G

Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED

State of the art design in a fast 24mm lens. Includes full-resolution images at f/1.4..

  1. Focus Shift (Dolls, Nikon D800E)
  2. Examples — Mountains
  3. Comparison with Nikon 14-24/2.8G and 24/2 AI-S
  4. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn at DeChambeau Ranch (Nikon D800E)
  5. Aperture Series: Sunrise Glow on Lundy Creek (Nikon D800E)

Nikon AF-S 60mm f/2.8G Macro

Comparing the new Nikon 60mm to its predecessors, and the Coastal Optics 60/4 APO..

  1. Comparison with Nikon 60/2.8D and Coastal 60/4 APO
  2. Examples In The Forest

Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO Macro

A superlative multi-spectral lens with perfect color correction..

  1. MTF
  2. Lens Designer Notes
  3. Examples: Night Shots, Artificial Lighting (Sony A7R II)
  4. Aperture Series: Poppies and Pots (Sony A7R)
  5. Aperture Series: Teak Bench, Pots, Grasses (Sony A7R)

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM

Extreme wide angle zoom..

  1. MTF for Canon 11-24mm f/4L
  2. Examples: Mt Conness Watershed (5DS R)
  3. Color Fringing in Blue Light: Remarkable Gains From Correction (5DS R)
  4. Aperture Series @ 11mm: Defunct Mining Hotel Bar (5DM3)
  5. Aperture Series @ 15mm: Boulders near Mt. Williamson (5DM3)
  6. Aperture Series @ 11mm: Pescadero Creek Downstream (Canon 5DM3)

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III

Is the 3rd time the charm?.

  1. Introduction to Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III
  2. MTF for Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III
  3. Examples #1 of 3: Conness Lakes Area, Brilliance on Snow
  4. Examples #2 of 3: Lundy Canyon Morning
  5. Examples #3 of 3: Lundy Lake and Meadows

Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS

Canon’s compact image stabilized wide angle zoom..

  1. MTF for Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS
  2. Aperture Series @ 16mm: Mosaic (Canon 5DM3)
  3. Aperture Series @ 16mm: Sunstars and Flares (Canon 5DM3)

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II and 24-70mm f/4L IS

Canon’s premium mid-range zooms..

  1. Aperture Series: 24-70/2.8L II vs 50/1.2L, 50/1.4, 50/1.8 II (Dolls)
  2. Aperture Series: 24-70/2.8L II vs 35/1.4L (Dolls)
  3. Aperture Series: Close Range at 70mm (Dolls)
  4. Examples: Russian Ridge
  5. Bokeh (Outdoors, Alpine Creek)
  6. Aperture Series: Alpine Creek Redwoods (Focus Shift Study @ 45mm)
  7. Aperture Series: Barcroft Gate Outhouse (@ 70mm)
  8. 24mm: 24-70/2.8L II vs 24-70/4L II (Garden Pots, Canon 5DM3)
  9. 40mm: 24-70/2.8L II vs 24-70/4L II vs 40/2.8 STM (MTB, Canon 5DM3)

Nikon AF-S 28mm f/1.8G

A fast moderate wide angle lens with some practical difficulties..

  1. Compared vs Nikon 28/2 AIS, Voigtlander Color Skopar 28/2.8 SL II (Cottonwood Canyon Fall Color)
  2. Compared vs 28/2 AIS, Voigtlander 28/2.8 SL II (Cabin Bathroom)

Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G

State of the art design in a fast 35mm lens..

  1. Autofocus Errors with Nikon D3x, D3s
  2. Comparison: 35/1.4G vs 35/1.4 AI-S vs Voigtlander Ultra 40/2 (Dolls)
  3. Examples
  4. Aperture Series f/1.4...f/11 — Silver Canyon Pine
  5. Comparison with Nikon 35mm f/2D

Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8G

Relatively inexpensive alternative to the pro 35/1.4G..

  1. MTF for Nikon 35/1.8G
  2. vs 35/1.4G (D800E, Frog Hosed)
  3. vs 35/1.4G (D800E, Gray Bench)
  4. vs Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM (D800E, Pescadero Creek Close)

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G

State of the art design in a fast 85mm lens..

  1. Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
  2. Focus Shift and Color Bokeh
  3. Focus Shift with a 3D Subject, Head Shot Range (Dolls)
  4. Focus Shift 85/1.4G vs 85/1.8G (Dolls)
  5. Aperture Series f/1.4 - f/11 Lembert Dome
  6. Comparison with Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II

Nikon AF-S 105mm f/1.4E ED

Nikon’s best-ever f/1.4 lens?.

  1. Examples: White Mountains and Eastern Sierra
  2. Aperture Series: Lundy Canyon Meadow, Pre-Dawn (Nikon D810)
  3. Nikon 105/1.4E vs Sigma 24-105/4 Art: Fall Color Along Creek

Nikon 105mm f/2 DC

Strong telephoto lens with special control over spherical aberration..

  1. Neutral, Rear Defocus, Front Defocus from f/2 through f/11 (Bird of Paradise)

Nikon AF-S 300mm f/2.8 VR II

Does high price guarantee quality control and superb images?.

  1. Introduction

Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR

Compact and lightweight travel-friendly telephoto..

  1. Overview: Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR
  2. MTF for Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR
  3. Apertures Series: Looped Oil Pipes (Nikon D810)

Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

Relatively compact super-telephoto zoom..

  1. Introduction to Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

Nikon Ultra Wide Zooms

Comparing Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR, 17-35mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8, 18-35mm, 24-70mm f/2.8 along with Nikon 20mm f/3.5, 24mm f/2, 28mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4 AIS, and more..

  1. Crops at 21mm — Focus
  2. Crops at 24mm — Left Edge
  3. Conclusions on Mosaic Comparisons —
  4. Download Full Resolution Mosaic @ f/5.6

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS Super Telephoto

A review of Canon’s 800m f/5.6L IS super telephoto, with high performance that demands technical mastery to use well..

  1. Examples: Landscape

Canon 200mm f/1.8L USM

Coveted super speed telephoto..

  1. Aperture Series: Young Pine Amid Its Ancestors

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II

A review of Canon’s new 70-200mm zoom, along with comparisons to other models and the 200mm f/2L IS. Extensive comparisons at multiple focal lengths..

  1. Loss of Quality Stopping down to f/5.6 - f/11
  2. 70mm: vs 70-200/4L IS
  3. 135mm: vs 70-200/4L IS, 135mm f/2L
  4. Sample #6 @ 200mm
  5. Sample #6 @ 142mm

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II

A review of Canon’s new 100-400mm zoom.

  1. Examples Handheld, Beach Wildlife (Canon 5DM3)

Canon-Wide Angle Prime Lenses

Comparing the 16-35mm f/2.8L II to most of Canon’s wide angle prime lenses. Optical performance, ergonomics, focus, build quality..

  1. Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
  2. Canon EF 24mm f/2.8
  3. 28mm Comparison: White Mountains
  4. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L
  5. 35mm Comparison: White Mountains

Canon Ultra-wide Zoom Lenses: 17-40 and 16-35

Comparing the Canon 17-40mm f/4L and 16-35mm f/2.L II..

  1. Comparison at 17mm with Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L
  2. Comparison at 35mm with EF 35mm f/1.4L

Nikon AF 16mm f/2.8D Fisheye

Exploring the 16mm fisheye for landscape photography, and correcting fisheye distortion..

  1. Examples: Bristlecones, Yosemite, Creekside

Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Nikon’s ultra wide angle zoom and the Nikon 14mm f/2.8, critical focus shift behavior..

  1. Compared: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G vs Nikon 14mm f/2.8: Ancient Bristlecone
  2. Focus Shift with Nikon 14-24 Cuts Resolution In Half!!!
  3. Focus Shift, Dual Series: Lee Vining Canyon, Fresh Snow on Mountains
  4. Focus Shift: Nikon 14-24 Across The Frame, Focus f/2.8 vs f/5.6 (Cabin)

Hartblei 40/80/120mm SuperRotators

Medium format Zeiss glass in Hartblei precision tilt/shift lens barrels!.

  1. Examples—120/4
  2. Resolution chart—40/4
  3. Resolution chart—80/2.8
  4. Resolution chart—120/4
  5. Stitching with the 40/4
  6. Field shot aperture series crops—40/4
  7. Field shot aperture series crops—80/2.8
  8. Field shot aperture series crops—120/4
  9. Resolution from Diffraction —120/4
  10. MTF for Hartblei 40mm f/4
  11. MTF for Hartblei 80mm f/2.8
  12. MTF for Hartblei 120mm f/4

Rokinon 24mm f/3.5 Tilt-Shift Lens

Perspective control for architecture or landscape as an alternative to Nikon and Canon brand name offerings..

  1. Examples: Stitched Panoramas (D800E, White Mountains)

Samyang 14mm f/2.8

Ultra wide angle lens for Canon and Nikon..

  1. Lens Skew / Asymmetry Focus Bracket
  2. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin

Focus Shift In-Depth

Focus shift assesments of a wide variety of lenses of various brands. Shows a range of apertures for each lens and the mount of focus shift, discusses how to compensate for it..

  1. 50mm Lenses: Canon, Nikon, Zeiss, Olympus, Sony, Sigma
  2. 85mm Lenses: Canon, Nikon, Zeiss, Leica

Medium Format Magazine

Articles written for MediumFormat.com..

  1. Exploring Medium Format, an Outdoor Perspective
  2. Maximize Image Quality with Shot Discipline, Part 1: Introduction, Focusing (November 2018)
  3. Maximize Image Quality with Shot Discipline, Part 2: Depth of Field and Diffraction, Focus Stacking (December 2018)
  4. Maximize Image Quality with Shot Discipline, Part 3: Eliminating Camera Vibration, Handheld Shooting (January 2019)
  5. Maximize Image Quality with Shot Discipline, Overview with Key Tips
  6. 100 Megapixel Medium Format: Perspectives from Field Use of the Hasselblad H6D-100C (April 2019)
  7. Computational Photography Improves Digital Captures: Enhance Details in Adobe Camera Raw (June 2019)
  8. Incredible Detail with the Fujifilm GFX100: Focus Stacking for Immersive Imagery (September 2019)
  9. Multi-Frame Stitching and Panoramas (November 2019)
  10. Phase One IQ4 Medium Format: the Summit of Image Quality (March 2020)
  11. Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5: Awesome First Choice for Fujifilm Medium Format (May 2020)

Schneider Kreuznach LS 35mm f/3.5

Wide angle 24mm equivalent for Phase One XF system.

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Phase One IQ4)
  2. Aperture Series: Alabama Hills Creekbed, Late Dusk (Phase One IQ4)

Schneider Kreuznach LS 40-80mm f/4-5.6

Mid range zoom 27-54mm equivalent for Phase One XF system.

  1. Aperture Series @ 40mm: Mosaic (Phase One IQ4)
  2. Aperture Series @ 55mm: Mosaic (Phase One IQ4)
  3. Aperture Series @ 80mm: Mosaic (Phase One IQ4)
  4. Performance at 40mm for Landscape Imagery (Death Valley Area, Phase One IQ4)

Schneider Kreuznach LS 80mm f/2.8

Compact normal 54mm equivalent for Phase One XF system.

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Phase One IQ4)
  2. Aperture Series: Last Light on Cottonwood Tree, View to Mt Whitney (Phase One IQ4)

Schneider Kreuznach LS 150mm f/2.8 IF

Medium telephoto 100mm equivalent for Phase One XF system.

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Phase One IQ4)
  2. Aperture Series: Plant Life on Silver Canyon Hillside (Phase One IQ4)
  3. Aperture Series: Cottonwood Tree Glowing in Winter Shade (Phase One IQ4)

Fujifilm GFX100 Focus Stacking and FOCUS BKT

100 megapixels in a portable package!.

  1. Fujifilm GFX100: Bug and Issues with the FOCUS BKT Feature, How to Mitigate
  2. Fujifilm GFX100: Focus Stacking for Selfies, or People

Fujifilm GFX100 Image Quality

Aspects of image quality..

  1. Fujifilm GFX100: Quality at ISO 100 to ISO 12800 (Mosaic)

Adapting Other Lenses to Fujifilm GFX

Adapting lenses delivers degraded results in most cases..

  1. Adapted Lenses, Ray Angle Degradation
  2. Adapting Lenses to the GFX: Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2M

Fujifilm GFX 50S Image Quality

Image quality assessments..

  1. Moiré and Color Aliasing (plus Adobe Camera Raw Enhance Details)
  2. Observations on Image Quality vs Hasselblad, Canon, Nikon

Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R WR

Ultra wide angle equivalent to 19mm f/3.3. .

  1. Distortion Correction and Micro Contrast Losses (GFX 50S)
  2. Examples: Alabama Hills (GFX 50S)
  3. Examples: Cerro Gordo (GFX 50S)
  4. Focus Stacking Examples, Eastern Sierra (GFX100)
  5. Aperture Series: Blue Water Flows Over Dark Rocks (GFX 50S)

Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR

Mid-range zoom lens equivalent to 26-53mm f/3.3..

  1. Examples: Panoramas in the White Mountains and Eastern Sierra (GFX100)
  2. Aperture Series @ 32mm: 9050 Pine Creek Rd (GFX 50S)
  3. Aperture Series @32mm: Cerro Gordo Museum (Focus Variability + Right-Side Blur) (GFX 50S)

Fujifilm GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR

Moderate wide angle equivalent to 37mm f/2.3..

  1. Focus Stacking Examples, Various (GFX100)
  2. Examples: Panoramas in the Eastern Sierra and White Mountains (GFX100)
  3. Examples: Lundy Canyon Just Before the Winter Solstice (GFX 50R)
  4. Aperture Series: Mosaic (GFX100)
  5. Aperture Series with Focus Stack: West Walker Creek Meadow to Snowy Peaks (GFX 50S)
  6. Aperture Series with Focus Stack: Low and Close Viewpoint, Beaver Dam Pond (GFX 50S)
  7. Aperture Series: View Down Shadowed Lundy Lake, Late Afternoon (GFX 50S)

Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR

Slightly long zoom lens equivalent to 37-82mm f/3.3..

  1. Examples: Alabama Hills
  2. Aperture Series @ 46mm: Backlit Desert Wash
  3. Aperture Series @ 56mm: Alabama Hills Desert Wash, Sunrise View To Mt Whitney
  4. Aperture Series @ 100mm: Sagebrush Hillside to Wind-Whipped Whitney
  5. Compared: Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4 vs GF 50mm f/3.5: View Towards Mt Whitney

Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR

Slightly wide compact normal lens equivalent to 41mm f/2.9..

  1. Examples: Alabama Hills, March
  2. Examples: Alabama Hills, Astrophotography
  3. Examples: Mt Whitney Foothills
  4. Aperture Series: Mining Cabin Interior
  5. Aperture Series: Burned Pine Among Boulders
  6. Aperture Series: Alabama Hills Granite to Whitney Range
  7. Aperture Series: Alabama Hills View Southwest to Receding Sierra Nevada, Last Color in Sky
  8. Compared: Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5 vs GF 45-100mm f/4: View Towards Mt Whitney

Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR

Standard normal lens equivalent to 52mm f/2.3..

  1. Distortion
  2. Aperture Series: Yellow House (GFX 50S)
  3. Aperture Series: View to Mt Whitney From Alabama Hills (GFX 50S, Focus Variability)

Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R WR

Ultra high speed telephoto equivalent to 90mm f/1.6..

  1. Shootout: Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R WR vs Fujifilm GF 100-200mm f/5.6: Mosaic with Unstable Lens Focus (GFX100)

Fujifilm GF 120mm f/4 Macro R LM OIS WR

High performance macro photography on medium format, equivalent to 99mm f/3.3..

  1. Aperture Series @ 1:10: Dolls (GFX 50S)

Fujifilm GF 250mm f/4 OIS R WR

Telephoto equivalent to 200mm lens. .

  1. Aperture Series: Painted Rock(GFX 50S)
  2. Aperture Series: Last Light on High Peaks (GFX 50R)
  3. Examples: Lundy Lake Area (GFX 50R)
  4. Examples: Mt Whitney Foothills (GFX100)

Hasselblad H6D-100C

How does the very best perform in the field?.

  1. Introduction to Hasselblad H6D-100C

Hasselblad HC 50mm f/3.5 II

High performance moderate wide angle.

  1. MTF
  2. Aperture Series: Moots Mooto X YBB at Icy Lake

Hasselblad HC Macro 120mm f/4 II

High performance all-arounder macro lens.

  1. MTF
  2. Examples: Lundy Canyon

Hasselblad X1D

Mirrorless large format with leaf shutter lenses..

  1. Autofocus Errors with 90mm f/3.2, Examples

Hasselblad X1D Imaging Quality

Performance both in the field and controlled conditions..

  1. One Reader’s X1D Month-long Buy/Use/Sell Decision

Hasselblad XCD 21mm f/4

18mm equivalent..

  1. Aperture Series: Contemplating Rock Creek
  2. Aperture Series: Rock Creek, S-Curve

Hasselblad XCD 30mm f/3.5

25mm equivalent..

  1. MTF
  2. Aperture Series: Mosaic
  3. XCD 30/3.5 Sharpness and Color Correction vs XCD 45/3.5

Hasselblad XCD 35-75mm f3.5-4.5

Normal lens equivqlent to 53mm..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 35-75mm f3.5-4.5
  2. Distortion for Hasselblad XCD 35-75mm f3.5-4.5
  3. Examples: Alabama Hills
  4. Aperture Series @ 35mm: Last Orange Light on Mt Whitney from Alabama Hills Lichen-Covered Formations
  5. Aperture Series @ 75mm: View over Alabama Hills Granite Formations to Last Orange Light on Mt Whitney

Hasselblad XCD 45mm f/3.5

37mm equivalent..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 45mm f/3.5
  2. Aperture Series: Pomegranates on Picnic Table
  3. Aperture Series: Storm Drain Signs

Hasselblad XCD 45mm f/4 P

Moderate wide angle..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 45mm f/4 P

Hasselblad XCD 65mm f/2.8

Normal lens equivqlent to 53mm..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 65mm f/2.8
  2. Aperture Series: Lichen-Covered Granite Slab, View to Owens Lake
  3. Aperture Series: Survivor Pine on Rock Outcrop
  4. Aperture Series: Meysan Lakes Meadow
  5. Aperture Series: Lichenized Rock Formations at Dusk, View to Lone Pine Peak
  6. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills Formations to Mt Whitney Range, Dusk

Hasselblad XCD 80mm f/1.9

Moderate telephoto..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 80mm f/1.9
  2. Examples: Eastern Sierra
  3. Aperture Series: Lichen-Covered Granite Slab, View to Owens Lake
  4. Aperture Series: Alabama Hills Formations, Late Dusk
  5. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Graveyard, Dusk

Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/3.2

Medium format telephoto lens, 74mm equivalent..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/3.2
  2. Aperture Series with Focus Shift Assessment: Dolls
  3. Focus Shift Assessment (Lens Align Target)
  4. Aperture Series: Mosaic

Hasselblad XCD 120mm f/3.5

Telephoto macro lens, 99mm equivalent..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 120mm f/3.5

Hasselblad XCD 135mm f/2.8

Moderate telephoto..

  1. MTF for Hasselblad XCD 135mm f/2.8
  2. Aperture Series: Lichen-Covered Granite Slab

Pentax 645D 40-Megapixel Medium Format DSLR

A price/performance breakthrough?.

  1. Diffraction Effects at f/11 to f/16
  2. Examples with D FA 55/2.8
  3. Examples (UltraHD) in the Forest with D FA 55/2.8

Pentax 645Z Image Quality

High end image quality, but what about lenses?.

  1. Pentax 645Z Diffraction Effects on Micro Contrast
  2. Pentax 645Z Examples: Portraits (90/2.8)
  3. Pentax 645Z: 50 vs 36 Megapixels (25mm / 21mm, Matched Size)

Pentax 645 Lenses (645D tests)

A variety of 645 lens tests on the 645D.

  1. Examples in the Rain with 75/2.8
  2. Examples, Various
  3. Examples with 400mm f/5.6 ED IF
  4. Pentax-FA 35mm f/3.5 AL (IF)
  5. Aperture Series: Pentax-D FA 55mm f/2.8 AL[IF] SDM AW (Mosaic)
  6. Aperture Series: Pentax-A 75mm f/2.8 (Mosaic)
  7. Pentax-A 120mm f/4
  8. Pentax-A 200mm f/4

Pentax SMC DA 645 25mm f/4 AL (IF) SDM AW

Ultra wide angle lens for Pentax 645..

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (645Z)

Pentax HD 35mm f/3.5 AL [IF]

Moderate wide angle lens for Pentax 645..

  1. Overview of Pentax HD 35mm f/3.5 AL [IF]
  2. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek Upstream, Late Blue Dusk (645Z)

Pentax 645 HD DA 28-45mm f/4.5 ED AW SR

Wide angle zoom for Pentax 645..

  1. Aperture Series @ 28mm: Pescadero Creek Upstream, Late Blue Dusk (645Z)

Pentax 645 90mm f/2.8 D FA 645 Macro ED AW SR

Medium telephoto macro lens for Pentax 645 digital and film..

  1. Aperture Series @ 90mm (Dolls, 645Z)
  2. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Thunderstorms (645Z)

Hasselblad H4D 50 Megapixel Medium Format DSLR

How does Hasselblad’s 3rd generation medium format entry measure up?.

  1. Overview of Features
  2. Lenses
  3. Examples with HCD 28mm f/4 (Yosemite)
  4. Examples with HC 100mm f/2.2 (Yosemite)

Rolleiflex Hy6 Mod 2 Medium Format System

Lens performance at 80 megapixels..

  1. Aperture Series: Water Worn Boulders (Schneider 50/2.8 Super Angulon PQS)
  2. Aperture Series: Up the Creek (Rolleiflex AFD 80mm f/2.8 Apogon PQS)
  3. Aperture Series: Glistening Rocks (Rollei APO-Symmar 90mm f/4 Makro PQS)
  4. Aperture Series: Down Creek (Zeiss 110/2 Planar PQ)

Mamiya DL28 medium format 28 megapixel system

The Mamiya DL28 offers the Mamiya 645 AFD III, the new Sekor AF 80mm f/2.8D lens and the Leaf Aptus-II 6 digital back. Image quality is outstanding and the DL28 should definitely be considered by anyone looking into medium format..

  1. Main: overview, ergonomics, noise, infrared,

Leica S2 37.5 Megapixel Medium Format DSLR

How does Leica’s medium format entry measure up in ergonomics, image quality, etc?.

  1. Leica S2 Main page
  2. Precision for Maximum Resolution
  3. Alternatives: DSLR Without Anti Aliasing Filter
  4. Conclusions

Leica S Examples

Examples and comparison from the various lenses.

  1. Examples from Yosemite High Country
  2. Examples: Day 1 Experiments
  3. Examples: Golden Gate Bridge
  4. Comparison: Leica S2 vs Nikon D3x (Mosaic)
  5. Comparison: Leica S2 vs Nikon D3x Deconvolution Sharpening
  6. Leica 180mm f/3.5 APO-Elmar-S — Asymmetry

Lenses

Lenses for the Leica S2 (original Leica S2 material).

  1. Overview of Leica S Lenses (2010 material)
  2. Leica 30mm f/2.8 Elmarit-S ASPH
  3. Leica 35mm f/2.5 Summarit-S ASPH
  4. Leica 70mm f/2.5 Summarit-S ASPH
  5. Leica 120mm f/2.5 APO-Macro-Summarit-S

Leica S Typ 006

The last CCD-sensor Leica S model..

  1. Error-Prone Autofocus Damages Sharpness (S006)

Leica 24mm f/3.5 Super-Elmar-S ASPH

Extreme wide angle with ultra high performance..

  1. MTF Analysis for Leica 24mm f/3.5 Super-Elmar-S ASPH
  2. Aperture Series: Lower Conness Lake (S006)
  3. Aperture Series: Hoover Wilderness Drainage (S006)

Leica 30-90mm f/3.5-5.6 Vario-Elmar-S ASPH

All-arounder zoom for Leica S.

  1. Aperture Series @ 30mm: Mossy Boulders in Pescadero Creek (S006)
  2. Aperture Series @ 30mm: Pescadero Creek Downstream View (S006)
  3. Aperture Series @ 90mm: Grass Clumps on Boulders (S006)

Leica 35mm f/2.5 Summarit-S ASPH

Pleasing moderate wide angle performer..

  1. Aperture Series: Last Warm Glow On Creek (S006)

Leica 45mm f/2.8 Elmarit-S ASPH

Moderate wide angle with low distortion..

  1. MTF Analysis for Leica 45mm f/2.8 Elmarit-S ASPH
  2. Aperture Series: Dana Glacier, Moraine, Dana Lake (S006)
  3. Aperture Series: Striped Glacial Erratic (S006)

Leica 100mm f/2 Summicron-S ASPH

The fastest S lens..

  1. Overview of Leica 100mm f/2 Summicron-S ASPH
  2. MTF Analysis for Leica 100mm f/2 Summicron-S ASPH
  3. Aperture Series: Aspen Amid Pines (S006)

Cameras and Examples

Infrared camera choices with examples.

  1. Examples: Nikon D70–IR

Shooting Considerations

All about shooting in infrared..

  1. Focusing Overview
  2. The Importance of Critical Focus
  3. Backfocus and Aperture

Image Quality Issues

Unique challenges of digital infrared..

  1. Sharpness
  2. Sharpness in Visible Light vs Infrared
  3. Sharpness in Red/Green/Blue Channels
  4. Choice of Aperture / Depth of Field
  5. How the Lenses Were Evaluated

Canon Lenses

How Canon lenses perform for infrared use..

  1. Focusing for Infrared
  2. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L
  3. Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye
  4. Nikon 85mm f/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkor (on 5D)
  5. Canon EF 135mm f/2L
  6. Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L

Wrap-up and Summary

Conclusions and where to find products and additional information..

  1. Glossary

Milvus 15mm f/2.8

Milvus garb for the venerable 15/2.8 Distagon, with improved lens coating..

  1. MTF for Milvus 15/2.8
  2. Aperture Series vs Nikon 14/2.8D: Spring Leaves on Riparian Tree
  3. Aperture Series: Sprinter Van in Clearing Storm, White Mountain Road
  4. Aperture Series: Dead Pines in Defunct Beaver Pond (Multi-Shot HighRes mode)

Milvus 18mm f/2.8

An outstanding 18mm design..

  1. MTF for Milvus 18/2.8 from f/2.8 to f/16
  2. Examples: Eastern Sierra and White Mountains
  3. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Hillside With Lingering Snow Field (Nikon D850)
  4. Aperture Series: Frosty Wood Round (Nikon D810)
  5. Aperture Series: Frosty Picnic Table (Nikon D810)
  6. Examples, Handheld: Mt Conness Basin East (Nikon Z7)

Milvus 21mm f/2.8

The classic 21/2.8 Distagon improved..

  1. MTF for Milvus 21/2.8
  2. Depth of Field Table for Milvus 21/2.8

Milvus 25mm f/1.4

Highest performing 25mm from Zeiss ever..

  1. Overview of Milvus 25/1.4
  2. MTF for Milvus 25/1.4
  3. Siemens Star MTF Analysis @ 30 lp/mm
  4. Examples: Focus Stacking in Yosemite High Country and White Mountains
  5. Aperture Series: Large Boulder, Waterfall, Last Light on Canyon Ridge
  6. Aperture Series: Colorful Green Boulder, Last Sunset Glow
  7. Aperture Series + Focus Stack: Healthy BristleconeBark
  8. Compared: 25/1.4 vs 25/2 vs 25/2.8: Shaded Boulder Field, North-East Escarpment

Milvus 35mm f/1.4

Highest performing 35mm from Zeiss ever..

  1. MTF for Milvus 35/1.4
  2. Examples: Eastern Sierra
  3. Aperture Series: Ore-Cart Tracks to Tailings Piles

Milvus 35mm f/2

Classic design in the latest Milvus build..

  1. MTF for Milvus 35/2
  2. Depth of Field Table for Milvus 35/2
  3. Examples: White Mountains and Sierra Snow, Late November

Milvus 50mm f/1.4

Outstanding build and optical quality in a normal lens..

  1. MTF for Milvus 50/1.4, f/1.4 - f/16
  2. Depth of Field Table for Milvus 50/1.4
  3. Aperture Series: Yellow Flowers by Waterfall (Nikon D810)
  4. Aperture Series: Defaced Aspen Trunks (Nikon D810)
  5. Aperture Series: Flowers by Creek at Dusk (Nikon D810)
  6. Aperture Series: Glowing Aspen Trunks (Nikon D810)
  7. Aperture Series: Four Aspens, Late Dusk (Sony A7R II)

Milvus 50mm f/2M

The classic 50/2 Makro-Planar improved..

  1. MTF for Milvus 50/2M
  2. Depth of Field Table for Milvus 50/2M

Milvus 85mm f/1.4

Outstanding build and optical quality in a medium tele..

  1. MTF for Milvus 85/1.4, f/1.4 - f/16
  2. Depth of Field Table for Milvus 85/1.4
  3. Aperture Series: Beaver Pond at Dusk (Nikon D810)
  4. Aperture Series: Yellow Flowers by Waterfall (Nikon D810)
  5. Aperture Series: Water Sheeting over Colorful Bedrock (Nikon D810)
  6. Aperture Series: Lundy Canyon Upper Cataracts (Nikon D810)

Milvus 100mm f/2M

The classic 100/2 Makro-Planar improved..

  1. MTF for Milvus 100/2M
  2. Depth of Field Table for Milvus 100/2
  3. Aperture Series f2 to f/22: Rock Creek White Stripes and White Peaks

Milvus 135mm f/2

An Otus, in effect. Milvus garb for the 135/2 APO, with improved lens coatings on one element. See the ZF.2/ZE 135/2 review pages..

  1. MTF for Milvus 135/2
  2. Aperture Series: White Aspen (Nikon D810)
  3. Aperture Series: Small Creek Amid Trees (Nikon D810)
  4. Aperture Series: Mammoth Peak (Fujifilm GFX100)

Introduction

Start here to best utilize this guide..

  1. Sensor Size and Optical Performance
  2. Focusing Tips (general)

Optical Performance

Sharpness and rendering..

  1. Resolution Charts Overview
  2. Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) Discussion
  3. Alignment Woes
  4. Subtleties of Rendition
  5. Ray Angle and Entrance Pupil
  6. Zeiss DLSR Lenses: Performance Impact on Mirrorless Systems Due to Thickness of Sensor Cover Glass

15mm f/2.8 Distagon

Ultra high performance in an extreme wild wide angle lens..

  1. 15/2.8 MTF Chart
  2. Case Study: Focus Bracketing for Best Sharpness (Bristlecone)
  3. Optimizing Focus for Field Curvature and Subject (Campfire / SUV)
  4. Field Curvature and MTF and Focus (Nikon D800E, Mosaic)
  5. Vignetting/Depth of Field Aperture Series (Church Interior)
  6. Close-Range Aperture Series (Tioga Pine)
  7. Aperture Series: Backlit Bristlecone Pine (Leica M Typ 240)
  8. Aperture Series: Radio Towers (Nikon D800E)
  9. Aperture Series: Confluence of Branched Creek with Sedges and Boulders (Sony A7)
  10. Aperture Series: Surreal Bristlecones at High Altitude, Generations (Nikon D810)
  11. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Stormy Light (Nikon D810)
  12. Aperture Series (Leica M Typ 240, Dolls)
  13. Examples (Ad-Hoc, Nikon D3x)
  14. Examples (Purissima Creek Redwoods, Nikon D3x)
  15. Examples (Yosemite, Nikon D800E)
  16. Examples (White Mountains, Nikon D800E)
  17. Comparison to Nikon 14-24 (Bristlecone, Nikon D800E)
  18. Comparison to Nikon 14-24 (Aspen Cluster, Nikon D800E)
  19. Comparison to Nikon 14-24 (Cabin, Nikon D800E)

18mm f/3.5 Distagon

A brilliant, but also colorful character..

  1. MTF Chart
  2. Examples ZE/Canon Landscape
  3. Examples ZE/Canon NYC
  4. Examples ZE/Canon Night Shots
  5. Aperture Series: Wyman Canyon Lower Cabin Interior (Nikon D800E)
  6. Comparisons Overview
  7. Resolution Chart

21mm f/2.8 Distagon

Brilliant imaging, even wide open, but with a few quirks. (Review in progress) .

  1. MTF Chart
  2. Examples
  3. Examples ZE/Canon Landscape
  4. Examples in Yosemite,and White Mountains, Late Fall
  5. Examples (close-up)
  6. Rendering Style at f/2.8, f/4, f/8: Aspen Thicket
  7. Examples: Lundy Canyon, Early Winter
  8. Examples: Lundy Canyon, Brilliance at the Big Beaver Pond
  9. Close-Range Aperture Series (Tioga Pine)
  10. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Tungsten Mine Buildings / Waterfall (Nikon D800E)
  11. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Stormy Light (Nikon D810)
  12. Aperture Series: Green Hills (Nikon D800E)
  13. Aperture Series: Eroding Ancient Bristlecone Pine (Nikon D800E)
  14. Aperture Series: Curving Confluence with Sedges and Boulders (Sony A7)
  15. Focus Shift Assessment vs Nikon 20/1.8G and 14-24/2.8G
  16. vs Nikon 20mm f/1.8G: Mt Conness Glacier Remnants (Nikon D810)
  17. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin Trashed Interior (Canon 5DS R)
  18. vs Nikon 14-24/2.8G, et al
  19. vs Nikon 14-24/2.8G and Nikon 16-35/4G VR
  20. vs Leica 21mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (Leica M Typ 240)
  21. Comparison: 21/2.8 and 25/2.8 Distagon vs Nikon 24/1.4G

25mm f/2 Distagon

Ultra high performance with a fast aperture..

  1. MTF Chart
  2. Examples (Yosemite, White Mountains)
  3. Examples (White Mountains Snowy Day)
  4. Field Curvature (Tioga Pass)
  5. Aperture Series: Backlit Bristlecone (Nikon D800E)
  6. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Trunks (Nikon D800E)
  7. Compared: 25/2 vs 25/2.8 (Bristlecone View of White Mountain Peak, Nikon D800E)
  8. Aperture Series: Banana Slug
  9. Aperture Series: Big Leaf Maple
  10. Aperture Series: Silver Canyon Cottonwood
  11. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Monolith Snowing
  12. Aperture Series: Defunct Mining Cabin
  13. Comparison: 25/2 Distagon vs Canon 24mm ƒ/1.4L II (Woods)
  14. Comparison: 25/2 Distagon vs Canon 24mm ƒ/1.4L II (Tree)
  15. Comparison: 25/2 Distagon vs Nikon 24/1.4G (Tile Roofs)
  16. Comparison: 25/2 Distagon vs 25/2.8 Distagon, Nikon 24/1.4G (Water Tanks)

25mm f/2.8 Distagon

A gem with unusual close-focus..

  1. MTF Chart
  2. Examples In California’s White Mountains
  3. Examples In Yosemite
  4. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Monolith Snowing
  5. Comparison
  6. Bokeh
  7. Resolution Chart

28mm f/2 Distagon

An artist’s drawing tool..

  1. 28/2 Distagon Main Page
  2. MTF Chart
  3. Curvature of Field
  4. Examples
  5. Examples — Close-up
  6. Dusk and Night Shots in Mountains
  7. Examples — Outdoor Portraits (Yosemite)
  8. Comparison—Nikon D3
  9. 28/2 Distagon vs Nikon AF-S 28mm f/1.8G
  10. 28/2 Distagon vs Nikon 28/1.8G, 28/2 AIS, Voigtlander 28/2.8 SL II
  11. 28/2 Distagon vs Voigtlander Color Skopar 28/2.8 SL II
  12. Aperture Series: Mossy Green Boulders Amid Water Polished Rocks (Nikon D800E)
  13. Aperture Series: Creekside Yellow Flowers and Dark Rocks, Lundy Creek (Nikon D810)
  14. Aperture Series: White Mountains Landscape (Nikon D810)
  15. Resolution Chart

35mm f/1.4 Distagon

Strokes of a master..

  1. MTF For 35/1.4 Distagon
  2. Examples Near Alpine Creek
  3. Examples In The Forest
  4. Examples, Nikon D3x in Yosemite
  5. Examples, Nikon D3x in Sierra and White Mountains
  6. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Tungsten Mine Buildings / Waterfall
  7. Aperture Series: Patriarch Grove Overlook
  8. Bokeh Examples on Nikon D3x (Backyard)
  9. 35/1.4 Distagon Spherical Aberration Assessment
  10. Comparison: 35/1.4 Distagon, 35/2 Distagon, Nikon 35/1.4G, Voigtlander Ultra 40/2 (Dolls)
  11. Comparison — Forest Redwood
  12. Comparison — Storm-Swollen Creek
  13. Comparison — Mossy Tree By Creek
  14. vs Sigma 35/1.4 and Nikon 35/1.4G (Nikon D800E, Dolls)
  15. vs Sigma 35/1.4 and Nikon 35/1.4G (Nikon D800E, Wheel)
  16. vs Sigma 35/1.4 (Nikon D800E, Boulder Logjam)
  17. Validating Optical Performance of the ZF.2 35/1.4

35mm f/2 Distagon

Balance and poise..

  1. MTF Charts
  2. Examples
  3. Comparison 2
  4. vs 35/1.4 Distagon and Sigma 35/1.4 (D800E, Creek Storm Damage)
  5. The Criticality of Infinity Focus
  6. Resolution Chart

50mm f/1.4 Planar

Brilliant imaging in a compact package..

  1. MTF Chart
  2. 50/1.4 Examples
  3. Examples in White Mountains, Death Valley
  4. Resolution Chart

50/1.4 Planar vs 50/2 Makro-Planar

Comparing the two 50mm options near and far, more comparisons coming..

  1. Notes on the 50mm Comparisons
  2. 50/1.4 Planar vs 50/2 Makro Planar vs Nikon 50/1.4G (Poinsettia)
  3. 50/1.4 vs 50/2 at Medium Range — Mine Engine
  4. 50/1.4 vs 50/2 Take 2 — Mine Engine
  5. 50/1.4 vs 50/2 At ~4 foot range

50mm f/2 Makro-Planar

Versatility in a “normal” lens and macro too!.

  1. MTF Chart
  2. 50/2 Examples in White Mountains, Death Valley, Yosemite
  3. Resolution Chart
  4. Performance on 56-megapixel DSLR Pixel Density + MTF (Nikon D7100 + Sony NEX-7, Blue Doll)

Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon

Fast high performance APO wide angle..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Otus 28/1.4
  2. Depth of Field table for Zeiss Otus 28/1.4 APO-Distagon
  3. Astrophotography
  4. Examples: Mountain Landscapes at f/1.4
  5. Examples: Focus Stacking
  6. Shootout: Zeiss Otus 28/1.4 vs Sigma 28/1.4A: Alabama Hills Creek to White Mountains
  7. Aperture Series (night): White Truck at Night
  8. Aperture Series (night): Church At Night
  9. Aperture Series (night): Confluence Of Two Shadows
  10. Aperture Series: Painted Rock (Panasonic S1R Multi-Shot High-Res Mode)

Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon

Ultra high performance apochromatic normal lens, first in the Otus line..

  1. MTF Across Entire Aperture Range
  2. Through-Focus MTF at ƒ/2.8 (Field Flatness and Focus Precision)
  3. Field Curvature at Distance, Zone of Focus Placement (NYC Buildings)
  4. Focusing Tips for Extracting Peak Performance
  5. Examples - Initial Various
  6. Whither Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration?
  7. Bracketed Focus Shift Study (D800E, Dolls)
  8. Focus Shift at '56 Megapixels' (Nikon D7100, Dolls)
  9. Comparison: Zeiss Normals vs Nikon 50/1.4G (D800E, Poinsettia and Pumpkins)
  10. Aperture Series: Edge to Edge Sharpness (Rulers on Table)

Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon Rendering Style

Rendering style, bokeh and beauty..

  1. Focusing on the Eyes for Portraiture
  2. Examples: NYC Daytime (Nikon D800E)
  3. Aperture Series: Red Barn (Nikon D800E)
  4. Aperture Series: Red Barn (Sony A7R)
  5. Aperture Series: Macro PK11A, Doll (Nikon D800E)
  6. Aperture Series: Fruit Still Life (Leica M Typ 240)
  7. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Beauty (Nikon D800E)
  8. Aperture Series: Blue Glacial Erratics (Nikon D800E)
  9. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Thunderstorms (Nikon D810)
  10. Aperture Series: Moots at Barcroft (Canon 5DS R)

Otus 85mm f/1.4 APO-Planar

Ultra high performance apochromatic medium telephoto, overview and technical..

  1. MTF for Otus 85/1.4 APO-Planar
  2. Field Curvature Analysis (Nikon D810, Mosaic)

Otus 85mm f/1.4 APO-Planar Rendering Style

Rendering style, bokeh and 'transparency' without peer..

  1. Portraits (Nikon D810)
  2. Aperture Series: Atlas Permaguard (Nikon D810)
  3. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Thunderstorms (Nikon D810)
  4. Aperture Series: Aspen Leaf on Black Rock (Nikon D810)
  5. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Riparian Tree Medley (Nikon D810)
  6. Aperture Series vs Nikon 85/1.4G: Boreal Skiing Slope at Night (Nikon D850)

Otus 100mm f/1.4 APO-Sonnar

Razor sharp with gorgeous bokeh..

  1. Overview of Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 APO-Sonnar
  2. MTF for Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 APO-Sonnar, Full Series
  3. Focus Shift
  4. Examples: Flowers, Plants, Ad-Hoc (Nikon D850)
  5. Examples: Campus, Late Day (Nikon D850)
  6. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Nikon D850)
  7. Aperture Series: Orange Poppies at MOD (Nikon D850)
  8. Aperture Series: 'The Claw' Fountain (Nikon D850)
  9. Aperture Series: Tower at Night (Nikon D850)
  10. Aperture Series: Painted Rock (Multi-Shot High-Res Mode)
  11. Aperture Series: Backyard Trees (Fujifilm GFX100)

85mm f/1.4 Planar

True-to-life imagery..

  1. 85/1.4 Planar Main Page
  2. MTF Chart
  3. Examples
  4. Resolution Chart
  5. Focus Shift
  6. Aperture Series: Pre-Dawn Aspen (Nikon D800E)

100mm f/2 Makro-Planar

King of bokeh! Corner-to-corner sharpness, world class..

  1. MTF Chart
  2. Examples, ZE for Canon EOS
  3. Examples in White Mountains and Death Valley / D3x
  4. Examples: Lundy Canyon, Early Winter
  5. Comparison to Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR
  6. Comparison to Leica 100/2.8 APO-Macro-Elmarit-R
  7. Comparison to Leica 100/2.8 APO, Nikon 105/2.8G (Mining Mill)
  8. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Tungsten Mine Aerial
  9. Resolution Chart

135mm f/2 APO-Sonnar

Beautiful bokeh, razor sharp, superb color correction..

  1. MTF Chart
  2. Making Close-Range Portraits
  3. Aperture Series (D800E, Dolls)
  4. Bokeh Aperture Series: Peach Blossoms (Nikon D800E)
  5. Macro Quality at 1:4 (D800E, Doll Seated)
  6. Aperture Series: Blue Doll / Pellegrino (Nikon D800E)
  7. Aperture Series: Blue Doll / Pellegrino (Canon 5D Mark III)
  8. Aperture Series: Glacial Erratics in Tuolumne River (Nikon D800E)
  9. Aperture Series: White Branches By Creek (Canon 5D Mark III)
  10. Aperture Series: MTB Gearing (D800 Monochrome)
  11. Bokeh Examples (D800E, Golden Gate Bridge)
  12. Examples (D800E, Hakone Garden, Garden)
  13. Examples in Monochrome, Pescadero Creek (D800 Monochrome)
  14. Alignment (D800E, Distance Scene)
  15. vs Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 FL ED VR: White Flowers (Nikon D810)
  16. vs Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art: Pink Flowers (Nikon D810)
  17. Performance on 56-megapixel DSLR Pixel Density + MTF (Nikon D7100, Dolls)

Conclusions

Summary and wrap-up..

  1. Overall Conclusions
  2. Glossary

Scattershot design with today’s cameras.

Rethinking camera design as solving real-world challenges..

  1. Introduction to Camera Features

Reading the publications.

Tips for getting the most out of diglloyd publications..

  1. Choosing Image Resolution and Scaling, Series and A/B Comparison
  2. About HD and UltraHD Images
  3. How to Resize Images To Fit on Screen
  4. How to View Images at Full Retina Resolution
  5. Retina Resolution with Scaled Images

Zeiss LensSpire Articles

Articles written for Lenspire.ZEISS.com..

  1. Focusing Zeiss DSLR Lenses For Peak Performance, PART ONE: The Challenges
  2. Focusing Zeiss DSLR Lenses For Peak Performance PART TWO: Tips and Best Practices for Sharply Focused Images
  3. Depth of Field Challenges: Bypass the Limits with Focus Stacking, Near or Far, Macro or Landscape
  4. Getting Started with Focus Stacking
  5. Harnessing Wide Angle Lenses: Perspective and Impact
  6. Macro and Close-up Shooting, Especially Outdoors
  7. Zoom Lens or Prime? 15/18/21mm Lenses
  8. Zoom Lens or Prime? Moderate Wide Angles (25mm, 28mm, 35mm)
  9. Zoom Lens or Prime? 50mm and 55mm
  10. Zoom Lens or Prime? 135mm
  11. Micro Contrast and the Zeiss 'Pop'
  12. Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 Anchor a Gorgeous New Lens Line
  13. Zeiss Fills Out the Milvus DSLR Lens Lineup with the 21/2.8, 35/2, 50/2M, 100/2M
  14. First Look at the Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/1.4
  15. Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon: the Reference Standard With a Gentle Grace
  16. Astrophotography Tips, Especially with Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon

Photography Lighting

Lighting for various situations..

  1. Proto Machines LED8 Full Color LED Light, Painting at Night with Light

Binoculars

What to look for in a binocular, plus reviews..

  1. Reader Comments: Evaluating 25+ Binoculars in 2016

Travel and Places

Out of the way places and wonders..

  1. Mirrorless Cameras for On-The-Go Shooting

Understanding optics

Understanding lens performance..

  1. Understanding Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
  2. Charles Sleicher Resolution Chart

Depth of Field

[ARCHIVE, see Making Sharp Images]. Exploring depth of field..

  1. Depth of Field—D2X vs EOS 1Ds Mark II and Canon 5D
  2. Depth of field: the shorter focal-length advantage

Diffraction

The limits of resolution are governed by physics..

  1. Diffraction Example Using 10MP Canon 1D Mark III
  2. Diffraction in Consumer Digicams: When Megapixels Go Poof

Focus

Focus accuracy and focus shift..

  1. Autofocus Accuracy
  2. Autofocus Accuracy—Nikon D200, 17-35/f2.8 AFS
  3. Autofocus Accuracy—Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II / 85mm/f1.2L II USM
  4. Focus Shift and Spherical Aberration

Misc Reviews

Miscellaneous reviews..

  1. Canon EOS Meets Leica—1D Mark III mated to APO-Summicron-R 90/2 ASPH
  2. Canon EOS Meets Leica—1D Mark III Mated to APO-Elmarit-R 180/2.8
  3. Thirty Minutes With the PhaseOne P20

Lens and Camera Issues

Good stuff and not so good stuff..

  1. Lens Mount Damage and Misalignment
  2. Pushing the Blacks—Nikon D3x: medium format quality in a DSLR?

Brand-new Blur

Blurry lenses right out of the box..

  1. How to Test a Lens for Issues

Dell UP2715K: 5K Display

Bleeding edge with dual inputs has some issues..

  1. Dell UP2715K 5K Display: Works on Late 2013 Macbook Pro Retina too!

Dell 4K UltraHD UP2414Q

A jaw-dropping visual experience for video or stills..

  1. Dell 4K UltraHD UP2414Q Overview
  2. Cabling, USB3 Ports, SDXC Card Reader
  3. Full 4K Resolution at 60 Hz
  4. On the 2013 Mac Pro
  5. Conclusions on Dell UP2414Q

LG 31MU97-B 4096 X 2160 4K Display

Selected computer hardware topics..

  1. LG31MU97 4K Display
  2. Refresh Rate and Graphics Support
  3. Display Scaling

NEC Wide-Gamut Displays for Photographers

See the color that is really there!.

  1. Display Size: 30 or 27 or 24 Inch?
  2. NEC PA302W Wide Gamut Color Display
  3. NEC PA271Q Wide Gamut Color Display
  4. NEC PA271W Wide Gamut Color Display
  5. NEC PA301W Wide Gamut Color Display

NEC 4K Ultra HD PA322UHD Professional Display

A expansive and accurate visual experience for video or stills..

  1. NEC PA322UHD Overview
  2. NEC PA322UHD: Connectivity
  3. NEC PA322UHD: Display Scaling

NEC 4K Ultra HD EA244UHD

Another jaw-dropping visual experience for video or stills..

  1. NEC EA244UHD Overview
  2. Display Scaling and Text Size

Software issues.

[ARCHIVE] Software and related for photographers..

  1. Goodbye Nikon?

Ask Lloyd Chambers

Questions and answers on photography and computers and more..

  1. Zeiss 21/2.8 Distagon vs Leica 19/2.8 Elmarit-R

Photo Tips

Photography Hints and Tips..

  1. Depth of Field—How Far To Stop Down
  2. A brief glossary of photographic terms

Grab Bag

Various articles..

  1. Photographic Film Really Was Not Much of a Performer

Zeiss ZF.2 and Zeiss ZE Lenses For Canon and Nikon

Zeiss ZF.2 and Zeiss ZE Lenses For Canon and Nikon.

  1. Mini Review: Zeiss ZF/ZE 35mm f/2 Distagon
  2. Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon

15mm f/2.8 Distagon Zeiss Interview

Q&A on the 15/2.8 Distagon with Dr. Hubert Nasse.

  1. Zeiss 15/2.8 Distagon Q&A — Question List
  2. Zeiss 15/2.8 Distagon Q&A — Optical Performance
  3. Zeiss 15/2.8 Distagon Q&A — Tolerances

Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO Macro

A reference lens for color correction..

  1. Lens Designer Notes

Hartblei 40/80/120mm SuperRotators

Medium format Zeiss glass in Hartblei precision tilt/shift lens barrels!.

  1. Examples—120/4
  2. Resolution and Diffraction
  3. Resolution chart—40/4
  4. Resolution chart—80/2.8
  5. Resolution chart—120/4
  6. Stitching with the 40/4
  7. Field shot aperture series crops—40/4
  8. Field shot aperture series crops—80/2.8
  9. Field shot aperture series crops—120/4
  10. MTF for Hartblei 40mm f/4
  11. MTF for Hartblei 80mm f/2.8
  12. MTF for Hartblei 120mm f/4

Canon lenses

Overview and assessments of Canon lenses.

  1. Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
  2. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4

Nikon lenses

Overview and assessments of Nikon lenses.

  1. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED
  2. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G
  3. Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4D IF-ED

Leica S2 37.5 Medium Format DSLR

Leica S2 37.5 megapixel DSLR and its lenses..

  1. Overview of the Leica S2 System
  2. Overview of Leica S Lenses
  3. Leica 35mm f/2.5 Summarit-S ASPH
  4. Leica 70mm f/2.5 Summarit-S ASPH
  5. Leica 120mm f/2.5 APO-Macro-Summarit-S

Lenses for Leica M8, Leica M9, M*

Lenses for Leica M cameras, especially the M9.

  1. Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH

Infrared

Beyond deep red, seeing the invisible..

  1. Leica M8 — Infrared Imaging
  2. Zeiss ZF Lenses for Infrared

Nikon D200 vs D2x

Vintage 2006 comparative review of Nikon D200 vs Nikon D2x..

  1. Noise
  2. Resolution
  3. Resolution-BuildingWithGrill
  4. Resolution-BurnedOutCar
  5. Resolution-Forest105
  6. Resolution-SulfurMine
  7. Resolution-lighthouse
  8. Resolution-res-chart
  9. LensEvaluations
  10. Conclusions

Canon EOS R

Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless..

  1. Introduction to Canon EOS R

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Bread and butter all-around zoom..

  1. MTF for Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
  2. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Late Day Light on Bear Lake
  3. Aperture Series @ 39mm: View Down Aspen-Lined Trail to Spire Lake Peak
  4. Aperture Series @ 50mm: View Over Lower Morgan Lake to High Peak

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM

Bread and butter all-around zoom..

  1. MTF for Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM
  2. Examples: Exploring Varied Aspects of Performance
  3. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Orange Poppy and Chair
  4. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Condensation Inside Taillight
  5. Aperture Series @ 28mm: Mosaic
  6. Shootout: Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L vs Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 — Tenaya Creek Basin

Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro STM

All-arounder compact lens with macro capability..

  1. MTF for Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro STM
  2. Aperture Series: Lichen on Tree Trunk
  3. Shootout: Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L vs Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 — Tenaya Creek Basin

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM

High speed normal lens optimized for Canon mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L
  2. Examples: Lundy Canyon Evening
  3. Aperture Series: Aspen Against Sunset Glow

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM

High speed portrait lens optimized for Canon mirrorless..

  1. Aperture Series: Lingering July Ice on Exfoliating Granite
  2. Aperture Series: Mules Ears Flowering, Morning Light
  3. Aperture Series: Ghostly Aspen Trunks

Nikon Z7 Overview, Setup, General

Setup, IBIS performance, focusing..

  1. Nikon Z7 Aperture/Lens Diaphragm Behavior While Viewing/Focusing

Nikon Z7 IBIS and Focusing

Setup, IBIS performance, focusing..

  1. Autofocus Accuracy: Zone of Focus Error, Example and Mitigation
  2. Handheld A/B Comparison With/Without IBIS (Vibration Reduction)

Nikon Z7 Image Quality

Image quality..

  1. ISO 64 to ISO 25600 (Juniper over Defunct Beaver Pond)
  2. SHOOTOUT: Nikon Z7 + Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S vs Sony A7R III + Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 (Lower Lundy Beaver Pond)

Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S

Fast ultra wide angle for Nikon Z..

  1. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8
  2. Distortion and Distortion Correction
  3. Astrophotography at f/2
  4. Aperture series: Pre-Sunrise Bristlecone Trunks
  5. Aperture series: Sunlight After Rainstorm at Conness Lake 3
  6. Aperture series: Aspen After Rain
  7. Aperture series: White Clouds over Wind-Shaped Ancient Bristlecone Pine
  8. Shootout vs Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4S: Bonsai Above Beaver Pond

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S

Fast wide angle for Nikon Z..

  1. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8
  2. Distortion and Distortion Correction
  3. Aperture series: Small Aspen Trunks, Frontlit
  4. Aperture series: Huge Ancient Bristlecone Pine
  5. Aperture series: Bleached Tree in Creek
  6. Aperture Series: Sunlight Breaks Through Storm Clouds
  7. Shootout vs Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4S: Bonsai Above Beaver Pond

Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S

Ultra wide compact zoom for Nikon Z cameras..

  1. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S
  2. Distortion for Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, 19.5mm, 30mm
  3. Examples: Night Shooting
  4. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Mosaic
  5. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Mem Chu and Quadrangle
  6. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Courtyard View to Tower
  7. Aperture Series @ 15.5mm: Palm Tree Understory at Dusk
  8. Aperture Series @ 19.5mm: MemChu
  9. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Fountain by Library and Tower
  10. Aperture Series @ 24mm vs 24-70mm f/2.8 S: Mosaic
  11. Aperture Series @ 30mm: Library at Dusk
  12. Aperture Series @ 30mm: Bleached Trees in Old Beaver Pond
  13. Aperture Series @ 30mm vs 24-70mm f/2.8 S: Mosaic
  14. Shootout vs Nikon Z 20/1.8S: Bonsai Above Beaver Pond
  15. Shootout vs Nikon Z 24/1.8S: Bonsai Above Beaver Pond
  16. Shootout vs Nikon Z 24/1.8S: Clearing Storm Over Mt Conness Eastern Ridge

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3

Pancake zoom, wide angle to normal..

  1. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S

Fast mid-range zoom expressly designed for Nikon Z cameras..

  1. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
  2. Distortion @ 24mm, 28mm for Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
  3. Distortion @ 70mm, 50mm, 35mm for Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
  4. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Dead Trees in Defunct Beaver Pond
  5. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Bonsai View Down Lundy Canyon
  6. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Natural Bonsai Over Beaver Pond
  7. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Mosaic
  8. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Downed Aspen Tree
  9. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Reedy Beaver Pond Meadow
  10. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Beaver-Gnawed Log by Lichenized Boulder
  11. Aperture Series @ 28mm: Mosaic
  12. Aperture Series @ 30mm vs 14-30mm f/4 S: Mosaic
  13. Aperture Series @ 31mm: Huge Old Pine, Its Needles and Cones (Focus Shift)
  14. Aperture Series @ 32mm: Natural Bonsai Over Beaver Pond
  15. Aperture Series @ 35mm: Mosaic
  16. Aperture Series @ 50mm: Mosaic
  17. Aperture Series @ 54mm: Old Gnarled Rootball
  18. Aperture Series @ 64mm: View through arches to Church Mosaic
  19. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Mosaic
  20. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Natural Bonsai Over Beaver Pond

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S

Mid-range zoom expressly designed for Nikon Z cameras..

  1. Introduction to Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4S
  2. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4S
  3. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Summit View at Dusk Over Upper Conness Lake
  4. Aperture Series @ 30mm: Trail Along Lower Conness Lake
  5. Aperture Series @ 34mm: Conness Creek Lower Waterfall
  6. Shootout @ 35mm, Nikon Z 45-70/4S vs 35/1.8S: Stand of Bare Aspen by Creek
  7. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Lower Lundy Canyon Beaver Pond
  8. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Conness Creek Lower Waterfall

Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S

Moderate wide angle expressly designed for Nikon Z cameras..

  1. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8
  2. Aperture Series: Log Jam at Outlet of Bear Lake
  3. Aperture Series: Old Cabin at Middle Morgan Lake
  4. Focus Comparison: Refocusing for Each Aperture vs Focusing Wide Open (Stunted Aspen Amid Boulders)
  5. Aperture Series: Creekside Aspen
  6. Examples Handheld: Bishop Creek (Validating Focus Accuracy of the Nikon Z7)

Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S

Normal lens expressly designed for Nikon Z cameras..

  1. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8
  2. Shootout vs Nikon Z 24-70/4, Zeiss Milvus 50/1.4: Laws Railroad Museum Locomotive
  3. Shootout vs Nikon Z 24-70/4: Mining Gears

Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct

Ultra high speed normal lens, flagship of the line..

  1. Introduction to Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct
  2. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct

Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S

Fast portrait telephoto for Nikon Z..

  1. Introduction to Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8
  2. MTF for Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8
  3. Aperture Series: Bonsai Above Beaver Pond
  4. Aperture Series: Life on the Edge (Ancient Bristlecone Pine)
  5. Aperture Series: Backlit Bristlecone Trunks at Sunrise
  6. Aperture Series: Pre-Sunrise View South over Patriarch Grove
  7. Aperture Series: Rainstorm at Conness Lakes

Sony Alpha A7R IV

4th Generation standard-setting camera..

  1. Introduction to Sony A7R IV
  2. Sony A7R IV PressRelease
  3. Diffraction Considerations for Sony A7R IV
  4. Resolution for Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: Overview
  5. Shootout of Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: Siemens Chart
  6. Shootout of Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: View Past Greenstone Lake to North Peak
  7. Shootout of Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: Pine Creek Mining Buildings

Sony Alpha A7R III

Attention to details: a solid upgrade over the A7R II..

  1. Introduction to Sony A7R III
  2. Pixel Shift: With and Without with Sony Imaging Edge, ACR

Sony Alpha A7R II

Attention to details: a big upgrade over the A7R..

  1. Sony A7R II RAW (ARW) Files: Format, 12 Bit Degradation
  2. Dynamic Range Assessment at ISO 50 (Garage)
  3. Examples: Dana Lake, Dana Glacier Part 1, 'Approach' (Zeiss Batis)
  4. Examples: Dana Lake, Dana Glacier Part 2, 'Glacier' (Zeiss Batis)
  5. Examples: Dana Lake, Dana Glacier Part 3, 'Return' (Zeiss Batis)
  6. Examples: Night Shots, Artificial Lighting (Coastal 60/4 UV-VIS-IR APO)

Sony Alpha A7R

Full frame compact mirrorless with interchangeable lenses..

  1. Mitigating A7R Micro Contrast Diffraction Losses with Sharpening
  2. Shootout: A7R vs A7 (Red Barn)

Sony Alpha A7R Shutter Vibration

Vibration from the shutter highly damaging to image sharpness..

  1. Sony A7R Shutter Vibration at 55mm (Dolls)

Sony Alpha A7R II Kolarivision for Leica M

A7R II modified sensor cover glass for Leica M lens performance..

  1. A7R II Kolarivision Mod: Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  2. II Kolarivision Mod: Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH

Sony Alpha A7 II

Sensor stabilized 24MP full-frame..

  1. Sony A7 II @ 180mm: Focusing and Field Shooting (Leica 180/2.8 APO)

Lens adapters, tripod mounting, alternative lenses via lens adapter.

Shutter vibration (or not)..

  1. Modifying the Sony A7R for Superior Rangefinder Lens Performance

Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G

Compact ultra-wide angle lens..

  1. Introduction to Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G
  2. Examples: Alabama Hills
  3. Examples: Inyo National Forest
  4. Aperture Series: Backlit Sagebrush View to Peaks
  5. Aperture Series: Alabama Hills Granite Monolith, Sunrise
  6. Aperture Series: View Towards Big Pine and Eastern Sierra, Dusk
  7. Aperture Series: View Over Dry Wash to Early Sun on Mt Whitney Range

Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM

High performance wide angle..

  1. Examples: Close-Range Shooting
  2. Aperture Series: Quadrangle Shadows and Rising Moon
  3. Aperture Series: Spreading Pine and its Needles and Cones
  4. Aperture Series: View Through Pines to Mono Lake
  5. Shootout: Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM vs Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2: Mosaic (Sony A7R III)
  6. Shootout: Sony 24/1.4 GM vs Zeiss Loxia 25/2.4: Beaver-Gnawed Log by Lichenized Boulder (Sony A7R III)

Sony FE 28mm f/2

Fast wide angle..

  1. Apertures Series: Dolls at Close Range (Sony A7R)
  2. Aperture Series: Knobby Boulder (A7R)
  3. Aperture Series: Snowstorm Rolls in Over Saddlebag Lake (A7R)
  4. Aperture Series: Waterfall View of Mt Conness Sub-Peak (A7R)

Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM

High performance mild wide-angle..

  1. Introduction to Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM

Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 Distagon ZA

Fast and gorgeous moderate wide angle Zeiss design..

  1. Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 Distagon: Discussion and Alternatives
  2. Portraits (A7R)
  3. Aperture Series: Assessing Focus Shift and Color Correction (Dolls, A7R)
  4. Examples at f/1.4, Bad Sample Lens #1, Skew/Asymmetry (Pescadero Creek, A7R)
  5. Examples: Bad Sample Lens #2, Skew/Asymmetry (A7R II)
  6. Aperture Series: Cascading Creek (Pescadero Creek, A7R)
  7. Aperture Series: Triangle-Shaped erratic on Dana Lake Moraine (A7R II)

Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA

Fast high performance normal lens of Zeiss design..

  1. MTF for Sony FE 50mm f/1.4
  2. Shootout vs Rokinon FE 50/1.4 AF (Dolls, Sony A7R II)
  3. Examples @ f/1.4: Metal, Backlighting and More (Sony A7R II)
  4. Field Examples: Hall Natural Area, Dusk (Sony A7R II)

Sony FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Sonnar

Compact moderate wide angle for Sony mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Sony FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Sonnar
  2. Aperture Series: Redwood Stump Long Exposure (Sony A7R)
  3. Aperture Series: Red Barn (Sony A7R)
  4. Aperture Series: Santa Claus Lights (Sony A7R)

Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Sonnar

Compact normal lens for full-frame Sony mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Sonnar
  2. Aperture Series: Red Barn (Sony A7R)
  3. Aperture Series: Creek Wends its Way Through Boulders (Sony A7R)
  4. Aperture Series: Creekside Forest (Sony A7R)

Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM

Top-grade medium telephoto..

  1. MTF
  2. Aperture Series: Church Mosaic
  3. Aperture Series: Yellow Bike at Night
  4. Aperture Series: Dolls
  5. Aperture Series: Standing Dead Tree In Old Beaver Pond
  6. Aperture Series: Aspen at Edge of Beaver Pond Meadow, First Kiss of Sunlight
  7. Aperture Series: Small Pine in Dana Meadow
  8. Aperture Series: Aspen Trunks at Rock Creek
  9. Aperture Series: Staggered Tree Trunks

Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM

Razor sharp medium telephoto with apodization filter..

  1. Introduction to Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM

Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS

Native-mount macro length designed by Zeiss..

  1. Examples: Bad Lens Sample (A7R II)
  2. Aperture Series: Tiny Leaf on Wet Rock (A7R II)

Sony FE 135mm f/1.4 GM

Top-grade telephoto..

  1. Examples: Night Shooting (Sony A7R III)
  2. Examples: Portraits (Sony A7R III)
  3. Examples: Mono Craters Area (Sony A7R III)
  4. Aperture Series: One Burgher, Night Lighting (Sony A7R III)
  5. Shootout: Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM vs Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art (Mosaic)

Sigma FE 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art

Outstanding fast wide angle, DSLR optical design..

  1. Aperture Series: Ancient Downed Pine Tree, Dana Meadow
  2. Aperture Series: Hiker at Upper Conness Lake
  3. Aperture Series: Tenaya Canyon Pool
  4. Aperture Series: Lingering Snow near Upper Conness Lake

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

Native-mount ultra wide angle high performance zoom for mirrorless..

  1. Examples: Pine Creek (Sony A7R IV)
  2. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Teak Bench Closeup
  3. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Teak Bench Closeup
  4. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Buckeye along Storm Drain
  5. 3-Way Shootout @ 18mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  6. 3-Way Shootout @ 24mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  7. Shootout: Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art vs Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8: Twenty Lakes Basin, View Towards Mt Conness Drainage (Sony A7R IV)
  8. Compared @ 14mm: Swing and Tilt, Optical Decentering — Sigma FE 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art and Two Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM
  9. Conclusions and Recommendations on the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
  10. Shootout @ 20mm: Sigma FE 14-24/2.8 DG DN vs Sony FE 12-24/2.8 GM vs Sony FE 12-24/4G: Death Valley Strata

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

Native-mount ultra wide angle high performance zoom for mirrorless..

  1. Overview of Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
  2. Aperture Series @30mm: Mining Cylinder
  3. Aperture Series @35mm: Mining Cylinder View to Playa, Dusk
  4. Aperture Series @70mm: View Past Lone Pine Campground to White Mountains
  5. Shootout @ 50mm: Sigma 24-70/2.8 DG DN Art vs Voigtlander 50/2 APO: Desert Wash

Sigma FE 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Outstanding wide angle, watch out for lens skew..

  1. MTF
  2. Focus Shift

Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art

Ultra high speed native-mount moderate wide angle..

  1. MTF for Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art, Fantasy vs Reality
  2. Examples: Eastern Sierra, Pine Creek (Sony A7R IV)
  3. Aperture Series: Teak Bench (Sony A7R IV)
  4. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  5. Shootout: Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art vs Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2: Twenty Lakes Basin, View Towards Mt Conness Drainage (Sony A7R IV)

Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary

Compact native-mount normal lens..

  1. MTF for Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN

Sigma FE 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art

Ultra high performance medium telephoto..

  1. MTF for Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art
  2. Distortion Correction Impact on Micro Contrast and Sharpness
  3. Micro Contrast, Moiré, Color Aliasing with/without Pixel Shift and Distortion Correction
  4. Aperture Series: Frog on Table
  5. Aperture Series: Glass Vase
  6. Aperture Series: Kitchen Countertop
  7. Aperture Series: Last Yellow Aspen at Edge Of Beaver Pond
  8. Aperture Series: Campito the Feral Stallion Grazing in Blue Dusk
  9. Aperture Series: Mining Hoist
  10. Aperture Series: Earth Shadow Rising Over Crooked Creek Research Station
  11. 3-Way Shootout: Crooked Creek Canyon View to White Mountain Peak

Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Highly corrected medium telephoto..

  1. Overview of Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
  2. Examples: Lee Vining Canyon
  3. Examples: Alabama Hills
  4. Examples at Wide Apertures: Flora at Sunrise
  5. Aperture Series: Aspen-Lined Road at Dusk
  6. Aperture Series: Aspen Amid Willow Brush at Dusk

Sigma FE 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art

Outstanding fast wide angle, DSLR optical design..

  1. Aperture Series: Ducks in Dana Meadow Pond at Dusk
  2. Shootout: Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art vs Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM (Mosaic)

Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art

Macro lens also excellent for all-around shooting..

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)

Rokinon 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye

Fisheye lens for Sony mirrorless..

  1. Examples: Snowy White Mountains

Voigtlander FE Heliar-Hyper 10mm f/5.6 Aspherical III

Anything wider would be a fisheye..

  1. Aperture Series: Yellow Flower Yard (Sony A7R II)
  2. Aperture Series: Wyman Canyon Lower Cabin Interior (Sony A7R II)
  3. Examples: Backyard Initial Look (Sony A7R II)

Voigtlander FE Super Wide-Heliar 15mm f/4.5 Aspherical III

Ultra wide native mount manual focus lens for Sony mirrorless..

  1. Distortion Uncorrected and Corrected

Voigtlander FE 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical

Fast high performance manual focus wide angle..

  1. Overview of Voigtlander FE 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical
  2. Examples: Sharpness with Pixel Shift
  3. Shootout: Voigtlander FE Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical vs Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  4. Shootout: Voigtlander FE Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical vs Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8: MemChu Oblique
  5. Shootout: Voigtlander FE Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical vs Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8: Tenaya Creek and Lingering Ice

Voigtlander FE 35mm f/1.2 Aspherical

Fast mild wide angle lens..

  1. Overview of Voigtlander FE 35mm f/1.2 Aspherical
  2. Examples: Around the House
  3. Aperture Series: Bicycles
  4. Aperture Series: Dolls
  5. Aperture Series: Oak Tree Trunks

Voigtlander FE Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4

Fast lens speed with curious rendering..

  1. Aperture Series: Sprinter Van at Sunrise
  2. Aperture Series: Sunrise Over Panamint Range

Voigtlander FE Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical

Fast lens speed for versatile rendering..

  1. Aperture Series: Sprinter Van, Sunlit Frontal View
  2. Aperture Series: Sunrise Over Panamint Range

Voigtlander FE 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Aspherical

High-grade manual focus normal lens..

  1. Overview of Voigtlander FE 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Aspherical
  2. Examples: Alabama Hills and Mt Whitney Area
  3. Aperture Series: Still Life Flora
  4. Shootout: Voigtlander 50/2 APO vs Sigma 24-70/2.8 DG DN Art: Desert Wash

Voigtlander FE 65mm f/2 Macro APO-Lanthar Aspherical

Ultra high grade performer at a modest price..

  1. Overview of Voigtlander 65mm f/2
  2. Aperture Series: Blue Bike in Blue Light
  3. Aperture Series: Palm Tree Trunk
  4. Aperture Series: Corner of the Quad, Dusk
  5. Aperture Series: View to Mt Conness from Tuolumne Meadows Area, Early Night (Sony A7R IV)

Voigtlander FE MACRO APO-LANTHAR 110mm f/2.5

High grade macro all-arounder at a modest price..

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)

Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95

Speed to match the Leica Noctilux..

  1. Overview of Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95
  2. Aperture Series: Japanese Dolls (A7R II)
  3. Aperture Series: Garage in Cold Evening Light (A7R II)

Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Nocturnus 50mm f/0.95 II

Speed to match the Leica Noctilux-M, based on Mitakon Zonghyi optics..

  1. Overview of Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Nocturnus 50mm f/0.95 II

Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM

Fast extreme wide angle zoom..

  1. Introduction to Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM
  2. Distortion for Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM
  3. Examples: Lundy Canyon
  4. Focus Stacking
  5. Shootout @ 12mm vs Sony 12-24/4G: Big Tree at Alpine Creek Bend
  6. Shootout @ 12mm: Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM vs Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 GM: Two Aspen, Lundy Canyon
  7. Shootout @ 12mm: Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM vs Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 GM: Brilliant Backlit Beaver Pond Meadow
  8. Aperture Series @ 13mm: House Under Construction
  9. Compared @ 14mm: Swing and Tilt, Optical Decentering —two Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM and Sigma FE 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
  10. Aperture Series @ 15mm: Backlit Aspen
  11. Aperture Series @ 17mm: Big Tree at Bend in Alpine Creek
  12. Shootout @ 18mm: Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM vs Zeiss Batis 18/2.8: First Ice on Beaver Pond, Lundy Canyon
  13. Aperture Series @ 21mm: Aspen Grove on Rocky Slope
  14. Shootout @ 20mm: Sony FE 12-24/2.8 GM vs Sony FE 12-24/4G vs Sigma FE 14-24/2.8 DG DN: Death Valley Strata
  15. Shootout @ 21mm: Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM vs Zeiss Loxia 21mm: First Ice on Beaver Pond, Lundy Canyon
  16. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Late Day Sunlight on Desert Slope
  17. Shootout @ 24mm: Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM vs Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 vs Sigma FE 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art: Brilliant Backlit Beaver Pond Meadow

Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G

Extreme wide angle zoom..

  1. Introduction to Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G
  2. Examples: Rock Creek and Morgan Lakes, High Sierra
  3. Examples: Dana Lakes and Glacier Canyon
  4. Shootout vs Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8: Pescadero Creek Overview
  5. Shootout: Sony 12-24/4 vs Zeiss Batis 18/2.8: Pescadero Creek Downstream
  6. Shootout: Sony 12-24/4 vs Zeiss Batis 18/2.8: Blue Water Flows Over Dark Rocks
  7. Aperture Series @ 13mm: Pescadero Creek Side Pool (with Focus Stack)
  8. Aperture Series @ 12mm: Melting Out Dana Lake #3
  9. Imaging Performance @ 24mm, Single Frame vs Stacked: Downed Tree, Last Kiss of Sunlight
  10. Shootout @ 12mm: Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 GM vs Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM: Two Aspen, Lundy Canyon
  11. Shootout @ 12mm: Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 GM vs Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM: Brilliant Backlit Beaver Pond Meadow
  12. 3-Way Shootout @ 18mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  13. 3-Way Shootout @ 24mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  14. Shootout @ 12mm vs Sony FE 12-24/2.8GM: Big Tree at Alpine Creek Bend
  15. Shootout @ 20mm: Sony FE 12-24/4G vs Sigma FE 14-24/2.8 DG DNSony FE 12-24/2.8 GM: Death Valley Strata

Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM

Pro-grade f/2.8 wide angle zoom..

  1. Shootout @ 16mm: Sony 16-35/2.8 GM vs Sony 12-24/4 G: Bristlecone Pines Amid White Mountain Strata
  2. 3-Way Shootout @ 18mm: Rock Creek Meadow
  3. 3-Way Shootout @ 18mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  4. 3-Way Shootout @ 21mm: Morgan Pond
  5. 3-Way Shootout @ 24mm: Rock Creek Meadow
  6. 3-Way Shootout @ 24mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)

Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Vario-Tessar

Comapact ultra-wide zoom for Sony full frame mirrorless..

  1. Aperture Series @ 16mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R)
  2. Aperture Series @ 16mm: Dana Lake, Wide View (Sony A7R II)
  3. Aperture Series @ 17mm: Persimmon Wagon (Sony A7R)
  4. Aperture Series @ 21mm: Yellow and Blue Bike, Focus Shift (Sony A7R)
  5. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Mosaic (Sony A7R)
  6. Aperture Series @ 34mm: Persimmon Cluster Closeup (Sony A7R)
  7. Aperture Series @ 35mm: Pumpkin, Focus Shift (Sony A7R)
  8. vs Sony FE 35/2.8: Mosaic (Sony A7R)

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

Premiere mid-range zoom for Sony full frame mirrorless.

  1. Aperture Series @24mm: Water Surges Through Boulders
  2. Aperture Series @30mm: Rushing Water Loop
  3. Aperture Series @35mm: Finely Detailed Mosaic
  4. Aperture Series @49mm: Pescadero Creek High Water, Downstream
  5. Aperture Series @50mm: Finely Detailed Mosaic
  6. Aperture Series @52mm: Strongly Backlit MTB
  7. Aperture Series @70mm: Side Stream Across The Creek
  8. Aperture Series @70mm: Finely Detailed Mosaic

Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS

Wide angle to telephoto zoom with optical stabilization..

  1. Distortion Correction @ 24mm: Loss of Sharpness and Micro Contrast (Pixel Shift)
  2. Distortion Correction @ 105mm: Loss of Sharpness and Micro Contrast (Pixel Shift)
  3. Shootout @ 24mm: Sony 24-105/4G OSS vs Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 (Mosaic)
  4. Aperture Series @ 50mm: Mosaic
  5. Shootout @ 85mm: Sony 24-105/4G OSS vs Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4 (Mosaic)

Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4G OSS

Wide mid-range zoom targeted at video shooters..

  1. Focus Shift Aperture Series@ 38mm: Picnic Table (A7R II)
  2. Focus Shift Aperture Series @ 83mm: Dolls (A7R II)
  3. Aperture Series @ 135mm: Dolls (A7R II)

Sony FE 24-70mm f/4 OSS Vario-Tessar

Comapact mid-range zoom for Sony full frame mirrorless.

  1. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Moots Vamoots RSL (Sony A7R)
  2. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Moots Vamoots RSL (Sony A7R)

Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS

Premiere telephoto zoom for Sony full frame mirrorless.

  1. Examples: Sharpness in the Field, Focusing, Lens Quality Issues
  2. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Ellery Lake

Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS

Compact long range telephoto zoom for Sony full frame mirrorless.

  1. Examples: White Mountains

Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6

Special effect lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Pomegranates and Greenery
  2. Aperture Series: Pomegranate Closeup

Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D

Extreme wide angle with 'zero distortion'..

  1. Aperture Series: Milling Lathe
  2. Aperture Series: Trona Train Track Just After Sunset

Venus Optics Laowa 105mm f/2 STF

Manual focus apodized lens for ultra smooth focus..

  1. Aperture Series: Storm Clouds Over Kolob Canyons Peaks

Samyang FE 14mm f/2.8

Ultra wide angle lens adapted from DSLR, native E-mount, all manual..

  1. Aperture Series: Sedges and Pool(Sony A7)
  2. Aperture Series: Creek and Pool, Low View (Sony A7)
  3. Aperture Series: Up the Creek (Sony A7)
  4. Aperture Series: Around the Mossy Boulder (Sony A7)

Samyang FE 24mm T/1.5

Wide angle lens adapted from DSLR, native E-mount, all manual..

  1. Aperture Series: Creek Entering Pool (Sony A7)

ALLVIEW—Any Lens Live View Camera

Eliminating the camera body barrier— any kind of lens with Live View EVF and LCD.

  1. The Future Belongs to the ALLVIEW Camera

Ricoh GXR with A12 Mount for Leica M Lenses.

Use Leica M lenses on a digital back designed for them..

  1. Examples — Interior Architecture

Leica M Lenses on Olympus OM-D E-M5

Does pricey M glass deliver on mirrorless?.

  1. 28mm: Olympus SHG 14-35/2 vs Leica 28/2 ASPH and 28/2.8 ASPH
  2. 35mm: Olympus SHG 14-35/2 vs Leica 35/1.4 ASPH FLE — 35/2 ASPH — Zeiss 35/2 Biogon

Fujifilm Finepix X100

The best compact big-sensor digital camera yet?.

  1. MTF Charts for Fujifilm X100
  2. Lens Blur, Asymmetric sharpness
  3. High Shutter Speeds Degrade Sharpness
  4. RAW vs JPEG — Sharpness and Noise
  5. Initial Examples With Fujifilm X100
  6. Compared to Leica M9 + 35/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  7. Compared to Nikon D3s + 35/1.4G

Nikon Coolpix A

Fixed 28mm lens with APS-C sensor free of anti-aliasing blur with wonderful color..

  1. Compared vs Sigma DP1 Merrill (Garden Tables)
  2. Compared vs Sigma DP1 Merrill (Dolls)
  3. Coolpix A vs Fujifilm X100s / X100 (Blue Doll, Pellegrino)

Ricoh GR

Razor sharp 28mm lens on APS-C sensor and outstanding usability and features..

  1. Ricoh GR Introduction
  2. Ricoh GR Lens MTF Analysis
  3. Examples: White Mountains (Barcroft)
  4. Examples: White Mountains (General)
  5. Examples: White Mountain Peak MTB Ascent
  6. Macro Range: Lincoln Stamp
  7. Macro Range: Coins
  8. Is the Ricoh GR a 28mm Leica Replacement?
  9. Operational Assessment: Ricoh GR vs Sigma DP Merrill

Sony Cybershot RX1R II

Diminutive full-frame camera with 35mm f/2 fixed lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Frosted Pomegranate Closeup
  2. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek Grasses and Polished Rocks, Upstream

Sony Cybershot DSC-RX1 / RX1R

Full frame camera in an ultra-compact body with or without anti-aliasing filter..

  1. Distortion, Correcting Distortion (RX1)
  2. Bokeh in General, Overall Lens Rendering Style (RX1R)
  3. Examples, Initial Probation (RX1)
  4. Aperture Series (RX1, Pumpkins)
  5. Aperture Series (Sony RX1, Mountain Bike)
  6. Aperture Series (RX1, Tile Mosaic)
  7. Aperture Series: Sunset Bristlecone (RX1R)
  8. Aperture Series: Bristlecone in Blue Dusk (RX1R)
  9. Examples: Pine Creek (RX1R)

Sony DSC-RX100

Stunningly high image quality in a 20MP point and shoot tiny camera..

  1. Image Quality 4 Years Later (Two Cycling Selfies at Full Res)
  2. Realistic Real-World Resolution
  3. Sensor Size and Resolution
  4. Examples: Mountains
  5. Examples: White Mountains East

Sony DSC-RX10 III

Stunningly high image quality in a 20MP point and wide range zoom..

  1. Examples: Ad-Hoc Backyard Shots at Tele End

Olympus Zuiko SHG 7-14mm f/2 ED

Ultra high performance ultra-wide zoom lens..

  1. Zuiko SHG 7-14mm f/4 ED

Olympus Zuiko SHG 14-35mm f/2 ED

Ultra high performance zoom lens..

  1. Lens: Zuiko 14-35mm f/2 ED
  2. 14mm: Compared to Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 ASPH

Olympus Super High Grade (SHG) Four Thirds Lenses

Ultra high performance lenses..

  1. Lens: Zuiko 90-250mm f/2.8 ED
  2. Lens: Zuiko 150mm f/2 ED
  3. Lens: Zuiko 300mm f/2.8 ED

Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO

Wide angle zoom equivalent (14-28mm equivalent)..

  1. Overview of Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO
  2. Aperture Series @ 10mm: Vernal Creek in Dana Meadow (EM5 II, HighRes Mode)
  3. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Still Pool of Water Amid Grasses (EM5 II, HighRes Mode)

Olympus Zuiko 12mm f/2 ED

A compact high performance fast wide angle..

  1. Examples (Dana Meadow)

Olympus Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Zoom

A high performance mid-range zoom..

  1. Shootout: 12-40/2.8 vs SHG 14-35/2 vs Panasonic 25/1.4 Summilux (EM1, Yellow Wagon)
  2. Aperture Series: Boulder Logjam in Lundy Canyon (12mm, EM1)

Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8

A fast moderate wide angle..

  1. Aperture Series: Windows (Olympus E-M5)

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO

Fast portrait lens..

  1. Overview of Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO
  2. Dual Aperture Series: Kolob Canyons Cliffs, Post-Snowstorm
  3. Aperture Series: LeFevre Overlook
  4. Aperture Series: Zion Sandstone, Dusk

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 60mm f/2.8 ED Macro

Native Micro Four Thirds macro lens..

  1. Compared: 60/2.8 ED Macro (2 copies) vs SHG 35-100/2 ED (Dolls)
  2. Examples (Various)
  3. Field Curvature in the Field (Building Scaffolding)
  4. Examples (Field Curvature)

Olympus Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 ED Telephoto

Beautiful bokeh, long reach fast speed, compact lens..

  1. Compared: 75/1.8 ED vs SHG 35-100/2 ED (Dolls)
  2. Aperture Series: Bristlecones Slope
  3. Aperture Series: Bristlecones Near/Far
  4. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Foliage)
  5. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Stump
  6. Examples: Bristlecones

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO

Super telephoto with superb bokeh and color correction..

  1. Tips for Getting Sharp Images

Panasonic Lumix G LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm f/2.8 ASPH MEGA O.I.S

A macro lens with high performance..

  1. Examples: Build Quality — Lens Skew Blur on Left
  2. Examples: Bristlecones and Yosemite

Panasonic Lumix G 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye

A fisheye with great contrast and high resolving power..

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin
  2. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin Interior

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH

Compact wide angle equivalent to 16-36mm..

  1. Overview of Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH
  2. Examples: Trona / Panamint Area

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH Micro 4/3

A weak sibling covers the wide end.

  1. Focus Shift at Close Range (Olympus EM1, Dolls)

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Micro 4/3

A fast and lovely 'normal' lens (50mm equiv) for Micro 4/3..

  1. Compared: Panasonic 25/1.4 — Olympus 14-35/2 — Leica 24/3.8 Elmar-M (Wyman Cabin)
  2. Examples: White Mountains (Olympus E-M5, Panasonic 25/1.4 )
  3. Examples: De Chambeau Ranch (Olympus E-M5, Panasonic 25/1.4 )

Sigma DN 19mm f/2.8

Wide angle for Micro Four Thirds or Sony E Mount/NEX..

  1. Examples (Initial Misc)

Sigma DN 30mm f/2.8

Normal lens for Micro Four Thirds or Sony E Mount/NEX..

  1. Examples: Sharpness at Distance

Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH

Fast, bright and highly corrected medium telephoto..

  1. Examples: Assessment of Overall Imaging Quality (EM1)
  2. Examples: Las Vegas Strip (Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II)
  3. Aperture Series: Picnic Table in Garden (EM1)

Olympus OM-D E-M1

A worthy upddate to the E-M5 with pro-grade build quality..

  1. Examples in Lundy Canyon

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Superb ergonomic design in a compact camera..

  1. Sensor Size and Resolution
  2. Aperture Series and Comparison at 12mm f/2 (Dolls)
  3. 7mm Comparison: Olympus SHG 7-14mm f/4 — Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 (Garage Bikes)
  4. 14mm Comparison: Olympus SHG 7-14mm f/4 — SHG 14-35mm f/2 — Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 and 7-14mm f/4 — 12-35mm f/2.8 (Garage Bikes)
  5. Diffraction with Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4 ASPH

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Updated model with HighRes sensor shift mode..

  1. Processing EM5 Mark II HighRes RAW with Adobe Camera Raw
  2. HighRes Sensor Shift Mode vs Standard Resolution, RESOLUTION (Mining Museum)
  3. HighRes Sensor Shift Mode vs Standard Resolution, NOISE (Mining Artifacts)
  4. Examples with HighRes Sensor Shift Mode (Historical Items)

Comparisons across format.

Can smaller sensor cameras compete with larger ones on any basis?.

  1. Olympus E-M5 + 25/1.4 ASPH vs Canon 1D X + 50/1.8 II (Dolls)
  2. Pancake Lens Shootout: Olympus E-M5 vs Canon 1D X (Dolls)
  3. Shootout: E-M5 + 20mm vs Canon 5D Mark III + 40mm vs Sony RX100
  4. Shootout: Sigma DP2 Merrill vs Sony RX100 (Dolls)
  5. Shootout: Sony RX1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill vs Fujifilm X-E1 (MTB)
  6. Shootout: Sigma DP1 Merrill vs Ricoh GR vs Fujifilm X-E1 (Dilapidated Green House)
  7. Shootout: Sigma DP1 Merrill vs Ricoh GR vs Fujifilm X-E1 (Bristlecone Graveyard)
  8. Shootout: Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Leica X Vario: (Titanium Ride to the Green Machine)
  9. Shootout: Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Leica X Vario: (Green Machine Frontal)
  10. Ricoh GR vs Leica X Vario: (Brick Building)

Olympus E-P1 micro-4/3 camera

Great image quality, but....

  1. Examples with 14-42mm
  2. Resolution that will blow your socks off

Panasonic G-1 micro-4/3 camera

Panasonic G-1 especially compared to the Olympus E-P1. Intriguing results with RAW vs in-camera JPEG. RAW file included for your own analysis..

  1. Examples—Stanford succulent garden
  2. Resolution

Fujifilm X-E1

Compact sibling of the Fujifilm X-Pro1.

  1. Fujifilm X-E1 Focus Creep Kills Sharpness

Fujifilm X-Pro1

Interchangeable lenses on a 16MP APS-C sensor.

  1. Fractal-like Artifacts: Yosemite Pines — ACR vs Capture One Pro
  2. Examples (Outdoors, Sea Otter MTB)
  3. Examples (Mosaic)
  4. Examples (Outdoors, Alpine)
  5. Aperture series ƒ/1.4 - ƒ/16, RAW vs JPEG (ACR)
  6. Conclusions
  7. Conclusions (Before ACR)

Fujifilm X-Pro2

Fujifilm's 24MP APS-C offering..

  1. Image Quality: Fractal-like Artifacts (Clay Pot)
  2. JPEG vs RAW SHOOTOUT: Fine Wood Detail in Green Barn

Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS

Wide angle zoom equivalent to 15-36mm.

  1. Overview of Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS
  2. Examples: Carrizo Plain (Fujifilm X-Pro2)
  3. Aperture Series @ 12.6mm: Green Barn (Fujifilm X-Pro2)

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R

A low distortion ultra wide angle lens..

  1. Fujifilm Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R (Overview)

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18mm f/2 R

A compact fast pancake lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin Table (X-E1)

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R

Fujifilm’s kit zoom for the X-E1.

  1. Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R (Overview)
  2. Aperture Series: 55mm (Dolls, X-E1)

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R

Compact moderate wide angle..

  1. Aperture Series: Ranch Barn, Oblique View

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R

A fast normal lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Bristlecone at Dusk (Fujifilm X-E1)

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2

A bright short telephoto lens..

  1. Fujifilm Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 (Overview)
  2. Aperture Series: Teak Bench, Grasses, Black Cat (X-T1)

Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 APD

Apodization filter version of the 56/1.2..

  1. Overview of Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 APD
  2. 56/1.2 APD vs 56/1.2: Mannequin and Glass Bottles

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 60mm f/2.4 R

Short telephoto macro lens..

  1. Examples (X-E1, Yosemite)
  2. Aperture series: Birchbark Box (X-E1)

Sony NEX-7 and NEX-5N

24 or 16 megapixels in a compact body with APS-C sensor..

  1. Introduction
  2. Ergonomics
  3. Examples (Zeiss ZM 25/2.8 Biogon)
  4. Aperture Series: Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH on Sony NEX-7 (Tile Rooftops)
  5. Ray Angle, Color Shift, Sharpness
  6. Lens Adapter Skew
  7. Noise Reduction by Downsampling

Sony Alpha A6000

Value camera: 24 megapixel APS-C sensor with EVF and vibration-free shutter..

  1. Aperture Series: Pellegrino Bottles

Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 for Sony NEX

Moderate wide angle for Sony NEX..

  1. Examples Sony 24mm ƒ/1.8 Sonnar (Childs Stuff)
  2. Sony 24mm ƒ/1.8 Sonnar Aperture Series (Focus Shift)

Metabones SpeedBooster for Sony NEX

Use DSLR lenses at ~native focal length, and gain a stop of speed..

  1. SpeedBooster + Zeiss 21/2.8 Distagon (NEX-6, MTB)
  2. SpeedBooster + Zeiss 35/1.4 Distagon (NEX-6, MTB)
  3. SpeedBooster + Canon 35/2 IS (NEX-6, MTB)
  4. SpeedBooster + Canon 40/2.8 STM (NEX-6, MTB)
  5. SpeedBooster + Zeiss 50/2 Makro-Planar (NEX-6, MTB)
  6. Compared: SpeedBooster + 35mm Lenses (NEX-6, MTB + Doll)
  7. SpeedBooster + Canon 85/1.8 (NEX-6, MTB)
  8. SpeedBooster + Canon 135/2L (NEX-6, MTB)

Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Distagon

Outstanding ultra wide angle performer..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon
  2. Examples: White Mountains Before Snowstorm (A7R II)
  3. Examples: White Mountains, First Snowstorm (A7R II)
  4. Examples: Close Range Shooting (A7R II)
  5. Examples: Down Low and Near-Macro (A7R II)
  6. Aperture Series: Aspen Up, Morning Sunstar (A7R II)
  7. Aperture Series: Through the Aspen (A7R II)
  8. Aperture Series: Orange Tree Trunks, Blue Wood (A7R II)
  9. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Sculpture on Slate Outcrop, Late Dusk (A7R II)
  10. Aperture Series (Night): Arcade View at Night (A7R II)
  11. Aperture Series (Night): Confluence of Two Shadows (A7R II)
  12. Aperture Series (Night): Golf Carts (A7R II)
  13. Aperture Series (Night): Construction Perimeter Fence (A7R II)
  14. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 vs Voigtlander FE Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical: MemChu Oblique
  15. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 vs Voigtlander FE Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical vs : Tenaya Creek and Lingering Ice
  16. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 vs Voigtlander FE Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  17. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 vs Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art: Twenty Lakes Basin, View Towards Mt Conness Drainage (Sony A7R IV)
  18. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 21mm vs Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM: First Ice on Beaver Pond

Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 Distagon

Outstanding wide angle, superb performer..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 Distagon from f/2.4 to f/16
  2. Examples: Night Shots
  3. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Logs View to Bristlecone Graveyard, Dusk Purple Sky (Sony A7R IV)
  4. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  5. Aperture Series: Stand of White Aspen
  6. Zeiss Loxa 25/2.4 vs Zeiss Batis 25/2: View from Dana Lakes to Mt Conness
  7. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 25/2.4 vs Sony 24/1.4 GM: Beaver-Gnawed Log by Lichenized Boulder (Sony A7R III)
  8. Shootout @ 24mm: Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 vs Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM vs Sigma FE 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art: Brilliant Backlit Beaver Pond Meadow

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon

Manual focus moderate wide angle for full-frame mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Loxia 35/2 Biogon
  2. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Sony A7R IV)
  3. Field Examples: Yosemite Area (Sony A7R II)
  4. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Sunlit Morning (Sony A7R)
  5. Aperture Series: Log Over Lee Vining Creek (Sony A7R)
  6. Aperture Series: The Storm Blows In (Sony A7R)
  7. Aperture Series: Red Blueberry Scrub View to Mt Conness (Sony A7R)
  8. Loxia 35/2 Biogon vs Sony 35/2.8 Sonnar: Log Cabin Mine Main Building (Sony A7R)
  9. Loxia 35/2 vs Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4 and Samyang 35/2.8: Train Boxcar (A7R III)
  10. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 vs Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art: Twenty Lakes Basin, View Towards Mt Conness Drainage (Sony A7R IV)

Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar

Manual focus normal lens for full-frame mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Loxia 50/2 Planar
  2. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Sunlit Morning (Sony A7R)
  3. Aperture Series: Backlit Pines in Hoover Wilderness (Sony A7R)
  4. Aperture Series: Glaciated High Meadow (Sony A7R)
  5. Dual Aperture Series: Saddlebag Lake Pines (Sony A7R)
  6. Aperture Series: Westering Sun Strafing Glaciated Highlands (Sony A7R)
  7. Aperture Series: Sunstar through Green Aspen (Sony A7R II)
  8. Aperture Series: White Glacial Erratic (Sony A7R)

Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4 Sonnar

Manual focus telephoto lens for full-frame mirrorless..

  1. Overview of Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4 Sonnar
  2. MTF for Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4 Sonnar from f/2.4 to f/16
  3. Aperture Series: Massive Ancient Bristlecone (Sony A7R IV)
  4. Aperture Series: Clearing Storm, Lundy Canyon (Sony A7R II)
  5. Loxia 85/2.4 vs Batis 85/1.8: Lundy Canyon Beaver Ponds (Sony A7R II)
  6. Examples: Lundy Canyon, Snow and Sun (Sony A7R II)

Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon

Autofocus extreme wide angle for Sony full-frame mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 Distagon
  2. Examples: Purissima Creek
  3. Examples: Eastern Sierra High Country Closeups (Sony A7R II)
  4. Examples: Eastern Sierra Hall Natural Area (Sony A7R II)
  5. Aperture Series: Upper Conness Lake
  6. Aperture Series: Rock Creek
  7. Aperture Series: Rock Creek, Flowers
  8. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek Overview, Late Dusk Upstream
  9. Aperture Series: Waterworn Rocks, Downstream Low Viewpoint
  10. Shootout vs Zeiss ZF.2 18/3.5 (Pescadero Creek, Weathered Rocks)

Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 Distagon

Autofocus wide angle for Sony full-frame mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Batis 25/2 Distagon
  2. Portrait Examples (Sony A7R)
  3. Examples: White Mountains (Sony A7R)
  4. Aperture Series: Water Through the Boulders (Sony A7R)
  5. Aperture Series: Creek Overview (Sony A7R)
  6. Shootout: Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 vs Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM v(Mosaic)

Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2

All-around slightly wide angle/normal with close focus..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2
  2. Aperture Series: Mountainside near Aspendell
  3. Aperture Series: White Aspen, Late Dusk
  4. Aperture Series: Creekside Aspen at Dusk
  5. Aperture Series: Sprinter Van, Late Dusk
  6. Aperture Series: Bishop Creek Aspen
  7. Aperture Series: Autumn Aspen in Deep Valley
  8. Aperture Series: Yellow and Orange Fall Color
  9. Aperture Series: Ascending Aspen

Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 Sonnar

Autofocus portrait lens for Sony full-frame mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Batis 85/1.8 Sonnar
  2. Portrait Examples (Sony A7R)
  3. Examples: Spring Snowstorm (Sony A7R)
  4. On a Tripod With SteadyShot / Image Stabilization = Damaged Sharpness (Sony A7R, Through the Boulders)
  5. Aperture Series: Sculptured Elegance (Sony A7R)
  6. Aperture Series: Yellow Flowers by Waterfall (Sony A7R II)

Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 APO-Sonnar

Apochromatic pin-sharp medium telephoto for Sony full-frame mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Batis 135/2.8 APO-Sonnar
  2. Aperture Series: Tower at Night

Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 Distagon

Ultra wide angle lens for Sony NEX or Fujifilm X..

  1. MTF (also vs Zeiss and Leica)
  2. Field Curvature Analysis (Alpine Creek, Sony NEX-7)
  3. Aperture Series: Sharpness and Bokeh (Picnic Table, NEX-7)
  4. Examples: Initial (Sony NEX-7)
  5. Examples: Portraiture (NYC Model, Sony NEX-7)
  6. Examples: Bristlecone Graveyard at Dusk (Fujifilm X-E1)
  7. Compared to Fujifilm 14mm f/2.8 (Fujifilm X-E1, Bristlecone)
  8. Compared to Fujifilm 14mm f/2.8 (Fujifilm X-E1, Cabin #9 Interior)

Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 Planar

Normal lens for Sony NEX or Fujifilm X..

  1. MTF (also vs Zeiss and Leica)
  2. Distortion Correction in JPEG vs RAW (Sony NEX-7)
  3. Bokeh (Glassware, Sony NEX-7)
  4. Examples: Portraiture (NYC Model, Sony NEX-7)
  5. Examples: New York City (Evening on the High Line, Sony NEX-7)
  6. Compared to Sony 35mm f/1.8 (Dolls, NEX-7)
  7. Compared to Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 (Fujifilm X-E1, Cabin Table)
  8. Compared to Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 and 18-55 f/2.8-4 (Fujifilm X-E1, Green House)

Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8M

Moderate telephoto macro lens for Sony NEX or Fujifilm X. Useful on full frame too!.

  1. MTF for Touit 50/2.8M
  2. More than APS-C Coverage? (Sony A7R)
  3. Aperture Series: Glistening Rocks (Sony A7R)
  4. Aperture Series: Green Plants at 1:10 (Sony A7R)
  5. Aperture Series: Flowing Water, Wet Dark Rocks, Green Grass (Sony A7R, 4 X 5 Crop)
  6. Aperture Series: Green Grass (Sony A7R, 4 X 5 Crop)
  7. Aperture Series: Down Creek (Sony A7R, 4 X 5 Crop)
  8. Aperture Series: Fern, Wide-Open vs ƒ/5.6 (Sony A7R, APS-C)

Leica X Vario

Leica’s 28-70mm APS-C compact camera..

  1. Autofocus Inconsistency, Backfocus, Manual Focus
  2. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Mine and Waterfall, Dusk (28mm)

Leica X2

Leica’s large-sensor 'affordable' compact camera..

  1. Composing

Overview of Sigma Foveon Sensor cameras

Foveon X3 true-color sensor for outstanding resolution..

  1. Sigma DP Merrill Introduction
  2. How Large for Printing?
  3. Conclusions

Sigma Photo Pro Software 6.x

Sigma’s raw file processing software, version 6.x..

  1. SPP Does not Support Retina or 4K Display Resolution

Sigma sd Quattro

Mirrorless Sigma Quattro sensor with interchangeable lenses..

  1. In-Camera JPEG: Quality and Variations, Black and White
  2. ISO Series from ISO 100 to ISO 6400

Sigma sd Quattro H

Mirrorless Sigma Quattro larger APS-H sensor with interchangeable lenses..

  1. Overview of Sigma sd Quattro H
  2. File Size: DNG vs X3F
  3. DNG vs X3F (Dolls, Long Exposure)

Sigma dp Quattro Cameras

Mid-2014 models with newly designed 3-layer APS-C sensor..

  1. Sigma dp Quattro Sensor Design
  2. Real World Shooting: Lack of an EVF

Sigma dp0 Quattro

21mm f/5.6 equivalent FOV lens..

  1. Examples: Cottonwood Canyon Area, White Mountains (Part 1)
  2. Examples: Cottonwood Canyon Area, White Mountains (Part 2)
  3. Aperture Series: Creek Enters Lake

Sigma dp2 Quattro

45mm f/2.8 equivalent FOV lens..

  1. dp2 Quattro MTF
  2. dp2 Quattro Image Size vs DP2 Merrill
  3. Aperture Series: Mosaic

Sigma DP1 Merrill

28mm f/2.8 equivalent lens on APS-C sensor..

  1. Examples (White Mountains Autumn Color)
  2. Examples (Yosemite)
  3. Aperture: Summit Green-Brick Building
  4. Resolution — DP1 Merrill vs Nikon D600 (Yellow Aspen)

Sigma DP2 Merrill

45mm f/2.8 equivalent lens on APS-C sensor..

  1. Examples (DP2M, San Francisco)
  2. Examples (DP2M, Tulips)
  3. Aperture Series DP2 Merrill (Dolls)
  4. Aperture Series: Mosaic
  5. Aperture Series DP2 Merrill (Pellegrino Bottles)
  6. Aperture Series DP2 Merrill (Dead Aspen, Live Aspen)

Sigma DP3 Merrill

75mm f/2.8 equivalent lens on APS-C sensor..

  1. Examples (DP3M, Tulips)
  2. Examples (DP3M, Around The Neighborhood)
  3. Examples (DP3M, White Mountains)
  4. Aperture Series DP3 Merrill (Tulips)
  5. Aperture Series DP3 Merrill (Mosaic)
  6. Aperture Series DP3 Merrill (Boulder with Forked Stick)

Sigma DP-2 with Foveon X3 sensor

[Archive] Sigma DP-2 with the amazing Foveon X3 sensor (original, LOW RES camera, not a Merrill)..

  1. Main Page

Leica M10-R

Leica M 40 Megapixels..

  1. Overview of Leica M10-R
  2. Leica M10 Monochrom vs Leica M10-R: Snowy Mountainside

Leica M10 Monochrom

Leica M 40 megapixel monochrome sensor..

  1. Infrared with Leica M10 Monochrom
  2. Examples: Eureka Dunes on the Winter Solstice
  3. Leica M10 Monochrom vs Leica M10-R: Snowy Mountainside

Leica M10

Leica M mount in slim body with SL-type sensor..

  1. Leica M10 Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) Issues
  2. Leica M10: Moiré Can be a Serious Problem
  3. Examples: Dana Lakes, Part 2: At the Dana Lakes

Leica M Typ 240 Usability Issues

Specific issues affecting usability..

  1. Usability: EVF in Use

Leica M Typ 240 In Use

Overall design and behavior..

  1. New Game: Leica M240 + 50/0.95 Noctilux
  2. Noise and ISO: Leica M Typ 240 vs Leica M9P

Leica M Typ 240 Compared To Full Frame Cameras

Relative sharpness and performance across cameras..

  1. M240 vs M9P (21/3.4 Super-Elmar-M, Glacial Erratics)
  2. M240 vs M9 (24/3.8 Elmar-M, Propane Tank)
  3. M240 vs M9P (24/3.8 Elmar-M, Glacial Erratics)
  4. M240 + 50/2 APO ASPH vs Nikon D800E + Zeiss 50/2 Makro-Planar
  5. M240 FF vs Sony A6000 APS-C (Pellegrino)
  6. M240 + 35/1.4 Summilux vs Sony RX1R (Green Machine)
  7. M240 vs Sony RX1: Usability and Function

Leica M Typ 240 Compared To APS-C Cameras

Relative sharpness and performance vs APS-C cameras..

  1. M240 at 28mm vs Sigma DP1 Merrill: Native Resolution
  2. M240 at 28mm vs Sigma DP1 Merrill: Matched Resolution
  3. M240 at 28mm vs Sigma DP1 Merrill: Downsampled Resolution
  4. M240 + 50/2 APO ASPH vs Sigma DP2 Merrill
  5. M240 + 50/2 APO ASPH vs Sigma DP2 Merrill (Bottles)
  6. M240 + 50/2 APO ASPH vs Nikon D7100 + Sigma 35/1.4 DG HSM A

Leica M Monochrom (original)

Ultimate resolution in black and white..

  1. Filters for Black and White
  2. Leica M Monochrome: Filters and Focus Error / Sharpness
  3. Noise vs Nikon D800E

Leica M Monochrom Typ 246

24-megapixel CMOS monochrome sensor..

  1. Examples: Just How Sharp is the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246?
  2. Compared: Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 vs Canon 5DS R (Old Map)

Leica M Monochrom In the Field

Field shooting the Leica MM, and comparisons..

  1. Examples: Initial
  2. Leica MM vs Nikon D800E (Dolls, Downsampled)
  3. Leica MM vs Sigma DP1 Merrill (Dolls)

Leica Q (Typ 116)

24-megapixel fixed lens compact full-frame..

  1. Leica Q: Extreme Barrel Distortion Degrades Sharpness, Reduces True Resolution, Decreases Field of View
  2. Aperture Series: Dolls at Near-Macro Range
  3. Examples: Climbing Mt Dana
  4. Conclusions

Leica Q2

47-megapixel fixed lens compact full-frame..

  1. Overview of Leica Q2
  2. Examples: Initial Evaluation Around the House

M9: User’s Guide and Review

High resolution digital rangefinder.

  1. M9 Conclusions

M9: Focusing with the Rangefinder

Focusing issue.

  1. Rangefinder Focus Error With Leica M9 and Zeiss ZM Lenses

Considerations in choosing a lens.

Focal lengths, color, weight and travel considerations. [relevant, but dated/old material].

  1. Analysis of 35mm Lens Choices

Leica 16-18-21mm f/4 Tri-Elmar-M ASPH

Leica’s ultra wide angle zoom lens..

  1. MTF: 16-18-21/4 Tri-Elmar-M ASPH
  2. MTF vs 18/3.8
  3. MTF vs 21/3.4
  4. Aperture Series, 16mm: Cattle Chute at Sunset (M240)

Leica 18mm f/3.8 Super-Elmar-M ASPH

Leica’s widest prime lens..

  1. MTF: 18/3.8 Super-Elmar-M ASPH
  2. Examples: Saddlebag Lake (Leica M10)
  3. Examples: 18/3.8 Super-Elmar-M ASPH
  4. vs 16/18/21mm f/4 Tri-Elmar: Pescadero Creek (M240)
  5. Aperture Series: Backlit Cottonwood at DeChambeau Ranch (M240)
  6. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn at DeChambeau Ranch (M240)
  7. Aperture Series: Aspen Sunstar (M240)
  8. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin Exterior (M240)
  9. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Panasonic S1R)
  10. Aperture Series: Setting Sunstar Over Snowy Beaver Pond (Leica M10-R)
  11. Sensor Cover Glass: Stock vs Kolarivision Modified Sony A7R (Mosaic)

Leica 21mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

Leica’s fastest and widest lens..

  1. MTF: 21/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  2. Comparison: Leica 21/1.4 Summilux-M vs Zeiss 21/2.8 Distagon on D3x
  3. Examples: Leica 21/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  4. Examples: Leica 21/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (Bristlecones)
  5. Comparison: Leica 21/1.4 vs Leica 21/3.4 (Interior)
  6. Comparison: Leica 21/1.4 vs Leica 21/3.4 (Rockfall)
  7. Comparison: Leica 21/1.4 vs Leica 21/3.4 (Water Tank)
  8. Comparison: Leica 21/1.4 vs Leica 21/3.4 (Ashford Mill)

Leica 21mm f/3.4 Super-Elmar-M ASPH

Leica’s best-performing 21mm..

  1. MTF: 21mm f/3.4 Super-Elmar-M ASPH
  2. Aperture Series: Cottonwood (M9)
  3. Aperture Series: Rancher’s Cabin Exterior (M9)
  4. Aperture Series: Barcroft Green Machine (M240)
  5. Aperture Series: Barcroft Building Rear (M240)
  6. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek (Sony A7R)
  7. Leica 21/3.4 vs Zeiss ZM 21/2.8 (M240, Picnic Table)
  8. Examples: Silver Canyon Contrasts (M9)
  9. Examples: Snow Biking in Cottonwood Canyon (M9)
  10. Examples: White Mountains Snow Day (M9)
  11. Sensor Cover Glass: Stock vs Kolarivision Modified Sony A7R (Mosaic)

Leica 24mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

Leica’s fast wide angle..

  1. MTF: 24mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  2. Examples: Yosemite and White Mountains (M9)
  3. 24/1.4 vs 24/3.8 (M240, Frontlit Bristlecones)

Leica 24mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH

A discontinued but excellent 24mm..

  1. Notes: 24mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH
  2. MTF: 24mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH

Leica 24mm f/3.8 Elmar-M ASPH

Leica’s best-performing 24mm, and with a flat field..

  1. MTF: 24mm f/3.8 Elmar-M ASPH
  2. Examples: Leica 24mm f/3.8 Elmar-M ASPH (Yosemite)
  3. Field Curvature: Leica 24/3.8 Elmar-M ASPH vs 24/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH
  4. Examples: Eureka Dunes on the Winter Solstice
  5. Aperture Series: Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney Sunrise from Alabama Hills
  6. Aperture Series: Ancient Tree Trunk at Lone Pine Lake
  7. Aperture Series: Cabin #9 Exterior
  8. Aperture Series: Yellow Wagon at DeChambeau Ranch (M240)
  9. Aperture Series: DeChambeau Ranch House (M240)
  10. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin Exterior (M240)
  11. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek (Sony A7R)
  12. Sensor Cover Glass: Stock vs Kolarivision Modified Sony A7R (Mosaic)
  13. Aperture Series: Black Pumice on Sand Moonscape (Leica M10 Monochrom)
  14. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills Boulders to Mt Whitney Range (Leica M10 Monochrom)
  15. Aperture Series: Sunstar Over as yet Unfrozen Beaver Pond (Leica M10 Monochrom)

Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

Leica’s fast 28mm..

  1. MTF for Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  2. Aperture Series: Church At Night (M240)
  3. Aperture Series: Inner Quad, From Under the Oaks (M240)
  4. Aperture Series: Backlit Snowy Meadow (Leica M10 Monochrome)
  5. Aperture Series: Waning Sun on Aspen Winter Wonderland, Lundy Canyon (Leica M10M)
  6. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills to Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney (Leica M10-R)

Leica 28mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH (pre-2016)

Leica’s widest lens utilizing built-in frame lines..

  1. Notes: 28mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH
  2. MTF: 28mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH
  3. Examples: Portraits (Panasonic S1R)
  4. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Leica M9)
  5. Examples: Death Valley (Leica M9)
  6. Compared: 28/2 Summicron vs 28/2.8 Elmarit (M9P, Cabin Exterior)
  7. Compared: 28/2 Summicron vs 28/2.8 Elmarit (M9, Death Valley, Leadville)
  8. 28/2.8 vs 28/2 Death Valley Water Tank (M9P)
  9. Aperture Series: vs 28/2.8 Pescadero Creek (Sony A7R)

Leica 28mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH (2016)

Tweaked 2016 redesign..

  1. Overview of 28mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH (2016)
  2. MTF
  3. Focus Shift Evaluation at MOD (Dolls, M240)
  4. Focusing Behavior in Live View vs Predecessor

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH (2016)

Tweaked 2016 redesign of Leica’s petite performer..

  1. MTF

Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH (pre-2016)

Leica’s smallest and lightest M lens with superlative performance..

  1. MTF: 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH
  2. Examples: Environmental and Outdoors

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (2010 FLE)

Leica’s superlative and most natural lens for the M..

  1. MTF: Summilux-M 35mm /1.4 ASPH (2010 FLE)
  2. MTF: Prior version vs 2010 Summilux-M 35mm /1.4 ASPH
  3. Aperture Series: 35/1.4 — Tile Rooftops Aerial
  4. Aperture Series: 35/1.4 — Tile Rooftops Aerial (NEX7)
  5. Aperture Series: 35/1.4 — Glacial Erratics (M240)
  6. Assessing Field Curvature— Green Paint (M240)
  7. Examples: Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (Yosemite)
  8. Compared: 35mm f/1.4 Summilux vs 35/2 Summicron vs Zeiss 35/2 Biogon (M9P, Cabin Sink)
  9. Compared: 35mm f/1.4 Summilux vs 35/2 Summicron vs Zeiss 35/2 Biogon (M9P, Cabin Exterior)
  10. Compared: vs Zeiss ZM 35/2 and Sony 35/2.8 (Sony A7R, Red Barn)

Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH

Leica’s f/2 35mm for the M..

  1. MTF: 35mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH
  2. Comparison 3: Bitingly-sharp Zeiss 35/2 Biogon vs Leica 35/2 Summicron

Leica 35mm f/2.5 Summarit-M

Leica’s Budget 35mm lens..

  1. MTF: 35mm f/2.5 Summarit-M

Leica M 50mm Lenses

Six models to choose from..

  1. 50mm 4-way Comparison (M240, Wagon)
  2. 50mm 4-way Comparison (M240, Fruit Platter)
  3. 50mm 4-way Comparison (M240, Pellegrino Bottles)
  4. Compared: Noctilux, Summilux, APO-Summicron, Zeiss Planar (M240, Bristlecone)
  5. Compared: Noctilux, Summilux, APO-Summicron, Zeiss Planar (M240, Tioga Cabin #9 Chair)
  6. Compared: Noctilux, Summilux, APO-Summicron (M240, Wyman Canyon Cabin)
  7. Compared: Noctilux, Summilux, APO-Summicron (M240, Green Paint Bldg)
  8. 50/2 APO vs Noctilux (M240, Dana Meadow / Kuna Peaks)
  9. 50/2 APO vs Noctilux (M240, Orange-Bark Pine Tree)
  10. Shootout (Aerial): Leica 50/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH vs 50/0.95 Noctilux-M ASPH
  11. Sony A7R: Noctilux, Summilux, APO Summicron, Zeiss 50/2 Planar (Red Barn)
  12. Ray Angle and Rangfinder Lenses: Leica 50/2 APO vs Zeiss 50/2 Planar (Wyman Cabin, Sony A7R)
  13. Noctilux vs Summilux vs Nikon 50/1.2 (M240, DeChambeau Barn)

Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux-M ASPH

World’s fastest 50mm full-frame lens..

  1. MTF: 50/0.95 Leica Noctilux-M ASPH
  2. Field Curvature: 50/0.95 Noctilux-M ASPH
  3. Leica 50/2 Summicron vs Leica 50/0.95 Noctilux
  4. Examples: 50/0.95 Noctilux (Yosemite)
  5. Examples: 50/0.95 Noctilux (Wide Aperture Landscapes)

50/0.95 Noctilux Rendering Style

Understanding the Rendering Style of the Noctilux..

  1. Aperture Series: Green Aspen Trunk (M240)
  2. Aperture Series: Shaded Forest at Sunrise (M240)
  3. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek (M240)

Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

Leica’s superlative normal lens..

  1. MTF: 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH
  2. Examples: 501.4 Summilux-M (Variety)
  3. Examples: 50/1.4 Summilux-M (White Mountains)
  4. Examples: Portraits (Panasonic S1R)

Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH

The world’s best 50mm lens is outstanding, but with some limits..

  1. Notes: 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH
  2. MTF: 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH
  3. Examples: Yosemite Erratics and Granite (M240)
  4. Examples, Various (M240, White Mountains)
  5. Focus Shift with the 50/2 APO ASPH (Dolls)
  6. Focus Shift with the 50/2 APO ASPH (Pellegrino Bottles)
  7. Bokeh (M240)
  8. Skewed Plane of Focus
  9. Aperture Series: Church Mosaic and Lens Skew (M240)
  10. Focus Shift with Color Filters on Leica M Monochrom
  11. Aperture Series: Dana Meadow Kuna Peak (M240)
  12. Aperture Series: Tuolumne River (M240)
  13. Aperture Series: Church Mosaic (Sony A7R)
  14. Sensor Cover Glass: Stock vs Kolarivision Modified Sony A7R (Mosaic)
  15. Aperture Series: Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney Sunrise from Alabama Hills (Leica M10-R)
  16. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills to Mt Whitney Range (Leica M10-R)

Leica 50mm f/2 APO Flare

Ghosting and veiling and ring flare pre/post production fix..

  1. Leica 50/2 APO ASPH Flare (Leica M10-R, Dec 2020)

Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron-M

Leica’s compact low-distortion normal lens..

  1. MTF: 50/2 Summicron-M
  2. Examples: 50/2 Summicron Aperture Series (Golden Gate)

Leica 50mm f/2.5 Summarit-M

Leica’s Budget 50mm lens..

  1. MTF: 50mm f/2.5 Summarit-M

Leica 75mm f/1.25 Noctilux-M ASPH

Leica’s ultra high grade and ultra fast modern short telephoto..

  1. MTF

Leica 75mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH

Leica’s medium tele for Leica M..

  1. MTF: 75mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH
  2. Aperture Series: Two Aspen (M240)
  3. Aperture Series: Grassy Log Waterfall (M240)
  4. Aperture Series: DeChambeau Yellow Trailer (M240)
  5. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek Redwoods (Sony A7R)

Leica 75mm f/2.4 (2.5) Summarit-M

Leica’s budget 75mm medium telephoto..

  1. MTF: 75mm f/2.4 (2.5) Summarit-M
  2. Aperture Series: Mining Camp Bunkhouse (M240)
  3. Aperture Series: Green Barn (M240)
  4. Aperture Series: Green Shed (M240)
  5. Aperture Series: Mining Camp Church (M240)

Leica 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH

Leica’s longer tele for Leica M..

  1. MTF: 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH
  2. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills to Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney (Leica M10M)

Leica 90mm f/2.2 Thambar-M

Leica’s retro telephoto..

  1. Leica 90mm f/2.2 Thambar-M, MTF

Leica 90mm f/2.4 (2.5) Summarit-M

Leica’s compact 90mm for the M..

  1. Notes: 90mm f/2.4 (2.5) Leica Summarit-M
  2. MTF: 90mm f/2.4 (2.5) Summarit-M
  3. Aperture Series: Branches Over Creek (M240)
  4. Examples 90/2.5 Summarit-M: Backyard
  5. 90/2.4 Summarit vs 90/2 APO-Summicron: Green Lichen Barn Exterior (M240)
  6. 90/2.4 Summarit vs 90/2 APO-Summicron: Pescadero Creek Grass and Moss (M240)

Leica 90mm f/4 Macro-Elmar-M

Diminutive telephoto and macro lens..

  1. MTF
  2. Aperture Series: Lincoln Electric Clock Lamp

Leica 135mm f/3.4 APO-Telyt-M

Leica’s longest M lens..

  1. MTF: 135mm f/3.4 APO-Telyt-M

Shooting Leica R Lenses on Leica M

General discussion of R lenses on M..

  1. Mitigating Vibration Caused by the M240 Shutter

Leica 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-R ASPH

Compact lens for portraiture or similar..

  1. MTF: 90/2 APO-Summicron-R ASPH
  2. 90/2 APO vs 100/2.8 APO-Macro: Barcroft Blue Building (M240)
  3. Aperture Series: Electrical Substation (M240)
  4. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills to Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney (Leica M10M)
  5. Shootout vs 90/4 Macro and SL 24-90mm: Cerro Gordo Mining Museum

Leica 100mm f/2.8 APO-Macro-Elmarit-R

Superb all-around macro and general-purpose lens..

  1. MTF: 100/2.8 APO-Macro-Elmarit-R
  2. Aperture Series: Electrical Substation (M240)
  3. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills to Mt Whitney Drainage (Leica M10M)

Leica 180mm f/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R

World’s best mid-range telephoto lens..

  1. MTF: 180mm f/2.8 APO-Elmarit-R
  2. vs Sigma 180/2.8 APO and Voigtlander 180/4 APO (D800E, Dolls)
  3. vs Sigma 150/2.8 APO, 180/2.8 APO, Voigtlander 180/4 APO, Nikon 70-200 VR2 (D800E, Rulers)

Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R

Compact and ultra high performance long telephoto..

  1. MTF: 280/4 APO-Telyt-R
  2. Examples: White Mountains

Zeiss ZM 15mm f/2.8 Distagon

Notes and examples..

  1. MTF: 15mm f/2.8 Distagon
  2. Examples: Night, Creek, Buildings

Zeiss ZM 18mm f/4 Distagon

Compact high performance, ultra low distortion..

  1. MTF: Zeiss ZM 18/4 Distagon

Zeiss ZM 21mm f/2.8 Biogon

Moderate speed high contrast ultra-wide..

  1. MTF: Zeiss ZM 21/2.8 Biogon

Zeiss ZM 21mm f/4.5 C-Biogon

Zero distortion ultra-wide..

  1. MTF: Zeiss ZM 21mm f/4.5 C-Biogon
  2. Sensor Cover Glass: Stock vs Kolarivision Modified Sony A7R (Mosaic)

Zeiss ZM 25mm f/2.8 Biogon

Compact wide angle with brilliant contrast..

  1. MTF: Zeiss ZM 25mm f/2.8 Biogon
  2. Examples: Zeiss 25/2.8 Biogon (Alpine Creek)
  3. Examples: Zeiss 25/2.8 Biogon (Forest, NEX-7)

Zeiss ZM 28mm f/2.8 C-Biogon

Compact wide angle..

  1. MTF: Zeiss ZM 28mm f/2.8 C-Biogon

Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon

Fast and ultra high performance moderate wide angle rangefinder lens..

  1. MTF for Zeiss ZM 35/1.4 Distagon
  2. MTF on Mirrorless Cameras
  3. Field Curvature for Zeiss ZM 35/1.4 Distagon
  4. Examples at ƒ/1.4 in Eastern Sierra and White Mountains (M240)
  5. Examples at ƒ/1.4 in Eastern Sierra and White Mountains continued (M240)
  6. Examples: Quaking Aspen Variety (M240)
  7. Examples: Portraits (Panasonic S1R)
  8. Aperture Series: Walkway through Grass at Night (Panasonic S1R)
  9. Aperture Series: Moots MTB by Creek in Forest (Panasonic S1R)
  10. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Panasonic S1R)
  11. Aperture Series: Locomotive at Laws Railroad Museum (Nikon Z7)
  12. Aperture Series: Old Mining Engine (Nikon Z7)
  13. Aperture Series: Redwoods and Ferns (M240)
  14. Aperture Series: Rotten Chair (M240)
  15. Aperture Series: Rocky Hillside (M240)
  16. Aperture Series: Exfoliating Granite and High Cloud Sun Drama (M240)
  17. Aperture Series: Granite Glacial Polish to Cloud’s Rest (M240)
  18. Aperture Series: Rusty Barn (M240)
  19. Aperture Series: Green Lichen on North Side of Barn (M240)
  20. 6-way Shootout: ZM 35/1.4 vs 35/2 and 35/2.8, Leica 35/1.4 and 35/2, Voigtlander 35/1.2 (Wyman Cabin, M240)
  21. 6-way Shootout: ZM 35/1.4 vs 35/2 and 35/2.8, Leica 35/1.4 and 35/2, Voigtlander 35/1.2 (Aspen Trunk, M240)
  22. 6-way Shootout: ZM 35/1.4 vs 35/2 and 35/2.8, Leica 35/1.4 and 35/2, Voigtlander 35/1.2 (Pine Creek Morning, M240)
  23. Aperture Series: Spotlight on Dark Side of Dunes Summit (Leica M10 Monochrom)
  24. Aperture Series: Frosty Creek to Snowy Mountainside, Lundy Canyon (Leica M10-R)
  25. Aperture Series: Animal Tracks near Snowy Creek, Lundy Canyon (Leica M10-R)
  26. Aperture Series: View Over Alabama Hills to Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney (Leica M10-R)

Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon on Leica SL

A star performer sets the standard on the SL..

  1. Zeiss ZM 35/1.4 Distagon vs Leica 24-90mm, Fresh June Snowfall on White Mountains (Leica SL)

Zeiss ZM 35mm f/2 Biogon

All around razor sharp performer..

  1. Notes: 35mm f/2 Zeiss ZM Biogon
  2. MTF for ZM 35mm f/2 Biogon
  3. Zeiss ZM 35/2 Biogon vs Leica 35/1.4 FLE (Dolls, Focus adjusted Biogon)

Zeiss ZM 35mm f/2.8 C-Biogon

Ultra compact high performance moderate wide angle rangefinder lens..

  1. MTF for ZM 35mm f/2.8 C-Biogon

Zeiss ZM 50mm f/2 Planar

Pleasing and relatively inexpensive normal lens.

  1. MTF: ZM 50mm f/2 Planar

Zeiss ZM 85mm f/2 Sonnar

Ultra high performance (discontinued).

  1. MTF for for ZM 85/2 Sonnar

Zeiss ZM 85mm f/4 Tele-Tessar

Compact high performance medium telephoto..

  1. MTF for for ZM 85/4 Tele-Tessar
  2. Aperture Series: Teak Bench at Dusk with Grass (M240)
  3. Aperture Series: Teak Bench at Dusk with Grass (Sony A7R)

Voigtlander Ultron 21mm f/1.8

Fast high performance wide angle..

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Canyon Lower Cabin Exterior (M240)
  2. Compared: vs Leica 21/3.4 SEM and Voigtlander 21/4 (M240, Wyman Cabin Interior)

Voigtlander M 50mm f/1.1

A slightly slower, but smaller and lighter alternative to the Noctilux, at 1/10 the price..

  1. Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.1 Image Quality Summary
  2. Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.1 — Field Curvature (Pond)
  3. Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.1 Examples

Processing DNG in Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)

Sharpening, etc..

  1. Sharpening Leica DNG and RAW Images

ALLVIEW Cameras

ARCHIVAL MATERIAL. Terrific backup bodies or even primary body for M-mount lenses..

  1. The Sony NEX-7
  2. Shootout: Leica M9 vs Sony NEX
  3. Ricoh GXR with A12 M Mount Unit

ALLVIEW— Any Lens Live View Camera

ARCHIVAL MATERIAL. Eliminating the camera body barrier— any kind of lens with Live View EVF and LCD, and especially Leica M-mount.
HISTORICAL, please see Guide to Mirrorless..

  1. The Future Belongs to the ALLVIEW Camera

Blog posts, reverse chronological

2021

2021-01-26 Sony A1 Reader Comments (4)

2021-01-26 Sony A1 Initial Impressions

2021-01-07 Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH Aperture Series: Lone Pine Peak and Mt Whitney Sunrise from Alabama Hills (Leica M10-R)

2020

2020-12-13 Leica M10 Monochrome: Filters and Focus Error / Sharpness

2020-12-07 Reader Comment: Mirrorless Camera Perhaps Nikon Z7 II to go with Nikon D850, Tempted by Sony A7R IV

2020-10-14 Nikon Z7 II Narrows the Gap with Last Year’s Cameras

2020-09-27 Evaluating Focus Shift with the Sigma FE 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

2020-09-11 Sigma FE 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art: Micro Contrast, Moiré, Color Aliasing with/without Pixel Shift and Distortion Correction

2020-09-11 Sigma FE 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art: Hideous Pincushion Distortion and Its Effects on Micro Contrast

2020-08-29 Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S: Assessing Sharpness Losses from Mandated Distortion Correction

2020-07-25 Reader Comments: Leica M10 monochrome

2020-07-21 Pancake Zoom: the Nikon Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3

2020-07-17 Leica M10-R and Leica M10 Monochrom: 40-Megapixel Sensor, but Nil New Design Thinking —  with essay by Roy P

2020-07-07 Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM: will it be the ultra wide zoom I’ve been hankering for?

2020-05-12 Apple Safari Web Browser Mangles Large Image on the Latest macOS 10.14.6 Mojave

2020-04-17 Reader Comment/Question: Image Stabilization and Sharpness, Monopod vs Tripod

2019

2019-12-30 Too-High Pixel Density on 5K and 8K Displays Impedes Image Assessment

2019-12-04 Attention all Camera Makers: 23.5 Things To Please Your Customers

2019-11-28 Need Advice/Help with Phase One Capture One Pro Sharpening Tools (UPDATE with reader comments)

2019-11-22 Making Sharp Images: Case Study: Major Sharpness Gains via Ideal Focus with Lenses having Peripheral Forward Field Curvature (Pine Creek High Peaks)

2019-11-15 Lloyd Buys the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art ($200 off promo code) and the Voigtlander FE 65mm f/2 Macro APO-Lanthar Aspherical

2019-10-06 Comparing Sony A7R IV to Sony A7R III Resolution: Pine Creek Mining Buildings

2019-10-04 You Won’t Believe Your Eyes... Zeiss Milvus 135mm f/2 Aperture Series on Nikon D850 Monochrome: Pine Creek Mining Buildings (up to 183 megapixels)

2019-10-04 Jaw-Dropping Sharpness with Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 Aperture Series on Nikon D850 Monochrome: Pine Creek Mining Buildings (up to 181 megapixels)

2019-10-01 Comparing Sony A7R IV to Sony A7R III Resolution: View Past Greenstone Lake to North Peak

2019-10-01 Comparing Sony A7R IV to Sony A7R III Resolution on a Siemens Chart

2019-09-23 Nikon D850 Monochrome Examples, Eastern Sierra

2019-09-19 Sony A7R IV vs Lens Quality Control (all brands), Actual Increase in Resolution over the Sony A7R III

2019-09-15 Demands on Lens Performance with the Sony A7R IV are More Pronounced than I had Anticipated

2019-09-02 Reader Question: Sigma 14-24mm F/2.8 DG DN Art for Sony Mirrorless

2019-09-01 First Look at the Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art: Lack Micro Contrast at f/1.2 and f/1.4

2019-08-30 Landscape Photographers Looking for Superior Results and Lowest Effort and Fewest Problems Go with Fujifilm GFX100, not Sony A7R IV

2019-08-23 Fujifilm GFX100 Sensor Stabilization (IBIS): Beware Destruction of Image Sharpness on a Tripod

2019-08-18 Some Fujifilm GFX100 Behaviors also Apply to the coming Sony 7R IV

2019-07-19 Sony A7R IV: Serious Doubts About Viability of Sony 16-Shot High-Res Mode for Field Use

2019-07-02 Reader Comment: How Much Resolution is Enough?

2019-06-29 Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 APO-Sonnar Aperture Series: Painted Rock (Multi-Shot High-Res Mode, Focus Shift)

2019-06-21 Nikon/Canon/Sony Image Quality SUCKS vs Multi-Shot High-Res Mode — Golden Age of Photography Makes me Gripe that Best Ever Cameras Could be Way Better!

2019-06-20 Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S Distortion at 14mm, 19.5mm, 30mm

2019-06-19 Announced: Hasselblad X1D-50C II, all-new Hasselblad CFV II 50C Digital Back and Hasselblad 907X

2019-05-26 Focus Shift, a General Discussion

2019-05-18 Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 APO-Sonnar at 187 Megapixels: Church Mosaic Straight-On (Panasonic S1R Multi-Shot High-Res Mode)

2019-05-18 Full MTF Series for Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4 APO-Sonnar

2019-05-12 Sharpness and Micro Contrast Losses from Mandatory Distortion Correction with the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S

2019-04-25 Thoughts on Ultra High Resolution Imagery with Multi-Shot High-Res Mode

2019-04-21 Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 50mm f/1.4: How Distortion Correction Affects Sharpness in both Single Shot and Multi Shot High Res Mode

2019-04-20 Leica 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Super-Vario-Elmar-SL ASPH: Assessing Distortion at 16mm, 25mm, 28mm, 35mm, plus MTF

2019-04-19 Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-SL ASPH: Sharpness Losses from Distortion Correction

2019-04-14 Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon Aperture Series: Moots MTB by Creek in Forest (Panasonic S1R)

2019-04-08 Panasonic S1R: More Examples of Multi-Shot High-Res Mode vs Standard Resolution

2019-04-08 Panasonic S1R Multi-Shot High-Res Mode: Evaluating How Diffraction Affects Captured Detail and Micro Contrast

2019-04-06 Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8: the Negative Sharpness and Micro Contrast Effects of Correcting nearly 3% Pincushion Distortion

2019-02-03 Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon Aperture Series: Old Mining Engine (Nikon Z7)

2018

2018-11-27 How Good is the Resolving Power of the Pentax K-1 Mark II versus a 100-Megapixel Medium Format Camera

2018-10-16 Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF Arrived, Testing it Soon

2018-10-09 Nikon Z7: Thin 1.1mm Sensor Cover Glass Gives Promise of using M-Mount Lenses with Good Performance

2018-10-09 Nikon Z7: Image Sharpness vs Zone of Focus, Autofocus Error and Mitigation

2018-10-03 Reader Comment: Panasonic S1R with L-Mount Might be the Holy Grail for Leica M Lenses

2018-09-27 Zeiss ZX1 Fixed-Lens Camera

2018-09-27 Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2: Data Sheets Continue to Omit Optical Distortion, Showing Only Corrected Distortion

2018-09-27 Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 Announced

2018-09-26 Leica S3 Medium Format: an Updated Dinosaur

2018-09-25 Sigma’s Fast New Art Lenses, Plus What Looks to be a 'Killer' 70-200mm f/2.8 Zoom

2018-09-07 MTF Services Unveils the First Lens Adapters for Nikon Z-Mount

2018-09-07 Expectations for Performance of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L: One of Many New Lenses in a Golden Age of Optics

2018-09-07 Expectations for Performance of the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L: Canon’s “Halo Lens” in a Golden Age of Optics

2018-09-07 Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 IS vs Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S: What Does the MTF Chart Tell Us?

2018-07-13 Three Sigma for Sony 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Aperture Series: Closed Flower Seedheads, Yellow Flower, Crooked Pine

2018-06-24 Leica 75mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH Aperture Series: Two Aspen

2018-05-25 Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

2018-05-25 Leica 75mm f/1.25 Noctilux-M ASPH

2018-02-14 New Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 Distagon

2018-01-28 Sony A7R III Pixel Shift: How Distortion Correction Affects Micro Contrast and Sharpness with Sony 24-105/4G OSS @ 24mm

2018-01-28 Sony A7R III Pixel Shift: How Distortion Correction Affects Micro Contrast and Sharpness with Sony 24-105/4G OSS @ 105mm

2018-01-13 Switched back to 2017 iMac 5K from iMac Pro 10-Core: iMac Pro a Net Losing Proposition for Me

2017

2017-12-16 Reader Comments: Sony A7R III

2017-12-04 New Article on Zeiss Lenspire Site: “Getting started with Focus Stacking – How to achieve more detailed images”

2017-11-07 Zeiss Milvus 25mm f/1.4: Optical Construction and Siemens Star MTF Analysis

2017-10-27 Nikon D850: 'Focus shift shooting' Feature Most Important Feature since Live View; Focus Stacking is the ONLY Solution to Full Resolution Images

2017-10-25 Sony Announces Sony Alpha A7R III

2017-10-18 Zeiss Milvus 25mm f/1.4: MTF, Distortion, Vignetting

2017-10-10 Nikon D850: 45 megapixels + Zeiss Milvus 35/1.4 + Focus Stacking Can Make Incredible Detailed Images.

2017-10-05 Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/1.4: Full MTF Series from f/1.4 through f/16

2017-10-01 Nikon D850: the Focusing Distance Issues Stem from a Sensor that is not Parallel to the Lens Mount (Nikon quality control issue)

2017-10-01 D850 vs D810 Sharpness: Pine Creek Forested Hillside

2017-08-29 New Article on Zeiss Lenspire Site: “Micro Contrast and the Zeiss 'Pop'”

2017-08-26 Nikon D850: Turning Those Old Slides and Negatives into Digital Images

2017-08-26 Nikon D850: High Resolution Tilting Rear LCD with Touchscreen

2017-08-23 Nikon Announces the D850, Commentary + Reader Comments

2017-08-11 Reader Comment: NEC PA302W Wide Gamut Professional Display

2017-07-24 The Logjam Breaks: Nikon Discusses the D850

2017-07-21 Sony A7R II Tripod Use: IBIS Damages Image Sharpness as it Always Has

2017-07-20 Leica M10: Moiré

2017-07-15 Reader Comment: Nikon 28mm f/1.4E ED, Fujifilm GF Focus Stability

2017-06-18 Reader Question: Camera/Lens Focus Calibration

2017-06-17 Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Aperture Series: American Hotel, Cerro Gordo (Nikon D810)

2017-06-12 Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM ArtAperture Series: Glass Sculpture (Nikon D810)

2017-06-12 Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Aperture Series: Hotel Cerro Gordo, Deep Dusk (Nikon D810)

2017-06-10 Dell UltraSharp 32 Ultra HD 8K Display is Shipping, Dec 2017 iMac Pro Already Behind the Curve

2017-05-23 Too-High Pixel Density on 5K and 8K Displays Impedes Image Assessment

2017-05-17 Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G

2017-05-03 Reader Question: Adapting Medium Format Lenses to the Fujifilm GFX

2017-05-03 Fujifilm GFX Sensor Cover Glass Thickness?

2017-05-01 Reader Comments on Adapting 35mm Lenses to the Fujifilm GFX

2017-04-15 Reader Question: Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 for Sony Mirrorless

2017-03-25 Hasselblad X1D Highlight Discrimination and Nuanced Detail Example: Mission Mural

2017-02-25 MTF for Fujifilm GFX GF Lenses

2017-02-25 Fujifilm GFX 50s: Shooting with Different Aspect Ratios

2017-02-02 Sigma sd Quattro-H: Shoots X3F as Usual, or DNG With a Huge Size Penalty

2017-01-27 Is Leica a Credible Player?

2017-01-18 Leica M10: Inertial Design

2017-01-18 Fujifilm GFX 50 Megapixel Medium Format Announced: Hi-Res Display Wonder (EVF, Rear LCD, Top Panel)

2017-01-07 Too-High Pixel Density on 5K and 8K Displays Impedes Image Assessment

2017-01-07 Fabulous Synergy: Olympus E-M1 Mark II + Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.2 Nocticron, Examples from the Las Vegas Strip

2016

2016-12-15 Sigma sd Quattro H Due in Mid January

2016-12-08 Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8: Full MTF Series from f/2.8 through f/16

2016-12-08 Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4 MTF Series from f/2.4 to f/16

2016-12-04 Nikon 19mm f/4E ED PC-E Dual Aperture Series: Evaluating Sharpness at 12mm Shift (Mosaic, Nikon D810)

2016-12-04 Nikon 19mm f/4E ED PC-E Aperture Series: Evaluating Sharpness at 12mm Shift Along the Short Axis (Mosaic, Nikon D810)

2016-11-20 3-Way Shootout: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art vs Zeiss Milvus 85/1.4 vs Nikon 85/1.4G (Lundy Beaver Ponds, Nikon D810)

2016-11-10 Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Arriving Friday for Testing

2016-11-07 MTF for the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

2016-11-01 Approaching Potential Sensor Resolution: Focus Stacking at 50 Megapixels (Lundy Beaver Pond, Canon 5Ds R)

2016-10-29 Approaching Potential Sensor Resolution: Focus Stacking at 50 Megapixels (Spotted Boulder, Canon 5Ds R)

2016-10-18 Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III

2016-10-09 Sigma dp0 and dp1 Quattro: Razor Sharp Detail

2016-09-23 ISO Shootout: Canon 5D Mark IV vs Canon 5DS R (Dolls)

2016-09-19 Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art in Nikon, Canon, Sigma SA Mount

2016-09-19 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II: Major Improvements and New Features

2016-09-15 Zeiss Announces Loxia 85mm f/2.4 for Sony Mirrorless

2016-09-12 Canon 5D Mark IV Soon

2016-09-08 Zeiss Announces ALL NEW Milvus 18mm f/2.8 for Nikon and Canon DSLRs

2016-08-25 Sony A7R II IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) Destroys Sharpness on a Tripod

2016-07-21 Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon Aperture Series: DeChambeau Barn (Leica SL)

2016-07-15 Depth of field and Sharpness: Conventional Thinking is Unrealistic Going Forward, Focus Stacking is One Solution

2016-07-11 NEW Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA for Sony Mirrorless

2016-07-07 iPhone Panoramas In Depth: Shooting & Post Processing Tips, Numerous Examples up to 11K Resolution

2016-05-15 Pentax K1 Super Resolution Mode has Color Problems, Definitely an Adobe Camera Raw BUG — 3rd Example With 'Push'

2016-05-13 Pentax K1 Super Resolution Mode: SuperRes Mode Ends Moiré

2016-05-13 Pentax K1 Super Resolution Mode: In-Depth Comparison to StdRes Mode (Dolls)

2016-05-13 Pentax K1 Super Resolution Mode has Color Problems, Definitely an Adobe Camera Raw BUG — 2nd Example

2016-05-12 Pentax K1: Super Resolution Pixel Shift Mode at Night (30 sec X 4) — Artifacting Analyzed

2016-05-12 Pentax K1 Super Resolution Mode has Color Problems, Definitely an Adobe Camera Raw BUG

2016-04-24 Rumors of High Megapixels True or Not, Oversampling for Image Quality Makes Sense: 109 Megapixel Tulips via Sony RX100

2016-04-14 Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon: MTF Can Be Better than the MTF Charts Show

2016-04-12 High-ISO Shootout: Nikon D5 vs Nikon D810, ISO 1600 to ISO 51200

2016-04-05 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Powerhouse

2016-02-26 Pentax K3 II: SuperResolution Pixel Shift Mode vs StdRes: Tarnished Silver Dragonfly Pitcher

2016-02-26 Pentax K3 II: SuperResolution Pixel Shift Mode vs StdRes: Carved Stone Box

2016-02-25 Reader Comment on Pentax K3 II Super Resolution Mode: “Museum Artifact Work”

2016-02-25 Pentax K3 II: SuperResolution Pixel Shift Mode vs StdRes on Artifacts: Buffalo Coin and Engraved Letter Opener

2016-02-24 Pentax K3 II: SuperResolution Pixel Shift Mode vs StdRes with Saturated Red and Blue Fabric (Cycling Jersey)

2016-02-24 Pentax K3 II: Evaluating SuperResolution Pixel Shift Mode vs StdRes with Color and Texture

2016-02-23 Pentax K3 II: Evaluating SuperResolution Pixel Shift Mode with Zeiss Siemens Star Chart

2016-02-23 Pentax K3 II in SuperResolution Pixel Shift Mode: Checkerboard Effect

2016-02-21 Pentax K1: Super Resolution Mode Appears to be Best DSLR Quality Yet

2016-02-19 State of the Camera Market: “What If...”

2016-02-19 Pentax K1 Super Resolution File Format Details

2016-02-18 Pentax K1 Super Resolution Pixel Shift Mode

2016-02-17 Pentax K1: 36 Megapixels with Image Stabilization and Super Resolution Mode

2016-02-04 Sony Diffraction-Free Computed (not measured) Fantasy MTF Charts

2016-01-29 Leica Data Sheet for MTF of Leica 28mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH Error

2016-01-22 Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 on Sony A7S II Aperture Series: Blue Dusk Settles on Snowy Lundy Canyon

2016-01-16 More Thoughts on 4K Video + Good 4K is Better than a Movie Theatre

2015

2015-12-06 Examples: Rokinon FE 12mm f/2.8 Fisheye on Sony A7R II

2015-10-27 Kolarivision-Modified Sony A7R II vs Leica M240: What are the Real Gains?

2015-10-22 The Irrational Aim of f/1.4 Lenses

2015-10-21 Impressions of 4K Television

2015-10-14 Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon MTF

2015-09-11 Understanding the new Zeiss Milvus Lineup

2015-09-11 Complete MTF for Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 and Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 MTF

2015-09-03 Kolarivision Sony A7R II with Leica M Lenses: Coming Soon

2015-08-23 Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 Sonnar Aperture Series: Yellow Flowers by Waterfall (Sony A7R II)

2015-08-09 Sony 90mm f/2.8: Bad Sample (NOW WITH EXAMPLES)

2015-08-08 Sony A7R II: Assessing Dynamic Range on a Scene that Exceeds the Camera’s Ability

2015-07-30 Leica 100mm f/2 Summicron-S ASPH: MTF Analysis

2015-07-06 Canon 5DS R: Corrections for Color Fringing More Important than at Lower Resolution

2015-07-04 Canon 5DS / 5DS R: mRAW is at Variance with Full-Resolution RAW in Several Ways

2015-07-01 Nikon Announces 2 New Super Telephotos

2015-06-21 Shootout: Canon 5DS R vs Canon 5DS vs Canon 5D Mark III vs Nikon D810 (Old Map)

2015-06-21 Canon 5DS R: new King of DSLR Resolution

2015-06-21 Canon 5DS R is a Sharper and More Versatile Monochrome Camera than Leica M Monochrom Typ 246

2015-06-20 Canon 5DS R: Resolving Power vs Canon 5DS and Canon 5D Mark III

2015-06-18 Sigma Announces World’s First Full-Frame f/2 Zoom for Canon, Nikon, Sigma Mounts: 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art

2015-06-17 Compared: Canon 5DS R vs Canon 5D Mark III (Sharpness, Mosaic)

2015-06-17 Canon 5DS R: Sharpness, Noise, Monochrome Potential

2015-06-16 Canon 5DS R: Sharpness, Noise, Monochrome Potential

2015-06-15 Reader Comment: Portraits and Sharpness and Skin Tones with Sony A7, A7R, A7R II

2015-06-12 Evaluated: “Sony, Fix These Things and Win” aka How Does the Sony A7R II Stack Up?

2015-06-12 Canon 5DS R Expected Soon: What About Lenses and Sharpness?

2015-06-10 Announced: Sony RX10 Mark II, Sony RX100 Mark IV

2015-06-10 Announced: Sony A7R II with 42-Megapixel sensor, In-Body-Image-Stabilization, 4K Video

2015-06-07 Leica M Monochrom Typ 246: Amazing Sharpness (examples)

2015-06-06 Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 and 85mm f/1.8: Snowstorm in the Hoover Wilderness Examples/Narrative

2015-05-26 Sony FE 28mm f/2: Strong Distortion and How Correcting it Damages Sharpness

2015-05-24 Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 Sonnar Caution: Sony SteadyShot Destroys Sharpness on a Tripod

2015-05-22 Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH Initial Coverage and Comments

2015-05-19 Sony FE 28mm f/2: Assessing Focus Shift and Color Correction and Sharpness at Close Range (Dolls, Sony A7R)

2015-05-17 $200 off the True 4K LG 31MU97

2015-05-07 Leica 24-Megapixel Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 Starts Shipping

2015-04-29 Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 Sonnar: MTF Series from f/1.8 - f/16 + Distortion

2015-04-29 Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 Distagon: MTF Series from f/2 - f/16 + Distortion

2015-04-22 Pentax K3 II: Out-Innovating Nikon and Canon

2015-04-04 Choosing Image Resolution and Scaling, Series and A/B Comparison for Images at diglloyd.com

2015-04-01 Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD: Image Stabilization Aperture Series on Tripod, Showing Sharpness Damage

2015-03-27 Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, MTF

2015-03-27 Nikon and Canon: Catatonic?

2015-03-25 Olympus OMD E-M5 Mark II: Hi-Res Sensor Shift Mode vs Standard-res, NOISE Compared

2015-03-20 Olympus OMD E-M5 Mark II: Just How Good is the Hi-Res Sensor Shift Mode?

2015-03-02 Arrived: Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Zoom

2015-02-27 Sharper Images by Technique and Shot Discipline

2015-02-09 Sigma Announces dp0 Quattro with 21mm (equiv) Field of View

2014

2014-12-03 NEC PA322UHD 32-Inch Professional UltraHD 4K is Here

2014-11-21 An Interview with Ming Thein on His High-Definition Ultraprint

2014-11-02 Readers Inquire About LG 31MU97 31-inch 4K Display

2014-11-02 Photoshop and GPU: Blurry Image Scaling

2014-10-08 Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 APO-Planar: Full MTF Series from f/1.4 - f/16

2014-09-16 Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon for Leica M: Best 35mm M Lens Yet?

2014-09-11 Sigma announces dp1 Quattro with 28mm (equiv) Wide Angle Lens

2014-09-03 Zeiss Loxia MTF Discussion

2014-08-01 Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7 DG Summilux ASPH: Focus Shift Study

2014-07-06 Sharpness Fans, Your Ship Has Come In: Sigma dp2 Quattro Aperture Series 'Mosaic'

2014-07-01 The Effect of Focus Shift on Image Sharpness

2014-06-25 Nikon Announces D810

2014-05-21 Sigma dp Quattro Sensor Spectral Sensitivity for True-Color Images with Full Spatial Resolution

2014-05-20 EVF and Sensor Resolution: Higher is So Much Better for Critical Focus

2014-05-13 My Most Important Publication: Making Sharp Images

2014-04-30 Wide Aperture and Sharpness Workshop with Zeiss APO Lenses For Participants

2014-04-25 Arrived: Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8M for Sony NEX, Fujifilm X (and Sony A7 / A7R)

2014-04-24 Leica T System: Quick Comments

2014-04-18 Consistent Focusing Accuracy Requires a High-Resolution EVF: Leica M vs Sony

2014-04-16 Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8M for Sony NEX, Fujifilm X (and Sony A7 / A7R)

2014-04-14 Reader Comment: Sony A7s

2014-04-14 Pentax 645Z 51-Megapixel Medium Format DSLR, 13 Pentax Lenses Now Avail in USA

2014-04-10 Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM 'Art' (for Canon, Nikon, etc)

2014-03-26 Leica 16-18-21mm f/4 Tri-Elmar-M ASPH: Field of View, Distortion, MTF

2014-03-07 Leica 28m f/2 Summicron-M ASPH Aperture Series: Sharpness, examples

2014-03-01 Sigma DP1 Merrill: Class Leading Sharpness (Green Brick Summit Building)

2014-02-14 Arrived for Testing: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G FX

2014-02-04 Leica M Typ 240: Support for the Higher Resolution VF-4 EVF Not Feasible

2014-01-31 Sigma DP Merrill: Readers Respond

2014-01-22 Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM 'Art' (for Canon, Nikon, etc)

2014-01-13 Mitigating A7R Micro Contrast Diffraction Losses with Sharpening

2014-01-07 Nikon 35mm f/1.8G FX

2014-01-06 Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM 'Art' (for Canon, Nikon, etc)

2013

2013-11-22 Pixel for Pixel, *Nothing* Beats a Sigma DP Merrill

2013-10-25 Leica M240: Shutter Vibration Appears to Damage Image Sharpness

2013-10-13 Sony Full-Frame NEX A7r: Rangefinder Lenses, Telecentric Design

2013-10-08 MTF of Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon Wide Open

2013-09-04 NEC PA302W LED-Backlit 30-Inch Wide Gamut Display

2013-08-05 Which Camera for the Backcountry? Sony RX1, X100, Ricoh GR, Sigma DP Merrill, Leica X Vario?

2013-08-03 Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH: Field Curvature and Focus Shift on a Planar Subject

2013-08-01 Field Curvature of the Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon with Focus Bracketing

2013-07-26 Making Sharp Images new page: Flange to Sensor Alignment, Fantasy Land MTF

2013-07-25 MTF vs Field Curvature and Tips for Optimizing Focus

2013-07-18 Ricoh GR: Lens Quality and MTF

2013-07-14 Leica M Typ 240 Usability

2013-07-13 Lens 'Presence' with Zeiss 135/2 APO-Sonnar and Leica M 24/3.8 Elmar-M ASPH

2013-07-12 Focus Bracketing for Peak Sharpness with a 15mm Lens

2013-07-11 A 15mm Lens has “Huge Depth of Field”, Right?

2013-06-23 Leica, Nikon, Zeiss, Sigma, Ricoh, Fujifilm Mountain Shooting

2013-06-13 Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO-Sonnar as a Landscape Lens

2013-06-08 Leica 24mm f/3.8 Elmar-M ASPH: Is Stopping Down Needed?

2013-05-31 Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 Distagon: Aperture Series Sharpness, Bokeh (Picnic Table, Sony NEX-7)

2013-05-19 Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 Planar: Evening on the High Line in NYC

2013-05-18 Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 Planar: MTF and Distortion and Vignetting Charts (for Sony NEX + Fuji X)

2013-05-18 Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 Distagon: Examples, Evening Architecture

2013-05-17 Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 Distagon: MTF and Distortion and Vignetting Charts (for Sony NEX + Fuji X)

2013-05-08 Nikon D800E vs Canon 5D Mark III: the Nikon D800E Optical Low Pass Blur+Unblur Filter Pack

2013-05-02 Nikon D800E vs Canon 5D Mark III: Sharpness

2013-05-02 How the Nikon D800E Compares to the Canon 5D Mark III in Noise and Usable Dynamic Range

2013-05-01 Per Pixel: How the Nikon D800E Compares to the Canon 5D Mark III (update)

2013-04-30 Per Pixel: How the Nikon D800E Compares to the Canon 5D Mark III

2013-04-30 Comparing Noise Between Cameras

2013-04-26 Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon: Field Curvature, MTF, Focus (Mosaic)

2013-04-17 Sigma DP2 Merrill Sharpness: Impressive Sharpness and Realized Depth of Field

2013-04-15 Zeiss ZE 135mm f/2 APO-Sonnar IN STOCK for Canon

2013-04-15 Leica M Typ 240 / M240 and CMOSIS

2013-03-29 Using the Sigma DP3 Merrill for Stitching: 66 Megapixels of Biting Sharpness

2013-03-28 Sigma DP3 Merrill Sharpness

2013-03-22 How Does the Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO-Sonnar Perform on a 56-Megapixel DSLR?

2013-03-19 Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO-Sonnar: Just How Good Is It?

2013-03-19 MTF at f/22 with the Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO-Sonnar

2013-03-07 Oversampling for Image Quality (109 Megapixel Sony RX100 tulips)

2013-02-23 Sometimes, Image Sharpness is a Handholding Problem

2013-02-23 On the Way: Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO Sonnar

2013-02-23 Are Today’s Lenses Good Enough for a 72 Megapixel DSLR?

2013-02-08 When Will We See Canon Megapixels to Match Nikon?

2013-01-27 Five Appealing Cameras

2013-01-15 Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon: Field Curvature, MTF, Focus (Mosaic)

2012

2012-12-11 Photoshop CS6 13.0.2 HiDPI Update — Retina Display Images Look Terrific

2012-11-26 Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM: Quality Control Steps Up (“A1 MTF”)

2012-11-23 Sigma DP2 Merrill Examples

2012-11-20 Canon 5D Mark III: ETTR Study of Optimal Exposure for RAW, RAW vs JPEG Exposure Latitude and Sharpness

2012-11-16 Nikon D800E: RAW vs JPEG Sharpness Study and Comparison

2012-11-13 Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO Sonnar for Nikon and Canon — Not Far off Now

2012-11-03 Shootout: Sigma DP2 Merrill vs Canon 5D Mark III

2012-10-26 Sigma DP2 Merrill (45mm f/2.8 Lens)

2012-10-26 Phase One Capture One Pro 7 Also Supports Retina display

2012-10-23 Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II

2012-10-16 Sigma DP1 Merrill vs Nikon D600 Resolution Comparison

2012-10-15 An Open Letter to Sigma on the DP1 Merrill

2012-10-10 Reader Asks: Why Do Color Filters Matter on the Leica M Monochrom?

2012-09-27 Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO Sonnar for Nikon and Canon — Superlative Performer

2012-09-27 Leica M Monochrom — Sharpness With Filters

2012-09-15 Compared: Leica M Monochrom vs Nikon D800E

2012-09-13 Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO Sonnar MTF from f/2 - f/16

2012-09-06 Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

2012-08-31 Retina-resolution Images Now Deployed Here

2012-08-29 Sony RX100: Examples and Sharpness

2012-08-28 Sony RX100 RAW File Conversion with Adobe Camera RAW

2012-08-19 Sensor Photosite Density on the Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100

2012-08-11 Nikon D800 / D800E autofocus Precision

2012-07-30 Focus Shift — Why So Much Coverage?

2012-07-27 At Which Aperture Does Diffraction Degrade Olympus OM-D E-M5 Image Sharpness?

2012-07-24 Canon EOS 1D X vs 5D Mark III: Definitive Resolution Comparison

2012-07-13 Image Sharpness in Photoshop CS6 with/without the GPU Enabled

2012-06-19 Diglloyd.com Support Display of Large Images at MacBook Pro Retina Display Native Resolution

2012-06-16 Nikon D4 Video Quality = Awful

2012-06-02 Nikon D800E vs Canon 5D Mark III vs Leica M9

2012-05-28 Nikon D4 vs Nikon D3s vs Nikon D800 from ISO 50 to Max

2012-05-22 Exploiting the Sensor Resolution: Depth of Field on the Nikon D800E

2012-05-21 Filtration for Leica M Monochrom to Improve Image Sharpness and Tonal Separation

2012-05-10 Leica M Monochrom — 18-Megapixel Monochrome Sensor

2012-05-10 Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH

2012-05-05 Thoughts on Moiré and DSLR Resolution and the Optical Low Pass Filter

2012-05-03 Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800 Sharpness and Sharpening

2012-04-26 Optimal Aperture for Nikon D800

2012-04-22 Fujifilm X-Pro1 Review

2012-04-13 Nikon D800 vs D3s Resolution

2012-04-08 Nikon D800 Quality at ISO 1100 when Downsampled to Nikon D3x, Canon 5D Mark III, Nikon D3s Resolution

2012-04-03 En route— Fujifilm X-Pro1 with Fujifilm XF 18mm f/2.0 R and Fujifilm XF 35/1.4 R Lenses

2012-03-31 Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G

2012-03-16 Reader Asks: Leica R 180/2 APO vs Nikon 200/2 VR II?

2012-03-07 Diffraction, Sharpness and Nikon D800E

2012-02-20 Blur Can Be Beautiful

2012-02-14 Lens Performance: What Matters

2012-02-11 80 Megapixels— Similar Lens Demands to Realize Potential of the Sensor

2012-02-10 Reader Comments: Is Binning an Option in RAW for D800? What About Computer Speed for 36MP?

2012-02-09 Reader Comments: “how a lens draws” — Leica vs Zeiss/Nikon/Canon/Pentax

2012-02-09 My Reference Lenses For Testing Sharpness

2012-02-09 Downsampling and Binning

2012-02-07 Nikon D800E — Nikon’s Sample Photos

2012-02-07 Nikon D800 / D800E — Which Nikon Lenses?

2012-02-07 Nikon D800 / D800E — Lens Requirements for 36 Megapixels

2012-01-23 Q&A Interview with Leica USA

2012-01-12 Fuji X-Pro1 — Fujinon XF Lenses on X Mount

2012-01-05 Sony NEX-7: Loss of Contrast and Resolution from Diffraction

2011

2011-12-12 Nikon 36 Megapixel DSLR?

2011-11-21 Supposing a 36 Megapixel Nikon DSLR Arrives... What About Lenses and Technique?

2011-11-05 Leica 21mm f/3.4 Super-Elmar-M— Outstanding Sharpness with Finesse

2011-10-27 Leica 30mm f/2.8 Elmarit-S ASPH for Leica S2 Medium Format

2011-10-26 Zeiss 25mm f/2 Distagon Announced

2011-09-02 Fuji X100 — Great Sensor, and Thoughts on the Panasonic GF3 and Olympus E-P3

2011-08-13 Reader Comment on Making Sharp Images Guide

2011-07-16 Sigma DP2x Resolution

2011-06-21 Leica 21mm f/3.4 Super-Elmar-M ASPH

2011-06-10 Open Letter to Leica — 10 Ways To Improve the M9 Rangefinder

2011-01-14 Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon MTF, distortion, vignetting

2010

2010-11-25 Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II sharpness

2010-10-13 Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G on its way

2010-09-17 Carl Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon bokeh

2010-09-15 Nikon 35mm f/1.4G AF-S

2010-08-25 Caldwell Photographic UV-IR 120mm f/4.5 APO macro

2010-07-14 Leica S2 37.5 megapixel DSLR review additions

2010-07-08 Hasselblad user examines Leica S2 pre-review coverage

2010-06-27 Nikon 14mm f/2.8 and 14-24mm f/2.8G — how to avoid losing half your resolution

2010-06-14 Landscape photography at f/0.95 in Patriarch Grove

2010-04-21 Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED review updated with examples

2010-03-10 Lens rental perspective on lens quality aka MTF WTF

2010-02-12 MTF comments updated for Zeiss ZF / Zeiss ZE

2010-01-21 MaxMax.com Nikon D700 “HR” — high resolution mod

2009

2009-12-29 Resolution contest: Nikon D3x vs Nikon D3s

2009-12-26 Nikon D3s: limits of resolution

2009-12-20 Zeiss ZE 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar for Canon samples

2009-12-18 Nikon D3s compared to Nikon D3x at all ISO values

2009-12-17 Nikon D3x compared to Nikon D3s at different ISOs

2009-12-09 Carl Zeiss announces Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 and Zeiss ZE 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar for Canon EOS

2009-11-01 Carl Zeiss announces ZE 35mm f/2 Distagon for Canon EOS

2009-09-02 Canon TS-E 17/4L and 24/3.5L II

2009-07-27 Olympus E-P1 resolution

2009-04-08 Zeiss’ Dr. Nasse on MTF, part II

2009-01-17 Canon 5D Mark II and optics

2009-01-09 Nikon D3 vs Nikon D3x resolution

2009-01-04 Nikon D3x noise and color vs D3

2008

2008-12-26 D3x vs D3 resolution compared

2008-12-24 Nikon D3x resolution vs Canon 1Ds Mark III and D3

2008-12-23 Nikon D3x and Zeiss ZF 100mm f/2 Makro Planar

2008-12-08 Sony A900 vs Canon 1Ds Mark II resolution

2008-11-11 Focus shift on a resolution chart

2008-10-19 Real-world Sharpness II: D3/1DsM3 updated

2008-10-15 Real-world Sharpness II: D3/1DsM3 updated

2008-10-15 Nikon 70-200 VR sharpness workaround

2008-10-12 Real-world Sharpness II: Nikon D3 / Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

2008-10-11 Real-world Sharpness: Nikon D3 / Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

2008-08-16 Ken Rockwell’s site

2008-07-23 Trendsetter? Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

2008-07-07 Zeiss ZF 18mm f/3.5 Distagon MTF, Distortion, etc

2008-07-01 Is 12 megapixels enough?

2008-06-14 Resolution limits for digital SLRs

2008-06-10 Voigtlander Nokton 58/1.4 SL II

2008-04-30 The future of resolution, 36 megapixels?

2008-03-22 When is an image “good enough”?

2008-01-21 Zeiss white paper on MTF

2007

2007-12-15 Digital SLR resolution — the future

2007-12-14 Digital file sizes — be careful what you wish for

2007-12-13 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III vs Nikon D3—resolution

2007-12-12 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III vs Nikon D3

2007-12-01 Nikon D3 looks good

2007-10-24 In the market for a point and shit camera?

2007-09-17 Nikon vs Canon

2007-09-08 On sharpness, megapixels and lens testing

2007-08-23 Thoughts on the new Nikon D3

2007-08-19 More on the 21-megapixel Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

2007-08-10 Nikon’s true-color sensor patent

2007-07-12 Zeiss 50mm f/2 Makro-Planar

2007-03-29 New Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L II tested

2007-02-09 Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L

2006

2006-03-03 Zeiss ZF (Nikon mount) lenses.

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