[rollei_list] Re: Hello again, and a lens question

  • From: Douglas Nygren <dnygr@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:17:31 -0500

Eric,
Given that we burn the corners in, does it really matter that the lens isn't sharp in the corners. All this corner sharpness is great hype from the lens companies, but in the darkroom we show them who is boss and burn the corners. I couldn't care less about the corners. However, your point that wide open the lens isn't sharp strikes a nerve. What's happening where things are important seems more vital than all unneeded concern about the corners.

Doug


On Dec 11, 2009, at 8:59 PM, Eric Goldstein wrote:

The uncoated Sonnar 50/1/5 is a great lens with great character, but
it is far from sharp wide open and away from the center.


Eric Goldstein



On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 8:49 PM, CarlosMFreaza <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
2009/12/11 Stephen Attaway >
To quote from Ivor Matanle: "The portrait of Mr Robert Cox was taken in 1974
to mark his fifty years of service to his company ... with a 50mm f1.5 uncoated Zeiss Sonnar, and shows perfectly the curious characteristic of
defined yet slightly unsharp detail that makes the optical quality of
classic lenses so attractive."

I tend to disagree with Ivor Matanle, the uncoated Zeiss Sonnar 1.5/50
was designed to be a very sharp lens, in general lens designers look
for lenses to produce an image as close to the real image as possible,
it means aberrations free, sharp and the best  micro-contrast, except
lenses for special purposes. It's true some old lenses produce
pleasant images thanks to some no well corrected aberrations (I think
about portraits specially), but they couldn't be the standard to
obtain a good image.

This is a sample about a snapshot "portrait" taken with the uncoated
Contax II Sonnar 1.5/50 _wide open_ f1.5 and 1/1250 sec shutter speed
, I think the in focus areas show very good detail for a 71 years old
uncoated lens despite a scanner not so good for 35mm :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itarfoto/3199809044/

Carlos
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