Contributing Lenses to Lens Comparisons

[raid]

I would like to express my thanks to every RFF member who has in the past sent me a lens or even several lenses and camera for my lens testing projects of 50mm and medium tele lenses, and I thank all the people who have sent me lenses for my 35mm-40mm lens testing that will start tomorrow. Rarely do you find such a community where members are willing to entrust their precious lenses (regardless of cost) to someone, and then pay the shipping cost both ways. I certainly have not read about anything like it for any other photography website or group.

It takes a passion for photography and a deep appreciation of the beautiful RF lenses to participate in such a group endevor. Can you believe it that now I have "amassed" over twenty lenses in the 35mm-40mm focal length from several RFF members!

Take a look:


http://ferider.smugmug.com/gallery/2808562

I am proud to be a member of this fine forum.

If anyone is still interested in contributing with a lens that we do not already have, please pm me tonight.

Thanks.

Raid

 

[like2fiddle]

Raid,
Thanks very much for the kind words, this is a special place made up of special people. And thank you to Roland too, that's a great group portrait you guys put together.

I can't wait to see your test results. Thanks again for doing this work.

 

[raid]

Is it a waste?

Is it a waste?

Raid,
Thanks very much for the kind words, this is a special place made up of special people. And thank you to Roland too, that's a great group portrait you guys put together.

I can't wait to see your test results. Thanks again for doing this work.

Roger,
Thank you for your support.


For balance, I just got this comment from a PN member:

"I think this is a high input and low yield test. You can not test all lenses in different lighting conditions, different apertures, different distances and different films. You can not control the lens sample to sample variation, so a quick sample snap shoot of X lens may mislead readers. Readers still can not get the whole optical property of a lens. Raid I think you are wasting [of] your time and money."


Raid

 

[ferider]

Hi Raid,

if you had bought all these lenses un-tested from ebay or new and would make very general conclusions, the pnet member would be right.

But the fact that all these lenses are known to work (eliminates > 2 sigma samples), and your specific, well-defined test target(s) (hand-held
portraits among others) makes it a much safer test.

I for one am very much looking forward to the results and appreciate you
doing it.

(lens) beauty is in the eye of the beholder 🙂

Roland.

 

[MikeL]

For balance, I just got this comment from a PN member:

"I think this is a high input and low yield test. You can not test all lenses in different lighting conditions, different apertures, different distances and different films. You can not control the lens sample to sample variation, so a quick sample snap shoot of X lens may mislead readers. Readers still can not get the whole optical property of a lens. Raid I think you are wasting [of] your time and money."
Raid

Uhh, I don't remember you saying you were doing the "Mother of all 35mm tests" and defining the "optical property" of a lens. Whatever that is. He obviously didn't recognize that you did not overstate what you were doing with the 50mm test.

Have fun with it Raid, and don't let the serious folks get to ya!

 

[raid]

Roland: I replied to the commenter with the same argument about the lenses being used and field tested by the owners. Most of the portrait photos were in the past taken with the camera on a tripod, along with using a cable release for stability. I did have handheld photos with the ultra-fast lenses though.

Mike: My claims for the goals of such projects were always limited, and I commented that way to the person's statement.

Thanks.

Raid

 

[Rico]

Glad to see the Beast will participate. 🙂 Will Raid award its bokeh 1st prize? Summicron owners want to know! 😀

 

[raid]

Rico: I have never used the 35mm/1.2 and I don't know whether it will actually get such an "award". Don't forget that we have 27 lenses in the test, and that many of these lenses are first class lenses. I like my first version 35mm Summicron (8 elements) for its bokeh and smooth transition into OOF. Some like the Summaron 35mm/2.8 or the 35mm/3.5.

I am looking forward myself to the results!

Raid