Quick Lens Test

anglext · 9th of September 2006 (Sat)

This was a test for SHARPNESS between the lenses in my gear bag, which includes:
Canon 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 II (aka "Kit" lens)
Canon 50mm 1.8 II
Sigma 24-70 2.8 EX DG
Canon 17-40 4.0 L
and the
Canon 70-200 4.0 L

The set-up was:
Rebel XT mounted on a Bogen tripod with a off camera shoe flash cord running to a 580ex mounted on a tripod raised approx. 10 inches above and to the left of the camera, the other light source was a natural window light coming from above and to the right of the camera. The subject was a guitar appox 18 or so inches below the camera on the floor. The camera tripod and flash tripod both had to be raised to use the 70-200, in which case it was 3 or so ft between the camera and the guitar. The settings for all shots on all lenses were:
Manual Exposure
f/5.6
1/60
400 iso
Auto focus center AF point
Flash:
Manual @ 1/64
Zoom: 50mm

These are 100% crops from the shots with no Post Processing except scaleing for web.

Canon 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 II (aka "Kit" lens) @ 50mm

Canon 50mm 1.8 II @ 50mm

Sigma 24-70 2.8 EX DG @ 50mm

Canon 17-40 4.0 L @ 40mm

Canon 70-200 4.0 L @ 70mm

Canon 70-200 4.0 L @ 200mm

Enjoy!

steved110 · 9th of September 2006 (Sat)

I'm surprised at the pictures from the 70-200 - frankly they seem OOF, they're so unsharp. Are you otherwise satisfied with this lens? It's supposed to be extremely sharp, and I am confident that my copy is.

Your comparisons seem to pretty much bear out that primes are sharper than zooms, but Im not convinced that you designed the test in a way that compares like for like - in some the strings seem to be the focal point, in others the soundboard behind.

anglext · 9th of September 2006 (Sat)

I don't know why the 70-200 performed the way it did in this test! I have pictures from it that you could accidently cut yourself on. Regarding the focus, I think that the focus might have slipped back from the strings in some, but on the originals the 17-40 beats all even the 50mm prime! I might reshoot the 70-200's to see if I can get different results, maybe the moving of the tripod and light source messed it up!

Thanks!

anglext · 9th of September 2006 (Sat)

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to set this up more effectivley?

Jon · 10th of September 2006 (Sun)

Try a target that's further off, say 5-6 ft. for all of them.

anglext · 10th of September 2006 (Sun)

ok and manual or autofocus?

9th of September 2006 (Sat)	#1
anglext Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Posts: 245 IMAGE EDITING OK	Quick Lens Test This was a test for SHARPNESS between the lenses in my gear bag, which includes: Canon 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 II (aka "Kit" lens) Canon 50mm 1.8 II Sigma 24-70 2.8 EX DG Canon 17-40 4.0 L and the Canon 70-200 4.0 L The set-up was: Rebel XT mounted on a Bogen tripod with a off camera shoe flash cord running to a 580ex mounted on a tripod raised approx. 10 inches above and to the left of the camera, the other light source was a natural window light coming from above and to the right of the camera. The subject was a guitar appox 18 or so inches below the camera on the floor. The camera tripod and flash tripod both had to be raised to use the 70-200, in which case it was 3 or so ft between the camera and the guitar. The settings for all shots on all lenses were: Manual Exposure f/5.6 1/60 400 iso Auto focus center AF point Flash: Manual @ 1/64 Zoom: 50mm These are 100% crops from the shots with no Post Processing except scaleing for web. Canon 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 II (aka "Kit" lens) @ 50mm Canon 50mm 1.8 II @ 50mm Sigma 24-70 2.8 EX DG @ 50mm Canon 17-40 4.0 L @ 40mm Canon 70-200 4.0 L @ 70mm Canon 70-200 4.0 L @ 200mm Enjoy! __________________ Website\|Blog\|Canon 5D\|BG-E4 Battery Grip\| \|Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 17-40 f/4 L\|Canon EF 85 f/1.8\|Zenitar 16mm f/2.8\|Sigma 50mm f/2.8 Macro \|Manfrotto 3021 Tripod Legs & Grip Action Ballhead\|Custom Bracket QRS-35-EV\|Canon 580 EX Flash\|Apple iMac G5\|

9th of September 2006 (Sat)	#2
steved110 Cream of the Crop Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: East Sussex UK Posts: 5,756 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Quick Lens Test I'm surprised at the pictures from the 70-200 - frankly they seem OOF, they're so unsharp. Are you otherwise satisfied with this lens? It's supposed to be extremely sharp, and I am confident that my copy is. Your comparisons seem to pretty much bear out that primes are sharper than zooms, but Im not convinced that you designed the test in a way that compares like for like - in some the strings seem to be the focal point, in others the soundboard behind. __________________ 20D, Eos 100 Canon EF-S 18-55 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 , Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro CanonEF 17-40 f/4 L and 70-200 f/4 L Speedlite 580EX and some bags'n pods'n stuff

9th of September 2006 (Sat)	#3
anglext Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Posts: 245 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Quick Lens Test I don't know why the 70-200 performed the way it did in this test! I have pictures from it that you could accidently cut yourself on. Regarding the focus, I think that the focus might have slipped back from the strings in some, but on the originals the 17-40 beats all even the 50mm prime! I might reshoot the 70-200's to see if I can get different results, maybe the moving of the tripod and light source messed it up! Thanks! __________________ Website\|Blog\|Canon 5D\|BG-E4 Battery Grip\| \|Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 17-40 f/4 L\|Canon EF 85 f/1.8\|Zenitar 16mm f/2.8\|Sigma 50mm f/2.8 Macro \|Manfrotto 3021 Tripod Legs & Grip Action Ballhead\|Custom Bracket QRS-35-EV\|Canon 580 EX Flash\|Apple iMac G5\|

9th of September 2006 (Sat)	#4
anglext Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Posts: 245 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Quick Lens Test Does anyone have any suggestions on how to set this up more effectivley? __________________ Website\|Blog\|Canon 5D\|BG-E4 Battery Grip\| \|Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 17-40 f/4 L\|Canon EF 85 f/1.8\|Zenitar 16mm f/2.8\|Sigma 50mm f/2.8 Macro \|Manfrotto 3021 Tripod Legs & Grip Action Ballhead\|Custom Bracket QRS-35-EV\|Canon 580 EX Flash\|Apple iMac G5\|

10th of September 2006 (Sun)	#5
Jon Moderator Cocker Spaniel Mod Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Kensington, MD USA Posts: 65,124	Re: Quick Lens Test Try a target that's further off, say 5-6 ft. for all of them. __________________ Jon ---------- EOS, Powershot and Domke - it doesn't get any better than this! T90 and stuff \| F-1n, New F-1, FTb and more stuff out on loan Cocker Spaniels Maryland and Virginia activities *DC Cherry Blossoms* Image Posting Rules and Image Posting FAQ Report SPAM, Don't Answer It! (link) PERSONAL MESSAGING REGARDING SELLING OR BUYING ITEMS WITH MEMBERS WHO HAVE NO POSTS IN FORUMS AND/OR WHO YOU DO NOT KNOW FROM FORUMS IS HEREBY DECLARED STRICTLY STUPID AND YOU WILL GET BURNED.

10th of September 2006 (Sun)	#6
anglext Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Posts: 245 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Quick Lens Test ok and manual or autofocus? __________________ Website\|Blog\|Canon 5D\|BG-E4 Battery Grip\| \|Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L\|Canon EF 17-40 f/4 L\|Canon EF 85 f/1.8\|Zenitar 16mm f/2.8\|Sigma 50mm f/2.8 Macro \|Manfrotto 3021 Tripod Legs & Grip Action Ballhead\|Custom Bracket QRS-35-EV\|Canon 580 EX Flash\|Apple iMac G5\|

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