My 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 II USM F/Stop sharpness test.

G'day everyone.

Today I thought i would test my lenses to see at what aperture the lens is it's sharpest.

I did the usual settings Aperture Priority and centre AF point. All the photos were taken from the same distance from a tripod and shown at 100%.

The Aperture setting is indicated in the file name.

Maybe you'll could help me to determine the sharpest aperture. Perhaps this could help someone with the same lens.

http://homepage.mac.co​m …peranza/55mmtes​t/pic1.jpg

http://homepage.mac.co​m …peranza/55mmtes​t/pic2.jpg

EDIT Both tests were done using ISO 200, no sharpening.

18-55mm test shot @ 24mm

75-300mm test shot @ 110mm

Sorry and thanks for pointing that out Hudsonch

maybe f9 or so.
To be honest, looking at the "beef and bacon flavors" on the shot, the shots may all be be a touch out of focus.

sorry I think they all look pretty much the same.

The focus is on the between the D and the O in the word Dog in the 55mm test.

In the 55mm test i believe the sharpest are 5.6 and 8

Below is a test i also did on my 75-300 1:4-5.6 III

http://homepage.mac.co​m …za/300mmtest/pi​cture1.jpg

http://homepage.mac.co​m …za/300mmtest/pi​cture2.jpg

http://homepage.mac.co​m …za/300mmtest/pi​cture3.jpg

maybe f8 on the 75-300, but honestly, they all seem a bit soft to me the kit lens and the 75-300 lenses are not that sharp

The 75-300mm lens looks best at 6.3 and 8.

Yes i know that's why i am about to get a new lens. Maybe you all could help me decide.

I am going to get a prime lens for two reason the sharpness and it will make me have to work for good shots and i believe this will teach me a lot about composition and photography.

The two lenses i am looking at getting are either the 50mm f/1.4 USM or the 85mm f1.8 USM.

In the future perhaps both. I am gonna use it for portrait and other shots, i am going to experiment everywhere. I enjoy taking photos of flowers and perhaps a tube would help there.

These tests where perfomed in Large JPG and in Neutral with all the parameters on 0 (no sharpening)

both the 50 and the 85 are good lenses. I'd go based on the focal length you need. 85 is good for headshots, 50 more for head and shoulder/ half body type shots, but once again this depends on your shooting distance.
good luck

Now i am seriously considering the 70-200 f/2.8L.
Arrgh so many choices.

RgB wrote in post #1997056
G'day everyone.

Today I thought i would test my lenses to see at what aperture the lens is it's sharpest.

I did the usual settings Aperture Priority and centre AF point. All the photos were taken from the same distance from a tripod and shown at 100%.

The Aperture setting is indicated in the file name...

If I must pick one, I'd say f/8.0.

BTW, what is the focal length setting? Your screen shots show 55mm. However if this is the case, I dont know how did you get the shots at f/4.0, f/4.5 and f/5.0, since the max aperture of the kit lens @55mm is 5.6.

Sorry how silly of me i used that number for sorting the photos to put online.

Here is the some exif of that photo they all have the same focal length.
i used the focal leangth that allowed the fastest f/stop.

File name: IMG_3807 8.0.JPG
File size: 3385553 bytes (3504x2336, 3.3bpp, 7x)
EXIF Summary: 1/400s f/8.0 ISO200 24mm

18-55mm test shot @ 24mm

75-300mm test shot @ 110mm

70-200 f2.8 L is more versatile than prime lenses. It's a bit slower though.