70-200f/2.8IS mk2 bokeh inferior to mk1??? hmm

AlanU wrote in post #11386619
yo bobby what lighting did you use?? ambient only?

550ex through mini/flex in QBox24" for all of them.

bohdank wrote in post #11387549
I think the difference is that the MKII is probably contrastier and has more saturated color. Backgrounds are not as "in the background".

I agree.

bobbyz wrote in post #11387908
550ex through mini/flex in QBox24" for all of them.

Cool! I gotta start using my qbox24 more.

bohdank wrote in post #11387549
I think the difference is that the MKII is probably contrastier and has more saturated color. Backgrounds are not as "in the background".

Hey Bohdan thats a perfect way of describing it.

But since the subject will also have more contrast and saturation, I don't see where the background will look much different by comparison. Examples will be the best thing.

The background/subject are rarely at the same level of illumination. Contrast and color differences have a major affect on perception. Usually the main subject is also something/someone known in a generic sense and "organized" (can't think of a better word for it) to our eyes. Backgrounds tend to be haphazard,

A good test would be to not have a subject, just set the focus to 10 feet or something, manaually, then take a shot of a potential background that is furhter away. No main subject to distract.

That would be a good test for one kind of bokeh but there are several others that can be seen in any particular lens. How it handles highlights/bright lights in the background, how it handles up close things vs. far away, how it reproduces a busy (in nature) background, etc.

I think most of those could be combined into 2 test images. 1 with a subject of focus and 1 without, as I suggested.

The subject being something like a grey card.

I have been trying to test the bokeh of all my lenses for over a year. No one image will give me all the info I have found. Bokeh is not a linear thing and very much a personal taste. Reason I have so many different lenses, brands of and ages of lenses - different bokehs.

Certainly preference comes into play but I think words like harsh/diffused etc. could be applied without inferring superiority.