Link -- NEX-5N & Zoomar Kilfitt Makro 90mm f2.8. Click for larger.
I have noticed that from the Canon 2Ti, some of my favourite old lenses, like the Kilfitt Makro 90mm f2.8, did not work very well on high density sensors. Same problem on the 7D. What looked very nice on the 11 MP 1Ds and the 5D classic full frame cameras look very lifeless and boring on the T2i and 7D. Even tried the Angenieux Speciale Cine 210mm f2.8. Pictures looked much better on the 5D than on 2Ti/7D.
I think that older lenses just do not have the resolving power for today's high density sensors. They produce beautiful pictures on older cameras but not so nice on newer ones. This is not scientifically proven, of course, so I could be wrong, but pictures do look duller and less sharp on newer cameras. On the other hand, lenses like Carl Zeiss Distagon 35mm f2.8 (Contax Mount), and 60mm f2.8 S-Planar Makro perform about the same on most cameras. So, perhaps, there is a connection.
certainly there is a reason why some lenses are famous and others aren't.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that it can also be a matter of things like contrast. Have you tried a little local area contrast mask in Photoshop?
unsharp mask: radius about 60 pixels, try amounts starting at 9% and experiment.
@obakesan: my experience is that with the same lens, different camera produces different results. Generally, older lenses are better with older cameras (less densely packed pixels on the sensor).
ReplyDeleteDoes that hold with c mount lenses? They are generally considered to have very high resolution.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful coloured pic!
@Fungus: didn't test the c-mount lenses, but I think it all lens dependent.
ReplyDeletelensbubbles- there is no s on gears in the following-
ReplyDeleteI LOVE CAMERA GEAR AND PICTURE TAKING. THIS IS A WINDOW TO MY WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHY -- HOW I SEE THROUGH THE LENSES, WHAT GEAR I USE.
@Anonymous: Sincerely thank you for pointing it out. I have corrected it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it has something to do with the angle that the light strikes the sensor. Most lens designs that are optimized for digital, rework the optical design so that the light path is more parallel (perpedicular to the sensor) and over a smaller image circle (corresponding to the size of the sensor rather than a 35mm negative size. I believe the degradation you see has to do with a combination of the higher pixel density and the little micro-lenses that are over each pixel. (If you could magnify it, it would be like the pixel is at the bottom of a small tube.)
ReplyDelete