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Must do, before using manual lens
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PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
[quote="ttotally convinced that there is still no digital camera in place which is able to beat the best film/scanner combination. That's what I know for sure. [/quote]

Really?

BTW, at what age is someone elderly?


PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Woodrim,

That is at least my experience when I compare shots of digicams in a pixel peeping manner with my scans of a "Fujichrome Velvia 50 Professional" with my "Minolta Dimage Scan 5400". It's also easy to understand if you compare the size of an image file from that combination in maximum resolution and maximum depth of nearly 1 GB with the file of a digicam of 24 to 36 MB. The film/scanner resolution if far beyond any lens resolution of the best lens ever made. So that would be the ideal testing equipment for lens tests in terms of sharpness and resolution.
If you shoot with middle format with above mentioned film the results are breathtaking even when only scanned with my rather poor (compared to the Minolta scanner) Epson V600 film scanner.
So a still picture from a digicam is looking like a bad joke compared to a middle format scan and even worse than a first class scan from 35mm film when done as described above and in combination with an excellent lens.

Your second question: Somebody who learned photography the hard way already in analog times when digital photography was not even invented, like me. Wink


PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 4:19 pm    Post subject: Re: Must do, before using manual lens Reply with quote
Pancolart wrote:
I was inspired by this topic: http://forum.mflenses.com/lenses-facts-and-fallacies-part-ii-t65585.html
1. Use hood
2. Make rear lens baffle
3. Check if your adapter is glossy inside.
4. Check lens internally.
5. Experiment with FILTERS


1. I agree. I think hoods are absolutely essential especially with single coated lenses.

2. Never made a baffle before but I intended to experiment now.

3. I have found that not only is really glossy paint inside an adapter is a bad thing, but those threaded silver rings in some adapters can be really bad news.

4. Agree. There is always dust in old lenses but there's a tipping point where too much dust degrades performance quality.

5. We part company here. I just don't want to put another layer of glass in front of my fine optics, unless it's a polarizer or Softar filter.

When I get a new lens I always vacuum it out around the rear element if possible. I've found some debris outside the lens block that may fall on my sensor. Also, whenever I buy a lens on ebay in an old leather case I ask the seller to wrap the lens in plastic. I like old lens cases, but the glue in some of them dries out into a fine powder and can ruin a lens in shipment. The lens can arrive looking like a powdered sugar dounut! Thanks for your thoughtful post.


PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 8:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Must do, before using manual lens Reply with quote
Jeff Zen wrote:
I just don't want to put another layer of glass in front of my fine optics, unless it's a polarizer


I am totally with you. There is no need for a useless filter at all, unless it fulfills a special requirement like e.g. filtering the polarizing light under certain conditions. I hate "lens protectors" which are more or less degrading the quality of the lens.


PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 10:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Must do, before using manual lens Reply with quote
tb_a wrote:
Jeff Zen wrote:
I just don't want to put another layer of glass in front of my fine optics, unless it's a polarizer


I am totally with you. There is no need for a useless filter at all, unless it fulfills a special requirement like e.g. filtering the polarizing light under certain conditions. I hate "lens protectors" which are more or less degrading the quality of the lens.


I generally agree with you about "lens protectors", but there are rare exceptions, once or twice a year, when I do use protective filters. I use them when getting close to waterfalls or during extremely windy days at the beach when the sand is blowing around. Then they seem practical.

I'm also grateful for protective filters on old lenses I have bought. I'm glad the previous owners used them... so that is at least says something. I shop thrift stores and yard sales where I've bought more than a few lenses at low prices because people thought the scratched or dented filter was the actual front of the lens.


PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 10:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Must do, before using manual lens Reply with quote
Jeff Zen wrote:

I generally agree with you about "lens protectors", but there are rare exceptions, once or twice a year, when I do use protective filters. I use them when getting close to waterfalls or during extremely windy days at the beach when the sand is blowing around. Then they seem practical.


As I stated: UNLESS there is a special requirement. That may also be a waterfall or a sandstorm...
But NOT always on the lens.

I also like it when the pre-owner of a lens had a different view on this topic. Wink


PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The post in the french forum linked previously has been moved, updated link is:
https://www.street-photo.fr/materiel/27/35

leodp


PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:36 am    Post subject: basics Reply with quote
The observation on the sensor as a mirror inspires me to recount the time i used the M mount Minolta 90mm for the CL on an Olympus Pen digital. The lens has what looks like a totally flat rear element and despite its reputedly good coating, strong lights got multiple reflections in the pictures. It appeared like a ping-pong match between sensor and lens. So i got rid of that 90mm despite its good reputation.

p.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 11:14 am    Post subject: Re: Must do, before using manual lens Reply with quote
I pretty strongly disagree with some of the OPs views on do's and dont's.
Doesn't mean Pancolart is wrong, or I'm right, just a different view:

Pancolart wrote:

1. Use hood (as long as possible until vignette occurs; don't be fancy - you can improvise using black matte paper)

2. Make rear lens baffle (mask) according to your sensor size: reduces stray light and flare (lens was not made for small sensors so you're not "cheating").
It does wonders. The idea even made it to Google patents: http://www.google.com/patents/US8000598

Why? I understand if there is a necessity, defined as "image would be ruined otherwise".
Yet why use the tool only to deny it's influence in my work?








If my lens wants to catch flare, I'm not going to fight it, unless it's really ruining the picture.
Why buy yet another lens only to force it to do "good" images, indistinguishable from the ones you've owned before?

Pancolart wrote:

3. Check if your adapter is glossy inside. Many cheaper adapters are. Mine were all chrome.
Paint adapter's interior black matte color to reduce internal reflections.

This is a good advice. Judging lens by adapter deficiencies would be pretty frustrating.

Pancolart wrote:

4. Check lens internally. if you have not done it yet, have a courage to look through the lens under different angles and using strong light.
Obvious haze, dust or separation reduce contrast by some degree no matter what they told you. Perhaps some lens servicemen went out of business too fast.

If you don't see it with a naked eye, your haze and dust just not strong enough to do any meaningful impact.
Whatever horrors you can see only with a flashlight, will slightly impact just very fast apertures like F1.4 and mayyyybe F2.
Looks bad with a flashlight? Don't shine a flashlight. Problem solved.
I've spent quite some time cleaning lenses, and looking back I can confidently say: not all of them needed that.


The way I approach new lenses is a bit different.
First, I fix them until they are in a top notch mechanical condition. I just like the feel: It's half of the enjoyment for me, personally.
Then I try to understand what this particular glass wants to do, and what scenes it prefers.

In my perception I'm just helping lenses to do what they want, instead of forcing them into a standard of my own.
If I don't like what the lens does, I just sell it.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
tb_a wrote:
...
Finally, I am still totally convinced that there is still no digital camera in place which is able to beat the best film/scanner combination. That's what I know for sure.

Just my 2 cents...


That for sure needs a some additional information .... Wink


S


PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
tb_a wrote:
...
Finally, I am still totally convinced that there is still no digital camera in place which is able to beat the best film/scanner combination. That's what I know for sure.

Just my 2 cents...


That for sure needs a some additional information .... Wink


S


Written in year 2015 Smile
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