[test] CV APO-LANTHAR 90 F3.5 vs CZ APO-MAKRO-PLANAR 4/120

[trifox]

hi there

I just had an opportunity to do a quick test between CV APO-LANTHAR 90 F3.5
and 'Unknown Lens' - let's call it 'Lens X'

The test is more about CA issues and fringing

Camera; EOS 5D MarkII

the question is not which one is better but whether the 'Lens X' can be a competition to the APO-LANTHAR
or not....

any comments are welcome

1 - APO-LANTHAR


1 - APO-LANTHAR - crop


2 - 'LENS X'


2 - 'LENS X' - crop


3 - APO-LANTHAR


3 - APO-LANTHAR - crop


4 - 'LENS X'


4 - 'LENS X' - crop


5 - APO-LANTHAR


1 - APO-LANTHAR - crop


6 - 'LENS X'


6 - 'LENS X' - crop


7 - APO-LANTHAR


7 - APO-LANTHAR - crop


8 - 'LENS X'


8 - 'LENS X' - crop

[poilu]

the red fringe of X is more natural than the blue fringe of the Lanthar but it seems no lens pass the test
hopefully latest raw converter have good CA removal tools and most lens can be "enough" corrected

[fermy]

I think it's painfully obvious that Apo-Lanthar does not win this one.

[kds315*]

Which version of the Apo Lanthar was that?

[trifox]

thanks for your comments

Poilu - the red fringe seems to be a little bit annoying but I have tried to 'defringe' in LightRoom and the results were promising

Klaus - It is the SL chrome nose version with Canon FD mount but infinity achieved.

[Attila]

Your Apo Lanthar many not Apo and Lanthar both CA is awful..

[MacTak]

I too am quite fussy about these longitudinal CAs (which are rarely tested) and must really compliment your setup. I agree with the others that the two are pretty close, but my preference too is to lens X (please now tell us what it is). I'm not surprised with these results for the 90mm Lanthar, which is famously not really APO and certainly no match for the 125mm Lanthar. My great wish is that there was an affordable (~$500 or less) true APO macro lens currently available.

[56 DIN]

beeing aware that we do not speak about excatly the same: my CV 90mm Apo Lanthar for M39 mounted on NEX shows the same CA, it is not less than my 85mm 2.8 Zeiss on the same cam.
I guess that any good 85mm lens can compete at (least in combination with same sensor) against the CV 90 about CA - finding one that is able to compete in sharpness is another thing, so your lens x belongs to the higher class ?

[fermy]

Calling Apo-Lanthar Apo is a bad joke. Most decent lenses would show as much CA if not less. Here's a quick hack instead of trifox's elaborate test, the first 3 lenses that I grabbed from my shelf, no processing. I can continue, but you get the idea.
#1 Soligor 100mm f3.5 macro @ f3.5


#2 Soligor 100mm f3.5 macro @f5.6


#3 Soligor 90mm f2.5 macro @ f2.5


#4 Soligor 90mm f2.5 macro @ f4


#5 Canon FD 50mm f3.5 macro @ f3.5


#6 Canon FD 50mm f3.5 macro @ f5.6

[kds315*]

[kds315*]

Well, best to do things right away...



So, "trifox", you have proven that you may have in your posession a "lemon", very sorry about that.


***
E
So guys, please do not rate a lens by just what one tester says about it .... QED. [This is a GENERAL comment, not (just) aimed at that example here) - forgive me Stan, nothing personal of course!]

***

[trifox]

hold on please --

the question was whether the 'X' is compete the Lanthar or not

I still believe that Lanthar is a very good lens but
I'd like to be focused on the 'X' rather than on what's between Lanthar and 'X' or other lenses

I am going to repeat the question with a little amendment;
Can the 'X' compete the my Lanthar 90 f3.5 or not


a few more words about the pictures between Lanthar and the 'X'

1 - I tried to simulate some very nasty conditions - strong backlight, aluminium surface, metallic ruler etc.
2 - the WB is the same, focusing areas are pretty much the same, PP in LIGHTROOM are the same, etc.


differences;

1 - focal length
LANTHAR = 90mm
'X' = 120mm

2 - initial aperture
LANTHAR = F3.5
'X' = F4

3 - camera system
LANTHAR = 35mm
'X' = medium format

Classed as 'APO' lens
LANTHAR = YES
'X' = YES

price tag
Well - LATHAR is much 'cheaper' in this case

Klaus -
I believe you - my copy could be a lemon, it could be the sensor (well, probably not)
please, don't waste your time - you're the APO expert and I am fully aware of that fact - honestly.

I wanna turn the attention to the lens 'X' because we have enough samples on this forum with LANTHARs

So I used Lanthar just an example to start with the 'X' because my LANTHAR is only one lens with 'APO' label on it
- I am not saying the only one APO corrected but I believed that lanthar could be a good starting point

I will post a few samples with the 'X' soon

Again - I am more concerned more about the 'X'

So guys, don't post with different lenses

tf

[kds315*]

OK tf, maybe that thread (or I) got carried away, all I wanted to say (and prove) is, that I haven't seen such (bad) performance from my Apo Lathar 90mm (and I am not an "Apo" expert, just a user of those lenses )

About your X-lens, that looks indeed like a very decent performer!

[trifox]

ok - all good, Klaus - let's move forward then

Klaus - just a few words your angle is different and you have not that strong nasty sunlight on it like on my sample

Nevertheless, I don't want to go ahead with the Lanthar - let's forget it

they're are plenty of great samples with Lanthars here

I just wanted to bring something new as we have samples with Lanthars, Leica, Angenieux etc.

The lens 'X' is my concern - not Lanthar

tell me, from your experience with different wavelengths, whether you like the red fringe on the 'x' or not

that would be appreciated

thanks

tf

[trifox]

The lens 'X' is the Contax 645 Carl Zeiss APO-MAKRO-PLANAR 4/120 - a medium format lens with manual focusing -

So, I think it belongs to this forum.

well, it has automatic aperture which is fully controlled by the camera body

I hope we can excuse that automatic aperture

tf

[komet]

[atiratha]

I have a few questions regarding that APO Lanthar - You said it is FD but infinity is achieved. How? Is it by means of the adapter with glass or was there a mount conversion? A glass adapter could introduce some CA, I believe. Also, I read somewhere that digital cameras, by design, could introduce some CA due to micro lenses being present on the sensor. If the lens design does not take it into account, it can have some effect as well. Is there any way to try the lens on other system? Nex perhaps?

[trifox]

CV LANTHAR 90 F3.5 with FD mount is the breachlock version

I believe it can be used on NEX with proper adapter

My Lanthar is converted to EF mount

Regarding the sensor - I believe it can make some impact on the final results

tf