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View Full Version : Taste Test Challange - Post your comparisons



goamules
23-Apr-2010, 10:47
A recent thread led me to start this one. The general hypothesis offered by another member is "that persons skilled in the art have almost always been unable to match a shot to the lens used to take it." I believe the underlying hypothesis is that most lenses really are the same.

So in the spirit of fun, I have these two portraits, taken on 8x10 within minutes of each other. They are not the same focal length, but counting bellows factor, both were at about the same aperture, and both shot wide open. The lenses used:

1. Dallmeyer Rectilinear
2. Cooke Anastigmat

Can you match the photo to the lens?

Photo A
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4535017526_484356f4af_o.png

Photo B
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4535017828_08d80536d9_o.png

cdholden
23-Apr-2010, 11:19
I'll use my finely tuned SWAG technology. For those that don't keep up with the times, that's Scientific Wild Ass Guess.
I'm guessing the Dallmeyer is Photo A and the Cooke is Photo B.
I've never shot with either, so I'm without any basis on my method for choosing.
Chris

Michael Graves
23-Apr-2010, 12:10
I'm not a practitioner of SWAG, but using PIOOMA methodology, my guess is the same as Chris's.

(Pull it out of my....never mind.)

goamules
23-Apr-2010, 12:37
You two must be on(to) something....I'll post the answer after a few hours so people can look some more. I should figure out how to set up those polls.

Michael Graves
23-Apr-2010, 13:17
You two must be on(to) something....I'll post the answer after a few hours so people can look some more. I should figure out how to set up those polls.

"on" or "on to", because as subtle as the difference may sound, it's actually quite significant. When do we know if we're right? And do we win a prize? I guess Chris would get it since he answered first.

Bill_1856
23-Apr-2010, 13:37
1) Coke, 2) Pepsi. On second look, they may both be Nehi Grape glass.

GPS
23-Apr-2010, 13:41
This one is really easy. Just look at her mouth. On the picture A she is saying - "re..." like in rectilinear. On the picture B her mouth is saying - "an..." like in anastigmat...

goamules
23-Apr-2010, 16:46
OK, the polls are closed. Chris & Michael, you are correct! I really thought I would stump you with the super soft Dallmeyer Wide Angle Rectilinear, I figured most would assume the Cooke as the soft one. So for phase one, you both have proven you know your lenses by their signature. Or something!

GPS, I think she was about to say; .....hurrry upppp....

I encourage anyone else to post more comparisons.

Jim Galli
23-Apr-2010, 18:07
http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Campbells/4X5/StoreFront_10.jpg

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Campbells/4X5/Window_1.jpg

Heliar and Dagor. Which is which?

cdholden
23-Apr-2010, 18:18
I got it? You can send the lenses to me at your earliest convenience. Yes, I know shipping isn't cheap. I'll take care of it!
I just thought the Dallmeyer photos usually look softer than the Cooke photos I've seen. Sure there was some logic, but mostly SWAG.
For Jim's? No clue. Heliar first, then Dagor?
Chris

Jim Galli
23-Apr-2010, 18:55
Right. Funny story about the Dagor. It's a wide angle 4 1/4" in a Compur shutter. I had some pics of it and decided I'd sell it. Had a buyer and I think he even paid, and I couldn't find the darn thing to save my life. Gave the fellow his $$ back and apologized profusely. Yesterday I got the 4X5 out to shoot a new 2 me achromatic meniscus, and lo and behold the little Dagor was turned inside out and folded up snugly inside the Chamonix. Beautiful little lens, and razor sharp. Glad it's still with me.

Jan Pedersen
23-Apr-2010, 20:03
First one the Heliar, second the Dagor.

sun of sand
24-Apr-2010, 09:18
That first test was faulty imo

To me
you have to explain
exactly
which lenses were used
Not just
well ..this is labeled anastigmat and this one rectilinear
Cooke seems to have used the name anastigmat on many types of lenses from soft portrait/pictorial to the sharp

Might as well say this is a test between Cooke and Dallmeyer
Better stated that way for this test

I did pick them correctly but only because I'd assume Cooke to be on average sharper than Dallmeyer
to me this proved absolutely nothing beyond that



I did think you may have been trying to throw a curve by showing us a Cooke
portrait
anastigmat
instead of what I'd assume to be a sharper cooke "landscape" anastigmat
eventhough wide open those aren't all that sharp
or something
which wouldn't have proven anything if we were to have been wrong

sun of sand
24-Apr-2010, 09:31
I say Heliar first as well
The bottle and concrete whatever lends a 3d appearance I wouldn't expect from the dagor
knowing as little as I know

Jim Galli
24-Apr-2010, 10:13
OK, more in line with the original poster's idea which was a challenge by one of our members that this entire lens discussion is 98% blather because there aren't any differences that your eye can see, here are 2 more.


http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Campbells/4X5/Window_1.jpg (http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Campbells/4X5/4X5MeniscusShuttered.html)

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Campbells/4X5/Window_2meniscus.jpg (http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Campbells/4X5/4X5MeniscusShuttered.html)

One was done with the Goerz Dagor, and one was done with a no name Achromatic Meniscus. Which is which. BTW click on either photo to go to a new page of things done on the same day in the same spirit.

goamules
24-Apr-2010, 10:53
I find it difficult on your Heliar and Dagor comparison, but I think the first shot looks Heliar-ish. On the Dagor vs Meniscus, it's easily the second pic.

The particular lenses I used for the first test were a Dallmeyer Wide Angle Rectilinear and a Cooke XIV Anastigmat (which was made as a portrait lens), by the way.