sharpest lens ever

[Mark Kononczuk]

what is the sharpest 4x5 lense ever? or one that produces the best quality colour images in terms of saturation, tonal value etc? I'm asking in terms of personal subjective experience.

[Lachlan 717]

Strange topic; however, I'll bite:

Schneider 110mm SSXL.

[Jim Cole]

Strange topic; however, I'll bite:

Schneider 110mm SSXL.

I agree with this choice and refer to mine as "scary sharp".

[Leigh]

Rodenstock Apo-Sironar-S 150/5.6

- Leigh

[Dan Fromm]

what is the sharpest 4x5 lense ever? or one that produces the best quality colour images in terms of saturation, tonal value etc? I'm asking in terms of personal subjective experience.

Eh? Wot?

What does color rendition have to do with resolution?

And what does "personal subjective experience" have to do with anything that can be measured objectively? What do hallucinations have to do with reality?

[genotypewriter]

what is the sharpest 4x5 lense ever? or one that produces the best quality colour images in terms of saturation, tonal value etc? I'm asking in terms of personal subjective experience.

One of the sharpest lenses I have is the 150mm f/2.8 Xenotar... it's extremely sharp in the center at f/2.8 as demonstrated below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/genotypewriter/6806479707/

I also have some 150mm f/2.8 aerial lenses that are consistently sharp across the frame but not as sharp as the Xenotar in the absolute sense.

Eh? Wot?

What does color rendition have to do with resolution?

And what does "personal subjective experience" have to do with anything that can be measured objectively? What do hallucinations have to do with reality?

The guy wants to know about optically good lenses. I'm failing to see the crime he committed here.

[nonuniform]

How did you focus that image? It's pretty d**m sharp!

One of the sharpest lenses I have is the 150mm f/2.8 Xenotar... it's extremely sharp in the center at f/2.8 as demonstrated below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/genotypewriter/6806479707/

I also have some 150mm f/2.8 aerial lenses that are consistently sharp across the frame but not as sharp as the Xenotar in the absolute sense.





The guy wants to know about optically good lenses. I'm failing to see the crime he committed here.

[genotypewriter]

How did you focus that image? It's pretty d**m sharp!

Sorry I just saw your question. If you follow the first link below you'll be taken to a bigger version of the crop that's better than the original one I posted earlier in this thread. The description also explains the shooting a bit too

2600x2450 pixel crop: http://www.flickr.com/photos/genotypewriter/8803512574/


Smaller full image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/genotypewriter/6806479707/

[E. von Hoegh]

What do hallucinations have to do with reality?

They're sometimes a lot more fun.

[BrianShaw]

They're sometimes a lot more fun.

But let's not fantasize...

Back to reality...

At some point both physics (physical measurement) and psychophysics are important. I know Dan hates the "airy-fairy" stuff, but not all that can be measured matters in terms of human perception.

Unfortunately the question is imperfectly formed and could be intended to address one, either, or both aspects of "sharpness".