audidudi Posted February 24, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted February 24, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Although I've been happy with my Panasonic DMC-L1 overall, I've always had a nagging doubt that the Leica-badged lens on my particular sample -- presumably identical to the ones shipped with the D3? -- is slightly soft or at least slightly softer than I expected. Â Not a fatal flaw by any means (especially since I don't use this lens very often) but the issue has come up in my mind again today after I did some shooting with a Contax 45mm/f2.8 "pancake" lens via a 4/3 adapter ... wow! Tessar designs have always been some of my favorites and this one did not disappoint: It was flare-free, sharp and contrasty, with beautiful coloring. Very small and light -- tiny, even! -- although the field of view of its 90mm effective focal length is a bit too narow for use as a general, everyday lens... Â Has anyone else experienced softness with their D3 lens or do I just have a duff sample? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 24, 2007 Posted February 24, 2007 Hi audidudi, Take a look here Is the Digilux 3 lens soft ... or at least soft-ish?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Bo_Lorentzen Posted February 24, 2007 Share #2  Posted February 24, 2007 I can not say about your lens, personally I am rather happy with mine. though I would not be unwilling to say that it may be a bit soft out of the camera, I am now using the camera with extra sharpness and am very pleased with the results. however straight out of the default settings I was feeling it was soft. I can not tell if that is lens or camera.  Bo  My Leica scratch page - random thoughts , pictures and such. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgood2 Posted February 25, 2007 Share #3 Â Posted February 25, 2007 Hi Jeffery, I to have the L1, and have notice no softness what so ever with my lens..it may be do to camera shake..even with the OIS lens if you move the picture will not be as sharp..here's an example with tough lighting conditions and still sharp ( handheld of course )..Bill ~ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsurfer Posted February 25, 2007 Share #4 Â Posted February 25, 2007 I have been using the D3 for about 2 months now and yes, for a Leica lens, the resulting images are very soft. I don't think the lens itself is soft...but the in-camera processing is set to almost a RAW setting! One definately has to add a lot of post processing sharpness to the image! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsurfer Posted February 25, 2007 Share #5 Â Posted February 25, 2007 Bill, could you make the jpeg (full size) available to download to see if some of us have faulty lenses? What are your settings? Thanks, 'Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted February 25, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted February 25, 2007 I don't think mine is soft. At least no softer than any of my Olympus lenses. Â Here are two shots I took today. The first with the Leica and the second with an OM 50mm. Â I use the Leica body and am not sure if there is a difference in the the sharpness with it and the Panasonic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgood2 Posted February 25, 2007 Share #7 Â Posted February 25, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Bill, could you make the jpeg (full size) available to download to see if some of us have faulty lenses? What are your settings?Thanks, 'Jim Hi Jim, you can check out my gallery at SmugMug - William Algood (doogla)'s photo galleries and click on the L1 gallery..EXIF and Originals are there, this image pg. 7 last picture...Bill ~ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
audidudi Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share #8 Â Posted February 25, 2007 I'm referring to the RAW files, not the in-camera processed .jpgs, and I was shooting on a tripod with OIS both on and off (can't see any difference with or without it). Even with a fair amount of sharpening in processing, the images seem to fall just a bit short on detail that I expect to be present given my past experience of shooting in this area with other cameras. Â Although I thought I had noticed this effect before, it was only today, after I shot in the same place for a second time but using a different lens, that I had any basis for comparison and consciously noticed the Leica lens coming up a little bit soft by comparison. I'm going to perform a more careful comparison between the Leica zoom and my three Contax primes tomorrow, and will report back then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugby Posted February 25, 2007 Share #9 Â Posted February 25, 2007 I suspect there is some softness when the lens is wide open at 2.8 to 3.5 (28/100) I'm starting to gather the empircal data on this. Â However I do find in the f4 to f8 the images are needle sharp. Â I haven't done enough shooting in the f8 to f22 range to form an opinion yet Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riley Posted February 25, 2007 Share #10  Posted February 25, 2007 zactly dugby the right aperture will sharpen things up film type 35mm lenses are soft wide open, can often use a baffle single coated film lenses aren't as good as double the lens on D3 supposed to be the best kit lens around  oly processors need +2 sharpening set in the menus E-300 and 11-22mm wide notice the rendering at the top of the wall resolved Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riley Posted February 25, 2007 Share #11 Â Posted February 25, 2007 well chosen film lenses can work well notice the dent in the tin resolved E-300 and Konica AR 40mm/F:1.8 pancake, just for you Imants Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgood2 Posted February 25, 2007 Share #12 Â Posted February 25, 2007 Here's one with the onboard flash..f/3.5 @ 1/30sec.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.