shootinglulu Posted August 12, 2009 Share #1 Posted August 12, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi I recieved my planar 50 f2 today. It looks fine generally but compared to my summarit which is very sharp, this lens is very blurred when i zoom in to look at the point i have focused on. I have tried and tried but cannot focus clearly on a point as i can easily with the summarit. Is this something i will have to live with, is it normal for this lens? Thanks Lucy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 12, 2009 Posted August 12, 2009 Hi shootinglulu, Take a look here planar unsharp. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wattsy Posted August 12, 2009 Share #2 Posted August 12, 2009 is it normal for this lens? I doubt it. Is there a plane that is in focus - possibly 'behind' what you had 'focussed' on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEB Posted August 12, 2009 Share #3 Posted August 12, 2009 Lucy, If your lens is generally unsharp that is decidedly not normal for that lens. I have one and it is so sharp that I often describe it as "clinical." It is sharp from corner to corner at all aperture settings. Reid has tested it and also found it to be extremely sharp and contrasty. I would consider sending it back for exchange. Mark B (East Lansing, Michigan) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted August 13, 2009 Share #4 Posted August 13, 2009 Definitely not the norm for this lens. I like it because it is so very sharp and contrasty. You may just have a bad sampling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthury Posted August 13, 2009 Share #5 Posted August 13, 2009 On a tripod, try focusing at your subject and do these steps: shoot after it is focused focus slightly behind your subject and shoot focus slightly in front of your subject and shoot Compare the 3 images and pick the one that's the sharpest. I think your lens could be front or rear focusing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted August 13, 2009 Share #6 Posted August 13, 2009 Try a lens focus test using a test card at an angle. I had the same problem and it showed that the camera and lens was focusing about 1cm IN FRONT of where I had focused. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted August 13, 2009 Share #7 Posted August 13, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) If your pictures with other lenses come out sharp where you focus the rangefinder, then the fault is not with the camera (or you) but with the lens. Manufacturing accidents do happen. If you decide to hand the lens in for adjustment or replacement, then it is a good idea to also present a couple of comparation pictures (prints or appended to an email) as evidence of the problem. I have had a similar problem, but I was dealing with two companies that cares about their good reputation, Leicashop in Vienna and Carl Zeiss AG in Oberkochen, and they handled the problem promptly, and free of charge of course. The old man from the Rangefinder Age Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #8 Posted August 13, 2009 I did the suggested lens tests with both planar and summarit on a firm surface, the summarit is bright and sharp as a pin. The planar is focused but dull and no way as sharp. i don't have the uv ir filter on the planar 'oraps this dulls the colour? Thankyou very much for your help. Lucy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaay Posted August 13, 2009 Share #9 Posted August 13, 2009 May I suggest posting a 100% sample from the planar so that those of us who have used the lens can have a look? Not using a UV/IR filter can account for a slight degredation in sharpness (certainly on my ZM 35) but not enough that it would make you think the lens was faulty. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #10 Posted August 13, 2009 I took some pictures for posting here and decided they are probably good enough, i don't think it's quite as sharp as the summarit that i'm used to. Thankyou Flickr: 'Lulu''s Photostream The picture of the smeg fridge is taken with the lens in my photostream Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted August 13, 2009 Share #11 Posted August 13, 2009 The "E" looks tack sharp to me and the rest is out of focus as it should be if the lens is wide open. Unfortunately I cannot see "larger sizes" to zoom in. What size image are you uploading to Flickr? Stop down to f/8 are try again if you want a big depth of field. Anyway the "test shot" is pretty cool! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaay Posted August 13, 2009 Share #12 Posted August 13, 2009 The picture you uploaded seems perfectly sharp - but without say a 100% crop of the in focus 'E' it is difficult for us to judge. My experience of the Zeiss 35 was that despite always being described as 'tack sharp' wide open by various reviews I found it's sharpness didn't come close to my other lenses. Also it depends on the RAW processing as my ZM 35 was a lot sharper overall when processed through C1 than through Aperture or Photoshop CS4 - even with no additional sharpening applied. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted August 13, 2009 Share #13 Posted August 13, 2009 I meant to say it was focusing BEHIND where I focused. Here is the test I did that proved it (the sheet of paper was taped to a board and lifted at an angle of about 45 degrees and the camera was on a tripod):- [ATTACH]156801[/ATTACH] As you see, the lens was sharper at -3 lines than where I focused. In real life, this looked like either a mis-focus or an unsharp photo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #14 Posted August 13, 2009 I am going to make my self a focus chart, such good idea. I don't know how to find out what size my pictures are that i upload to flickr, i suppose they could be bigger? i'll try and find out. Thankyou Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted August 13, 2009 Share #15 Posted August 13, 2009 Re. photo size I upload about 1.5 Mb jpeg pics to Flickr straight out of Capture 1 and I then get "all sizes" as an option above my photos, example here: L1008330 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! "Original size" for example: Flickr Photo Download: L1008330 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #16 Posted August 13, 2009 I will work on that I usually get there in the end. LOVE photography, HATE computers! Thanks a lot for that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted August 13, 2009 Share #17 Posted August 13, 2009 I will work on that I usually get there in the end. LOVE photography, HATE computers!Thanks a lot for that Hi Lucy, I'd just like to mention that I took a look at your pictures this evening. You are very talented, and I look forward to seeing many more in the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #18 Posted August 13, 2009 That's nice, thankyou Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljclark Posted August 14, 2009 Share #19 Posted August 14, 2009 I am going to make my self a focus chart, such good idea.I don't know how to find out what size my pictures are that i upload to flickr, i suppose they could be bigger? i'll try and find out. Thankyou Lucy, One thing to keep in the back of your mind... If you have doubts about a lens or camera or whatever, you need to be a bit clinical about your approach to your example or test shots. The more variables that are involved, the more difficult to pin down any problems. This is especially true when comparing two different lenses by shooting two different subjects. That's why little DIY gadgets like an angled printout work so well. Shoot the target with one lens to see where the focus point might be, and also shoot the target with different lenses to compare how each renders the image. On a ramp target, even if the focus points are different, you can still compare the sharpest point for each. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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