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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> lens ratings??
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 03/05/2004 11:09:03 AM · #1
Hi all

There all this talk about such a lens being good, this other not..... are there any lens review websites??

Lens tutorial websites? I'm just starting to look into this and I know very little about lenses.

Thanks!!!!!
 03/05/2004 11:22:45 AM · #2
Originally posted by kosmikkreeper:
Hi all

There all this talk about such a lens being good, this other not..... are there any lens review websites??

Lens tutorial websites? I'm just starting to look into this and I know very little about lenses.

Thanks!!!!!

There are tons of web sites that provide lens reviews, camera reviews, etc.. Some only provide reviews of lenses from a specific manufacturer, such as this one for Canon Lenses, and some are more generic. You should try a search on Google (google.com - Don't leave home without it.)

For Nikon lenses you might try New Nikon Lenses - DPReview.com. I like this site because their reviews are very extensive.

There are also lots of online shopping comparison sites that also provide reviews, such as HardwareCentral.

Message edited by author 2004-03-05 11:40:03.
 03/05/2004 11:27:50 AM · #3
You should visit the DPReview forums. While it is not a "review" site per se, I've found that the images that get posted and the opinions of actual owners are moe valuable than MTF charts.

03/05/2004 11:31:07 AM · #4
Take a look at the reviews and articles at: //www.fredmiranda.com
03/05/2004 12:45:08 PM · #5
Also, for MTF charts (optical quality), try Photodo.
 03/05/2004 01:43:44 PM · #6
thx! Yes I did do Google... but what I'm looking for is understanding lens specs.... ya know like WTF does 12 elements in 11 groups means? what's the difference bwtween Seven & Nine-blade rounded diaphragm? Glass specs.. what's good and what's the best?

Is it possible to get DPCer expert to do a tutorial on this or is it just too complex?? :-)

Thx

Yanik


03/05/2004 02:02:56 PM · #7
//www.usa.canon.com/eflenses/ is a good (though maybe with slight bias!) starting point.

There is also a quite good chapter on lens optics in basic photographic materials and processes by Stroebel et al

Most of these describe it for a photographer's perspective, so don't go in to much detail at all about optical design or lens construction but it all depends what you want to know.
 03/05/2004 02:05:32 PM · #8
Go to this link and search (use the "Find" feature in your browser) for the section titled Origins of the Mystique Behind Lens Elements and Groups

The larger the number of aperture blades, the better the out-of-focus highlights (the bokeh) are rendered. Take a look at 5 vs. 8 blade diaphragms in this comparison of the Canon 50mm 1.8 vs. the 1.4. Some lenses, such as the Canon 70-200/2.8L IS, have special circular apertures, as discussed here (an improvement over the non-IS version).

This link talks about understanding Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) charts.

This link has a lot of useful info on lens optics. The sections on flare, vignetting and lens hoods are an interesting read.

Hope that helps...

Message edited by author 2004-03-05 14:28:10.
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