Dear Paul,
TESTCHARTS (i hate them)
Test Charts are exactly what a lens Test should not be! Test Charts are guilty for todays boring lenses like sigma "art" or the new overcorrected nikon z lenses. lens manufacturers are producing lenses which will be rated good on a review site which uses a flat Test Target.
The Reality is not Flat, on a Testchart the Xenar would be mushy in the corner, in my Test you can see the lens is sharp nearly edge to edge at f4! The sharp line of a good classic lens is curved on some extreme like on the zeiss 28 f2 on some less like planar 50 1.4.
I USE OPTIMUM F-STOP / NO NEED TO STOP DOWN FOR MY PHOTOGRAPHY
Lenses with character and good sharpness and contrast like af-d 50 1.8 / or legendary 35mm f2 plastic nikkor the voigtländer 58 1.4 zeiss otus, distagon .....
should not be used at an fstop higher then 5.6, only then they will show what i call dimensionality and character.
FILM RESOLUTION ? DO YOU HAVE A CORRECT WORKING CAMERA? NAILING THE FOCUS
The Retro 80s (repacked
aerial negative high resolution film) has about 130 lpmm like tmax, 200 lpmm is fantasy for tmax the contrast at this resolution is to low....
the sharpness of film comes into play when 1. the focusing is working exactly 2. you are using a fast enough shutter speed for handheld shooting 3. the film sits flat in the camera 4. the shutter/mirror itself is not vibrating to much 5. the lens elements are aligned per specification 6. there is no fog inside the lens 7.the lens coating is intact 8. the subject is contrasty enough 9. you have a lensshade......... everybody is talking about lpmm but it is more important to have a fully functioning camera, the old cameras are often not in fully working condition and need a calibration, i had over 1000 different cameras in my hands the last 6 years! i build half dozen cameras myself up to 11x14, i am fanatic
8 of 10 where not aligned per specification and i was about to give up film photography! what i was searching was the famaous sharpness everybody is talking about in film photography. finaly i have learned to fix my cameras calibrate the focus have learned how to put the resolution on film!
it is true film is amazingly sharp and can compete with the best digital cameras but only when !! after you have a perfect working camera, you know how to focus,
AND you nail the focus on the point which is important for the composition. the last thing is the most complicated, on a digital mirrorless you can zoom in at 100% focus take the shot with a stabilised sensor and the image is there, try to focus that exact on a Rolleicord
no chance, when i see a good composition i will set the camera on tripod and will make 5 shots focus bracketing with film 1 image will be perfect all the other are junk why ?
the really sharp point in a image is theoreticaly as small as an atom! everything else is bokeh!
I think the only way to compare Lens Quality and rank lenses is to watch a projected bw slide film of a nice real life subject on a wall 2x3 meters with a top slide projector. not a Testchart
Dragan