DA*300 f4.0 - a beauty and a beast

[sbc]

Well, it is not really a beast but is a real beauty!
Just received it and did a quick test out of the window.
Target is about 200m away.
Shot in 14.5mp, jpeg 3 stars, bright mode. Cropped, not resized. No other PP



Focus test is ok. NO major FF or BF.
I won't know if I have a good copy until someone else test another one.

[knyghtfall81]

Hmm, could check what's the magnification on those shots and the ISO used? Sorry I have no idea how to access EXIF data, if these info can be found from them.

[fengwei]

Congrats again on the new lens. Looks pretty good to me. I'm gonna have one copy in my hand in another week or so, hopefully I'd do a comparison test w/ it against the F*300/4.5

[sbc]

ISO=200. It was getting dark, so I decided to bum up the ISO 1 stop. This is the scene. I was so rushed earlier on I didnt have time to post this.



Thanks fengwei, hope you receive yours soon!
I just did another quick test. Shooting at text. Happy to note that left and right corners are equally sharp. I was so afraid of getting a de-centered lens.

The 'real' test would be end of next month at the RSAF PLAB open house. In the meantime, I will go and shoot some r/c helis in flight this weekend.

[danst]

Congratulations on your new lens. It looks pretty sharp at F11.
Are these photos taken hand held or with tripod?

[knyghtfall81]

thanks for the reply - I actually took a bit of time before I could spot the wind chimes!
(says something about the sharpness, doesn't it)

[sbc]

thanks danst. Yea, it is very very sharp at f11. I will do more real world test and see if wider apertures are useable. They are taken with the K20D on a tripod.

knyght, I did not realise that it has turn into a 'spot wally'! come to think of it, when I stand and look out of my window, I can barely see the wind chimes with my bare eyes. I only saw it after looking at the photos.

[istDeS]

Congrats sbc on the new lens. I'm most interested to see it's performance at widest aperture also.

[hjbyeo]

Congrats SBC ... btw, was this nick to commemorate Singapore Broadcasting Corporation... :@)

Anyways, I won't try to request for this and that from you, but from your shots, I really think you have quite a good copy!!

[fengwei]

Originally Posted by hjbyeo Congrats SBC ... btw, was this nick to commemorate Singapore Broadcasting Corporation... :@)

Nope, it's his initials

[sbc]

Looking at the 1st test shots. I cant help but wonder if the depth of field is affecting the quality of the photos. You would think that at 200M, it should be focusing at infinity, but it is not so. If you look carefully at the tree and other stuffs, you will see that the DOP is but a few meters. Futhermore the face of that flat is not square to my camera. So it may be possible that the wider aperuture photos are out of focus.
So I am redoing the test. This time the target is a licence plate. After shooting it at dead center, I point the camera to the right without adjusting focus and shoot with the license plate on the left side of the frame.

This time it is at 14.5mp, jpg 3 stars, bright, ISO400



This is the scene

[sbc]

hjbyeo, man! If you still remember Spore Broadcasting Corp, you are old! Just kidding. When I started writing my initials many many years ago, people asked me if I worked there. But no one ask anymore,,, until you did. hehe!

I think the 2nd test works better. Still you can see that if you want ultimate sharpness, you have to stop down to f8.0 or f16, After f16 the sharpness drops off. At f32 the sharpness is worse that f4.0(but then that is expected).

[hjbyeo]

Originally Posted by sbc hjbyeo, man! If you still remember Spore Broadcasting Corp, you are old! Just kidding. When I started writing my initials many many years ago, people asked me if I worked there. But no one ask anymore,,, until you did. hehe! I think the 2nd test works better. Still you can see that if you want ultimate sharpness, you have to stop down to f8.0 or f16, After f16 the sharpness drops off. At f32 the sharpness is worse that f4.0(but then that is expected).

Aiyo, not that old lar.. Born in mid seventies, ppl shd still remember SBC.

Hope you like the lens... Shooting birds with Loke and istDes?

[billitone]

Congrats....

Next time you take photos, lemme noe, I'll pose by the window.

[sbc]

This time I am testing PF, CA, DR etc. Shot at f5.6, 1/350, spot metering, ISO 100.

Happen to see someone cleaning her dark tinted windows. If you cant see her, brighten up your monitor. I think the PF is not too bad.

Man! I feel like a piping tom!



This is the scene

[sbc]

Originally Posted by billitone Congrats.... Next time you take photos, lemme noe, I'll pose by the window.

You mean to tell me you are my 'neighbor' all this time?

[sbc]

Originally Posted by hjbyeo Aiyo, not that old lar.. Born in mid seventies, ppl shd still remember SBC. Hope you like the lens... Shooting birds with Loke and istDes?

Thanks! Nope, never birds, only the man made types.

Shot with K10D and F*300 f4.5. Both have since found new owners.

[sbc]

Test No.4
Not convinced that the lens would perform so badly at f4.0, I redo the test. This time, the difference is MLU(using the 3 sec self timer) and making sure DOF is not in play.
As usual f4.0 is darker, but the sharpness is much better now. I think the DOF for this lens is super narrow, and if the focus is out by even a little, it will affect the f4.0's result.

[danst]

Thanks for sharing your lens review. Btw, how much did you pay for this sharp lens? Thanks.

[sbc]

Haha! Anyone wants to know more please PM me. Its not so nice to review it in a public forum. Let's just say you need to add US$57 to 115 (Depends on the store) for freight and then there is the GST.