Pentax Outing Lens Shootout -85mm primes

[pinholecam]

We always have questions on super zooms, 50mms, kit lenses, all in one walkabout zooms. Why not we just incorporate a lens shoot out every outing?
A picture speaks a thousand words (or lies depending on you disposition )

I'm thinking of starting off with 85mm primes and those in like focal length (ie. short telephoto)
I have a M85 and FA85, so for this round, I will bring out the FA85.
I am looking out for ppl to bring the following to the outing to compare :

1. 77tld
2. Jupiter9
3. Takumar 85/1.9 and 1.8
4. A85/1.4
5. DA70
6. K85/1.9
7. M85/2
8. Samyang/Bower/Polar 85/1.4
9. Helios 40-2 (added)


Don't worry, I will only test the lens on my camera for a short session (10-20min) at the outing meet up point and returned immediately.

Do chip in any other 'like' focal length lenses if you are interested in the results. (Eg. 55-200 at 85mm)

The test format is simple.

1. Lens sharpness
a. wide open
b. stopped down to equal other lenses in the test

2. OOF rendering

3. Sample shots at :
a. small objects
b. shoulder to head portrait
c. half body portrait

Edited : added the Helios 40-2

 

[evolutioner]

We always have questions on super zooms, 50mms, kit lenses, all in one walkabout zooms. Why not we just incorporate a lens shoot out every outing?
A picture speaks a thousand words (or lies depending on you disposition )

I'm thinking of starting off with 85mm primes and those in like focal length (ie. short telephoto)
I have a M85 and FA85, so for this round, I will bring out the FA85.
I am looking out for ppl to bring the following to the outing to compare :

1. 77tld
2. Jupiter9
3. Takumar 85/1.9 and 1.8
4. A85/1.4
5. DA70
6. K85/1.9
7. M85/2
8. Samyang/Bower/Polar 85/1.4


Don't worry, I will only test the lens on my camera for a short session (10-20min) at the outing meet up point and returned immediately.

Do chip in any other 'like' focal length lenses if you are interested in the results. (Eg. 55-200 at 85mm)

The test format is simple.

1. Lens sharpness
a. wide open
b. stopped down to equal other lenses in the test

2. OOF rendering

3. Sample shots at :
a. small objects
b. shoulder to head portrait
c. half body portrait

u forgot the king of all potrait lens: Helios 40-2..

 

[pinholecam]

u forgot the king of all potrait lens: Helios 40-2..

Interesting...... :think:
Certainly should include it if someone can bring it.

 

[maverickh]

u forgot the king of all potrait lens: Helios 40-2..

I thought the KING of all portrait should be A 135 f/1.8

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

Tamron 70-200 @ 85mm?

 

[pinholecam]

Tamron 70-200 @ 85mm?

You deliver it to me from Chicago, SURE CAN
I don't mind actually. So long as someone volunteers his copy and let me know on this thread.

 

[pinholecam]

I thought the KING of all portrait should be A 135 f/1.8

To me, no such thing as "King". Totally subjective.
Soft is considered good by some, useless by others.
OOF rendering is also a subjective matter as to what is preferred.

The objective is just to take the shots and ppl decide from themselves.

Here is a sampler :
Look at the OOF rendering yourself. Its just bitsy bitsy different from lens to lens.
All shots straight off camera w/o adj to anything.

Another so called 'king' the J9 wide open. Very soft, for a fairy tale effect. You look at those ancient portraits (those b/w ones from Charlie Chaplin's time), yeah, that was the 'standard'.
I'm already using a very deep hood to try to eliminate as much loss in contrast as possible for this lens at wide open.

J9 again at what I consider usable f2.8

But, don't rule it out yet!
Its a totally different lens stopped down to f5.6, f8.

 

[pinholecam]

Now, this is from a 85mm that I regard as a 'standard'. Sharp enough wide open. The M85/2.
Compare again the OOF areas to determine for yourself what is good/best/'king'

No budget for a A135/1.8, but this what a longer fast telephoto like a SMC-K135/2.5 can give.
Long focal length, fast aperture and focus up close gives a shallow DOF, but whether its better OOF rendering is up to the individual. It certainly gives a more isolated subject FWIW, but no 'king' to be.

 

[maverickh]

pinholecam,

thanks for the comparison and advise.

Yes, its true that bokeh is " HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE ", and depends very much on individual tastes. Every now and then we have discussions over whether the rendering from 85mm is better over the 77 LIMITED . Or 50 f/1.2 over f/1.4 , f/1.7 . Or even the FA 35 vs 31mm Limited. Guess that where the LBA starts to tkae hold...

 

[maverickh]

Guess from the above comparison, the Jupiter 9 @ f/2 is OUT, for me, as the picture is too soft for my liking . It appears that J9 @ f/2.8 also loses out to M 85 @ f/2, in terms of lose of details - just look at the lost of details above the eyes ( both ) .

Pinholecam, can you try the J9 @ f/3.5 to evaluate how it compares to M 85 @ f/2.


Thanks

 

[pinholecam]

Guess from the above comparison, the Jupiter 9 @ f/2 is OUT, for me, as the picture is too soft for my liking . It appears that J9 @ f/2.8 also loses out to M 85 @ f/2, in terms of lose of details - just look at the lost of details above the eyes ( both ) .

Pinholecam, can you try the J9 @ f/3.5 to evaluate how it compares to M 85 @ f/2.


Thanks

J9 is a special lens. To me at f2, f2.8 its for special purpose only. Its very sharp from f5.6.
I would not rule it out as 'bad', just 'different'. Can't rely on it as a fully dependable fast 85mm for all f-stops, that is all. Compare the OOF areas like the plant to the right, to me the rendering is nice. The OOF areas for the M85/2 comes across as more 'technical' (ie. get the job done...end of story... kind of way).
Ha..ha...now all that I've said is subjective, right?

Sharpness is not everything as well, esp for human portraits. But we shall see on the outing.

 

[ranchy]

Hmm I remember CreamPuff saying about it in a thread, about the A*85mm F1.4. :devil:
There is one on the market, but the price.. DAmn.. It's almost buying an FA77mm Ltd.
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-equipment-sale/105122-sale-*85mm-f1-4-worldwide.html

 

[pinholecam]

Guess from the above comparison, the Jupiter 9 @ f/2 is OUT, for me, as the picture is too soft for my liking . It appears that J9 @ f/2.8 also loses out to M 85 @ f/2, in terms of lose of details - just look at the lost of details above the eyes ( both ) .

Pinholecam, can you try the J9 @ f/3.5 to evaluate how it compares to M 85 @ f/2.


Thanks

Here....

To me at f5.6 sharpness is good, but DOF increased to a point that OOF rendering is uncomparable to the nice and soft ones on a wider aperture.

 

[scorpioh]

I like Jupiter at f2.

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

You deliver it to me from Chicago, SURE CAN
I don't mind actually. So long as someone volunteers his copy and let me know on this thread.

I will hand-deliver it to you at next week's outing

 

[ranchy]

I like Jupiter at f2.

Yah.. The Jupiter @F2 is nice. but if the mask is sharp as the Jupiter F2.8 picture, it be perfect. Well can't have best of all...
But sometime the Dreamy feel would look unique..

 

[maverickh]

Here....

To me at f5.6 sharpness is good, but DOF increased to a point that OOF rendering is uncomparable to the nice and soft ones on a wider aperture.

Hi pinholecam,


thanks for the additional comparison. Agree that the J9 @ f/2 has a ' dreamy effect ', probably only for those who wants to give his / her photo a different feel to it. Again I think its not very often which one will use @ f2.

 

[neon2]

Actually I think every lens gets pretty sharp or very sharp from F5.6 onwards. So in my opinion, that is no big deal.

 

[evolutioner]

went walking ard in a flea market in moscow..
bought myself a spanking new helios 44k-4 with both zenit caps and a hood..
it's a 58mm f/2 full manual lens.. all for about $70

will post some results when i get back and get my kx...

 

[scorpioh]

went walking ard in a flea market in moscow..
bought myself a spanking new helios 44k-4 with both zenit caps and a hood..
it's a 58mm f/2 full manual lens.. all for about $70

will post some results when i get back and get my kx...

Sounds damn cool. Do post a pic of the lens too. <: