Sharpest lens for technical cameras?

[Kevin Sink]

I'm thinking of adding a technical camera (ARCA or Cambo) to my arsenal, and would like my esteemed colleagues opinions on the sharpest lens they think is made for these cameras in the 35mm to 70mm range.  Will be using to stitch panos and rows of shots to make very large prints.  Any thoughts on which camera system to go with would also be appreciated.  (Natural landscape shots)

Thanks very much,

Kevin

[marcmccalmont]

Rodenstock 70mm HR
Marc

[Doug Peterson]

You'll need to say what digital back you use and what amount of shift/rise/fall you expect to use.

And I realize this sounds like marketing BS but really most of the tech camera lenses are crazy sharp.

Here are some 100% JPGs from various wide angle lenses stitched (inside the image circle, not pan-stitching) with an IQ180:
http://www.captureintegration.com/tests/lens/

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________

Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One Partner of the Year
Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Arca Swiss, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Broncolor, Eizo & More

National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
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[Martin Kristiansen]

I am using the Schneider Apo Digitar range on a Cambo Ultima II. 47mm, 72mm, 90mm and 180mm. The 72mm is a recent addition. Have not done real tests yet, and probably never will, but my impression is the 72mm is the sharpest of the lenses though they are all great. I have used the same rig with the Leaf Aptus 7 and now with the Aptus 12R.

[dkaufman]

Rodenstock 40 HR. Sharper than the 70mm HR. I have em both. Schneider 47mm also very sharp but not too far off centre where it gets a bit smeary.

[ced]

Scheider Apo Digitars 35mm and 47mm are excellent with digital systems.

[siebel]

Scheider Apo Digitars 35mm and 47mm are excellent with digital systems.

The 35XL is definitely NOT suitable for use with 80MP sensors if you expect any shift. I have both the Aptus 12 and IQ180 backs and even with as little as 5mm shift, even when using the centre filter, the lenscast is beyond the correction that C1 LCC can deliver. There is a significant band in which the software desaturates the image to a very obvious extent.
The 47 does not suffer from this as much and I suspect the 43 will also be better, though it is also skirting with the same problem.

Cheers,

[Kevin Sink]

Thanks for the feedback!  Got an email from a user who states the Schneider 60mm XL "the sharpest, without hesitation"

[hdomke]

How to you determine sharpness objectively? Are there MTF charts available for technical camera lenses? With 35mm DSLR lenses it is common to find published MTF charts. Without that isn't it just one person's word against another person's word?

[henrikfoto]

Schneider and Rhodenstock have MTF for all their lenses on their homepages.
The difference is huge compared to the wide MF lenses.

Henrik

[marcmccalmont]

Rodenstock 40 HR. Sharper than the 70mm HR. I have em both. Schneider 47mm also very sharp but not too far off centre where it gets a bit smeary.

My 40HR, 70HR and 105 are so close it's not worth quibbling over!
Marc

[Graham Welland]

I have yet to run across a Schneider Digitar or Rodenstock HR lens that is anything less than insanely sharp. If it's not sharp then send it back for another copy because frankly any of these make equivalent DSLR lenses seem soft by comparison.

My personal weapons of choice SK 35 XL Digitar - insanely sharp, SK 47 XL Digitar - beyond any equivalent DSLR lens, Rodenstock 90 HR-W - insanely sharp, SK 150 XL Digitar - insanely sharp.

[Guy Mancuso]

Thanks for the feedback!  Got an email from a user who states the Schneider 60mm XL "the sharpest, without hesitation"

Kind of music I want to hear. Mine should be here Wednesday. My35 XL is very sharp on my IQ 160 but hoping this SK 60mm TS lens is the killer one. I just bought a SK 90 as well which comes this week. I tried the 60mm against my extremely great copy of the 55 LS lens for my DF and it was certainly sharper in detail. So this being called the sharpest lens would not surprise me at all. Reason I ordered one about 2 weeks ago. Not exactly Walmart pricing either . LOL

[ChristopherBarrett]

I friggin love the Rodie 70, awesome glass.  The newer Schneider 43mm is my next favorite and on camera 80% of the time.  As for the 35mm XL and the IQ180... that has more to do with the back.  My P65+ is perfectly happy with the 35mm XL.  I have shot both backs side by side with this lens with massive shift.  Interestingly, the P65+ yielded slightly more image which leads me to believe that it's sensor may be a hair larger.

The IQ 180 with my 70mm HR yielded phenomenal detail but it's performance with wide lenses left me... well, still enamored with my P65+.

CB

[flynnyfalcon]

Just looked at the first files taken from a 35mm Schneider Digitar. The difference in sharpness and aberration correction is just extraordinary compared to the Canon system I've been using for years. Even my best of L lenses pale in comparison. Zeiss are comparable in quality and colour, but overall I'm blown away :-o

[Guy Mancuso]

Just looked at the first files taken from a 35mm Schneider Digitar. The difference in sharpness and aberration correction is just extraordinary compared to the Canon system I've been using for years. Even my best of L lenses pale in comparison. Zeiss are comparable in quality and colour, but overall I'm blown away :-o

The 35 XL is a great lens but if your using a IQ 180 it simply will not work. I use a center filter on mine with the IQ 160 and get very nice results and have pretty good movement with it without getting into trouble. Nice part is it is not very expensive to get in. My 60 on the other hand hurt my purse a lot. LOL

[flynnyfalcon]

I'm using it with a P45+ and it seems to have no problem resolving the 40mp.  In regards to the IQ180 Guy, where are the issues?  Lens Casts? Resolution?

[Doug Peterson]

I'm using it with a P45+ and it seems to have no problem resolving the 40mp.  In regards to the IQ180 Guy, where are the issues?  Lens Casts? Resolution?

See this test:
http://www.captureintegration.com/tests/lens/

It has to do with the angle of light of the wider Schneider lenses and the small pixel size of the IQ180 (5.2 microns). Any good Phase One and Tech Camera dealer can help you decide which lenses will work best for you if your future plans include a tech camera.

In general for IQ180 users the 24XL and 28XL are out of the question, the 35XL is only good for a mm or two of movement and the 43mm and 47mm won't work well at the outside of their image circle. For very wide angle lenses on the IQ180 the Rodenstock retrofocus lenses (23HR, 28HR, 32HR) are preferable for most applications. The 40HR vs 43XL/47XL is the crossover point where the choice is less clear. The 60mm XL and up are not (meaningfully) effected.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________

Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One Partner of the Year
Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Arca Swiss, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Broncolor, Eizo & More

National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
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Buy Capture One 6 at 10% off

[flynnyfalcon]

Thanks Doug   I'm hoping to stick with the P45+ for some time, so hopefully both Schneider and Rodenstock will offer similar levels of performance.  The Rodenstocks don't appear on the 2nd hand market often, and if they do, they are generally quite expensive in comparison.

[EricWHiss]

Just curious - do the retrofocal wides have more distortion?