Best lenses ever designed?

[kers]

This is the best light weight, walk-about, fine art quality camera/lens I've tested or used, and DxO seems to agree -- the Sony RX1rii:

"

• utstanding at f/2.8 and on, the Zeiss Sonnar T* 2/35 is likely to become a classic, against which all others are judged."

https://www.dxomark.com/sony-cyber-shot-rx1-carl-zeiss-sonnar-t-2-35-review-is-this-the-ultimate-moderate-wide-angle-lens/

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Indeed even 6 years later the sensor and lens are still among the best.

[Michael Erlewine]

To me, the best lenses depend on what kind of subject I am shooting. Here are five I use a lot, plus a few others that could easily be on the list.


Nikon APO Z 58mm Noct f/0.95 (best best)

APO El Nikkor 105mm f/5.6 (best style)

APO Rodenstock Geragon or Ronar 150mm f/9 (sharp)

Voigtlander 125mm APO-Lanthar f/2.5 (all around)

Nikkor-O “CRT” 55mm f/1.2 (sharp, useful)


Also useful:

Coastal Optics 60mm APO f/4 (color)

Schneider-Kreuznach APO Macro Varon 85mm f/4.5 (all around)

Leica  APO-Macro Elmarit-R 00mm f/2.8 (color, delicate)

Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 (all around, sharp)

Printing APO Nikkors (95mm, 105mm, 150mm, f/2. Sharp

Zeiss Otus Series f/1.4 (55mm, 28mm) (all around great)

[Doug Peterson]

From our article on lenses for 150mp: http://phaseoneiq4.com/lenses-for-150-megapixels/

A++ Lenses
Rodenstock: 32HR, 50HR, 90HR-SW, 105HR
Schneider LS BR: 35, 45, 40-80, 120, 150, 240, 2x TC
Hassy H: 50 II, 120 II

Of course, as noted by many here, "Best" is a use-case and user-specific word. Our ratings were about optical quality and the ability to fully use a 150mp full-frame 645 sensor given the assumption that the lens met your practical concerns (e.g. weight, size, speed of AF if any, price, body compatibility etc).

[Paul_Roark]

While I used to be a rather obsessive lens tester, I think the game has changed after Topaz's AI Gigapixel.  I'm not thrilled much by the other recent Topaz software, but AIG may make ultimate sharpness of the lens less important than "good enough to be sharpened by AIG" across the field at as many apertures (and focal lengths, if a zoom) as possible.  That is, once the lens reaches the level that AIG can sharpen it, extreme sharpness of the original optic becomes almost a moot point.  What AIG can't do is save, for example, soft corners of a mediocre optic. (And the soft "donuts" of even some Leica M optics that I have are a problem that can't be "fixed" completely.)

Before Topaz's AIG, I though "AI" was mostly hype.  No more.  I bought several prior alleged sharpening software packages and never found one that worked well enough to bother leaving my usual PS image editing environment.

Note that I put the AIG 2x image as a layer on top of a Photoshop 2x resampled layer so that I can soften or deal with artifacts.  Also, the raw conversion software sharpening needs to be at least cut in half to avoid AIG from sharpening halos.  That is, there is a bit of a learning curve to proper use of this software tool.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 

[hmb]

Best lens I have used is the Zeiss Sonar f2/35 that is built into the Sony RX1.

[budjames]

My vote is for the Leica Summilux 35mm ASPH FLE and APO Summicron 50mm ASPH. I own them both and they are my goto lenses for travel and everyday shooting.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/budjamesphoto

[PeterAit]

Questioner: "Who is the best wife you've ever had?"

Answerer: "I've only had one."

Questioner: "Then she's the best."

[kers]

Questioner: "Who is the best wife you've ever had?"

Answerer: "I've only had one."

Questioner: "Then she's the best."

but was she 'the best woman ever designed?

[Paul_Roark]

My vote is for the Leica Summilux 35mm ASPH FLE and APO Summicron 50mm ASPH. I own them both and they are my goto lenses for travel and everyday shooting.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/budjamesphoto

I agree that the Leica APO Summicron 50mm ASPH is in the "best" category.  I use it with a Sony a7riv.  The Leica 75mm APO is right up there with it, and because of my shooting style, it's the one I use more than the 50 (but less than a 35mm).  The APO 75 stays on my Sony a7riv and also fits in the Sony camera case (made by a third party seller).  That said, in most real world displays, the little Sony RX1r frame, after doubling its resolution in Topaz AIG, is essentially indistinguishable from the Leica 75, and the ability to just have a small belt pouch with the RX1 in it is just too inviting.  (The Sony a7r with APO 75 is not exactly light.)

I have no connection with Topaz and am not impressed with most of their offerings, but that Gigapixel AI up-res'ing algorithm is a real winner that has the potential to have a major impact on our photo decisions and practices, particularly for hikers and landscape shooters.  I hope we see other companies start to focus on the software end of the process with a bit more innovation than I'm seeing come from Adobe recently.

Also, very nice shots, Bud.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

[BernardLanguillier]

Hi Paul,

Have you trued using the Topaz upres AI thing in combination with noise reduction software?

If you have I’d be interested in your optimal workflow.

Thanks.

And yes, the Leica 75mm f1.25 is definitely in the short list!

Cheers,
Bernard

[Paul_Roark]

Hi Paul,

Have you trued using the Topaz upres AI thing in combination with noise reduction software?

...

Gigapixel AI used at 2x expansion of pixels seems to be the best of the entire family of Topaz's recent offerings.  While it sharpens the details, it also reduces the grain, most noticeably in the sky.

Topaz's "DeNoise AI" also earned a shortcut on my desktop, but I'm finding it less easy to control.  It seems to be overkill for most of my files.  On my "to do" list is to see if I can use it to tame the grain in my old film shots, but so far I have not found the combination that brings those old shots up to what we now expect.  I'm not saying it can't, but I think there is going to be a learning curve relating to the settings and other workflow parameters; and I have not yet had the time to focus on it. Gig AI, on the other hand, seems to be very good at its default settings, at least for my more modern digital files, and it seem to be excellent with one minor setting change when I originally open the raw file, noted below.

One important thing to keep in mind with Gigapixel AI is to reduce to (usually to 20 v. the default 40) the sharpening in the PS raw conversion of the file.  Otherwise you get very nice and sharp halos!  Not good.

Halo-free sharpening is an important new capability we get with Gigapixel AI. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

[BernardLanguillier]

Thanks a lot Paul.

[Paul_Roark]

Just to modify slightly my last post, on many good digital files, I turn the sharpening in the raw conversion off entirely to avoid halos.  Gig AI sharpened halos are the enemy.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

[the_luminous_french]

Canon TS-E 50mm 2.8 L Macro
Fuji gfx 110
Schneider digitar 72

a perfect lens ?
No distortion
sharp wide open
Nice bokeh
Excellent flare resistance
no field curvature
large aperture
light
solid
tilt and shift

but life is a compromise !