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Re: [OM] Olympus lens values?

Subject: Re: [OM] Olympus lens values?
From: ClassicVW@xxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 18:13:23 EST
John,
While I haven't followed this thread too closely, you're being too hard on 
C.H., IMO. Many qualities of a lens can be measured scientifically, and for 
other qualities it's not so easy to do. Yes, contrast can be "measured", but 
if someone feels there's such a thing as "too much contrast", That's their 
subjective opinion, and I may or may not agree, but I know what he's trying 
to convey. You are of the position that everything can be measured and 
categorized, but it's not that simple in photography, or someone with the 
highest intelligence who buys the most expensive equipment would 
automatically turn out the best photographs. It's just not that mechanical. 
You also state that through modern computer codes one can accurately 
simullate all characteristics of a lens? Maybe one can *attempt* to build a 
lens with certain characteristics, but there's just too many intangibles, and 
most would say that "bokeh" is one of them. So is a "3D look". These are not 
hard and fast computer codes, they're people's subjective opinions on a lens' 
performance.
And I also know what he means when he writes about the "color" of Canon's 
lenses, and I feel I have enough experience, and many others do also, with 
Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Leica to  *generally* *accurately* describe their 
characteristics in a blind study, at least more accurately than guessing. 
You're looking at photography in too much of a numbers crunching way, 
photography is not a science, it's an art, and no amount of computer science 
or physics can master that.

George S.

 jldasch@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

<< There is no point in arguing rationally with someone who choses
 irrationality as their basis for interpreting the world.  Contrast can
 certainly be measured, it is a measure of optical scattering (noise).
 This contrast is very different from the contrast provided by film and
 paper.
 
<< I would venture that given top lenses from the top manufacturers that
 in a scientifically based double blind study very few of the more
 nebulous characteristics you mention ("color of Canon", "3D look")
 could be discerned. (statistically valid differentiation vs. random
 guessing)  This would be true even if the test subjects were chosen
 from those who espouse the "3D look" or other ill-defined
 characteristics.
 
 Classical optics is an old and well understood area of physics.  It is
 precisely this that allows the manufacturers to design their optics.
 With modern computer codes it is possible to accurately simulate all
 characteristics of a lens, including the imaging of out of focus
 areas, which you feel ("bokeh") can not be measured.  
  >>

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