Hi Folks,
It usually puzzles me to see several well-respected Zuikoholics write that
they prefer lenses that deliver less rather than more, contrast.
I just don't understand it.
By way of example in another medium, I've been wearing glasses
(spectacles) since I was 5 years old. That's more than half a century
(shudder). <g>
Many times I have noticed when I get a new pair of lenses to an up-to-date
prescription, how suddenly in comparison to what the old set delivered, the
world around me quickly is in focus again, everything is tack-sharp, colours
are more vibrant and exciting - a pleasure to look at. It puts a whole new face
on the day.
And that is with only one piece of glass between the subject and the
negative, so to speak.
These days I get the same impression any time I want, since my eyes are
less flexible than they once were, and I must use two pairs of spectacles -
one for reading etc, one for long-distance (tack-sharp), and for macro I take
all spectacles off (I'm serious - my macro-vision is great). Most of the time
since I can't be bothered swapping frames, I wander around ( and even drive
!!) with reading glasses on. But when it becomes critical and I put the
distance glasses on, suddenly the world around snaps into focus and colour.
In sunlight, if I take all spectacles off, although I lose the sharp focus, the
increased brightness of light and of colours is immediately apparent. And
this is with just one layer of glass.
How much more so must this be with camera lenses, with their many more
layers of glass??.
Sometimes I move my eye from the view-finder to the outside, and there is a
clear difference between the contrast, the brightness of light and colour,
(often especially at the edges, as one would expect), the lenses reduce the
contrast and often alter the values of the colours. And not for the better.
So: what it it about these (to my mind) degraded images that people like so
much?
I just don't get it.
Brian
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|