What is the sharpest lens?

croomaniac

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Heard that 135 F1.8 ZA (Carl Ziess) lens is the sharpest lens, well, i don't know about others though, and it is more biased towards Sony & Minolta.. How about other brand?

Your personal experience is needed though..

Rgds,
 
I have no idea what "the" sharpest lens is... I doubt there is such a thing, since it is relative to the camera bodies the lens is on.

The sharpest lens I own is a 105 Macro Nikkor.
 
why do you ask? sharpness doesn't make a photograph.
 
I remember a story about a guy who made big prints, up to a metre, and people believed he was using medium format and admired the sharpness, often asking what the lens was. His answer: An old Canon AE-1 35mm and a Canon 70 - 210 zoom.
He went on to point out the importance of things like correct exposure and processing, and choosing the right lighting, using a tripod, etc. This produces an "apparent sharpness", which is clearly extremely important because it´s what you or the viewer will react to, and may not be directly related to the technical "resolving" power of the lens.
 
More importantly where? All lenses suffer diffraction which makes them less sharp at higher apertures, and in ideal situations kit lenses like the Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 is every bit as sharp as the Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8.

Every lens has a sharp sweet spot that would hit the performance limit of most sensors, and every lens suffers diffraction too, so there is no "sharpest" lens.
 
Actually, the question is easily answered:

A broken one.

Can give you a nasty cut can one of those.
 
Legend has it that the Zeiss Biogon lenses are "the sharpest ever made," particularly the medium format ones, but I've also heard stunning things about the Biogon series manufactured for the Contax 35mm systems. Reportedly, the MF biogons even put Leica glass to shame.
 
I remember a story about a guy who made big prints, up to a metre, and people believed he was using medium format and admired the sharpness, often asking what the lens was. His answer: An old Canon AE-1 35mm and a Canon 70 - 210 zoom.
He went on to point out the importance of things like correct exposure and processing, and choosing the right lighting, using a tripod, etc. This produces an "apparent sharpness", which is clearly extremely important because it´s what you or the viewer will react to, and may not be directly related to the technical "resolving" power of the lens.

Apparent sharpness is a matter of contrast and is independent of lens construction/resolution. All things being equal, increasing "apparent contrast" will produce a sharper image with a better lens.
 
why do you ask? sharpness doesn't make a photograph.

If sharpness doesn't make a photograph, you don't have to blow your dust, or clean your lens.. and you dont have to focus!~ focus (to get sharp pictures) is not needed!~ period.

It has to be something about everything.. I like sharp pictures, it gives the feeling of "whoah~" no one prefer blur pictures..

anyway, ziess, zeiss boigon, leica & 105 macro nikkor are on the list..

any others? :wink:
 
Add a vote for the Nikkor 70-200VR. From personal experience, it does some pretty amazingly sharp shots under the right circumstances. My 105mm Sigma macro prime is right up there, though. These two lenses are not used often, but every time I use them, I am always impressed with them.

I cannot comment about Zeis or other brands short of public perception and reputation.
 

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