What is the sharpest lens?

[Ben-71]
To the best of my knowledge, no other lens does this.
I'd be glad to learn something new.
Please point to a lens that does it, and which does it as well
as the Coastal Optics' 60 mm f/4 UV-Vis-IR APO Macro does.

[Alpha]
Shady marketing. At infinity, wavelength is negligible. Did you
notice that all of their graphs of UV and IR light are for focusing
at infinity?
It's just like statistics. Easily manipulated "data" that appear
valid to the untrained eye.

I agree with you that 'APO' is sometimes used "loosely" for marketing
reasons.
However, even if focus shift (from UV to IR) at infinity was negligible,
then we're talking about the '60mm f/4 UV-Vis-IR APO Macro' lens,
which is specifically made to meet critical sharpness demands, with
any two - or all three - frequency ranges (UV-visible-IR), in the same
photograph.

I didn't find any other lens that does this.
 
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Resolution tests are done in monochrome, where the light is ideally a point source of constant wavelength. This makes apochromatism or superachromatism independent of resolution in LPI.

I just have lots of problems with this lens you've linked to and using its specs to qualify a "sharpest lens ever" claim. The resolution in LPI, for starters, which I'm sure is lower than some other lenses on earth. Second, you're putting too much weight on the CA issue in judging sharpness. An APO-EL Nikkor, for example, is also a true APO lens, but that doesn't mean it's sharper necessarily than some other non-enlarging lens that may or may not be true APO or even APO at all. Third, the specs on this lens, from a materials standpoint, aren't as convincing to me as they're made to sound. For example, true UV lenses are supposed to be made out of quartz because of the UV filtration issues of normal glass (which are independent of coating). Would you, for example, claim that this lens you've linked to is sharper than the UV-Nikkor for UV or near-UV photography? I certainly wouldn't.

Maybe, just maybe, if I only shot IR, would I think about buying this lens to avoid focusing adjustments. But if I took an IR shot with a higher resolution lens and adjusted focus, it would still make for a sharper image than this thing, which simply obviates the need for the focusing adjustment. It's doesn't make in-focus shots of non-visible light sharper. But further, if I were a serious UV shooter, I'd be looking at that Nikkor. And for practical purposes, a really tack sharp lens built primarily for visible light would be probably be my choice over this thing, regardless of its coating.
 
Alpha
"Resolution tests are done in monochrome, where the light is ideally
a point source of constant wavelength. This makes apochromatism
or superachromatism independent of resolution in LPI.

I just have lots of problems with this lens you've linked to and using
its specs to qualify a "sharpest lens ever" claim.
The resolution in LPI, for starters, which I'm sure is lower than some
other lenses on earth.
Second, you're putting too much weight on the CA issue in judging
sharpness.
An APO-EL Nikkor, for example, is also a true APO lens, but that
doesn't mean it's sharper necessarily than some other non-enlarging
lens that may or may not be true APO or even APO at all.

Third, the specs on this lens, from a materials standpoint, aren't as
convincing to me as they're made to sound. For example, true UV
lenses are supposed to be made out of quartz because of the UV
filtration issues of normal glass (which are independent of coating).
Would you, for example, claim that this lens you've linked to is
sharper than the UV-Nikkor for UV or near-UV photography?
I certainly wouldn't.

Maybe, just maybe, if I only shot IR, would I think about buying this
lens to avoid focusing adjustments. But if I took an IR shot with a higher
resolution lens and adjusted focus, it would still make for a sharper image
than this thing, which simply obviates the need for the focusing adjustment.

It's doesn't make in-focus shots of non-visible light sharper.
But further, if I were a serious UV shooter, I'd be looking at that Nikkor.
And for practical purposes, a really tack sharp lens built primarily for
visible light would be probably be my choice over this thing, regardless
of its coating.

This lens was made to meet specific demands in forensics and some labs,
and it meets those demands beautifully.

I agree with part of what you say.
Please notice that there was a smiley in my first post, which was supposed
to suggest that I was playful rather than "debateful".

We can't seriously determine which "the sharpest lens" is, because it would be
one that's made to give maximum sharpness for a very narrow frequency band,
at a fixed distance.
And then, there's no point in comparing it to another lens that's made to give
maximum sharpness for a different wave frequency at a different distance.

e.g., there's no point in comparing the sharpness of a super-sharp lens for
projecting micro circuits using monochromatic light, to an aerial camera lens
with which you can read a newspaper from many miles away.

We can meaningfully compare only lenses of the same type,
e.g. two 105mm Micro lenses, or two 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses.

Therefore, what I posted was in fun mood, and not argumentatively.
As nominating the sharpest lens without specifying its type & use is pointless,
I offered the 60mm f/4 UV-Vis-IR APO Macro lens, because it is very good over
a wider frequency range than any other lens that I know of (UV to IR, 315 nm
to 1100 nm).
At the end of this nomination, there's a smiley...: :wink:
 
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Nikkor AF-S DX ED 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6.
 
Your personal experience is needed though..

Rgds,

If you are interested in pure sharpness, is difficult to rely on personal experience: no one tested every possible lens. You will obtain a list of lenses perceived as sharp.
 
Thread_NecroRD.jpg
 
:BangHead: ops - I do not know from where I resurrected this thread, maybe from the similar threads behind...
 

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