After pixel-peeping lens comparisons until the eyes go bloodshot, one obvious question is how much change has been made since the 1960's in optical design and manufacturing? Now that I have a couple lenses that were designed 50 years apart, perhaps I can have a look?
As background, I'm trying to figure out with of the last Nikon Nikkors I'll keep as my "just in case" lenses. I still have a very pretty Nikon Nikkor-O 35mm f/2 pre-Ai. How does it compare with a more recent Sony 35mm f/2.8 ZA?
Setup ~
- Camera -
- Sony A7
- Lenses -
- Sony 35mm f/2.8 ZA
- Nikon Nikkor-O 35mm f/2
- Bogen tripod
- RawTherapee to snug up the curves, with and without "Capture Sharpen"
Comparison ~
As always, click on the image and enlarge to 100percent to see whatever there is to be seen.
Comments ~
In the center from f/2.8 on down there's not much difference between the new and old lenses. Both look nice and sharp. This continues to hold true after Capture Sharpening. Wide open at f/2, the Nikkor-O shows the common under-corrected spherical aberration that Nikon seems to have deliberately designed into their old SLR lenses. Wide open is where the original Nikon "magic pixies" live.The corners show clear differences between the newer Sony and the older Nikkor-O. Without Capture Sharpening the Nikkor's edges never really clean up, though I can see that stopping down does help edge performance in the old lens. With, however, Capture Sharpening the Nikkor-O is beginning to look decent starting at f/4 and looks pretty good at f/5.6.
The performance of a c.1970's lens matching modern optics? OK, so the old Nikkor could use a bit of software support to clean up the corners. Still. I'd say Nikon did a pretty good job designing and manufacturing the fast f/2 35mm optic 50 years ago.
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