Nikon Lenses - but how good?!?!?

[Sheetshooter]

For some time now I have been working through evaluating which system to go for in my quest for digital capability.

Just today a friend loaned me his copy of "EF LENS WORK III" which is a comprehensive listing of all current Canon lenses. In the back is a reference page with MTF Curves listed for each lens.

Does anybody know whether Nikon publishes any MTF Curves for their lenses?

I use Nikkor lenses for large format and I have never seen MTF literature for them despite the fact that Rodenstock & Schneider publish quite extensive lab data on the performance of their optics.

I'd be grateful for either a website address or the name of a booklet.

[sirhc55]

Try this:

http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/dslr/LensTests.html

[Glen]

Or this

http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products/lens/mtf.htm

[cameraguy21773]

From a Japanese website via the Nikonians:

http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products/lens/index.htm

regards
Mike Parker
Frederick, MD

[Sheetshooter]

Thank you very much guys, Just what I was after.

Cheers,

[Onyx]

Nikon Japan's website as has been posted, have MTF charts.

Also keep in mind Canon and Nikon's MTFs are incommensurable because they each use a different set of conditions in their chart (Canon 'cheats').

To be honest, I don't think the lenses are the limit to resolution in current day digital tech - it's the sensors. I find there is a fairly big loss of resolving power with CMOS imagers, from the flagship Canon products and admittedly also from the D2X. CCDs from the D70/D100, Fuji S2/S3 seems to have better resolution per given megapixel. I put it down to overly aggresive noise reduction algorithms implemented in CMOS cams, as they are inherently a more noisy technology - but which seems to be the direction digital imaging technology is heading.

While you could not find a stronger opponent of Canon on these forums than myself (and my strong opinions are backed by facts), I do believe they are onto something BIG for next year's flagship 1 series models... if you're prepared to wait that long. They've adopted Foveon-like technology to individualise 3 colour capture. But know Canon the first release will be rushed and it'll take 2-3 iterations (that's about 6 months from first release) to get it right.

[Andoru]

Holy molly! The 50mm/1.8 MTF looks better than the 50mm/1.4! If only they repeat the test with different apertures....