Hi all,
Had a chance to get a brand new YI 42.5mm f1.8 pretty cheap so decided to give it a try. I was interested in the close focusing possibilities of the lens compared to the venerable Oly 45mm f1.8. As you may know, the Yi has a macro switch with allows you to focus down to about 10 inches, compared to the roughly 20 inch normal minimum focusing distance of both the Oly and the Yi lenses. The only caveat to the 10 inch macro mode is that the lens stops down to a minimum of f3.5 so you lose some light gathering capability.
Anyhoo. I set up a quick test with a couple of bobble-head figurines. Camera was set to aperture priority at the lowest possible aperture (f1.8), output was jpeg at ISO 200 with center-weighted exposure. Did my best to focus on the leftmost eye (facing the subject) of the foremost character. It seemed that the Oly needed about an inch more distance to lock focus than the Yi. The oly also seemed to focus a tad faster and more quietly, though the Yi was far from loud (barely audible in fact.) Afterwards, I loaded the jpegs into Irfanview and did a quick autocolor correct just to get the images a bit brighter.
Take a look and see what you think. I was initially surprised by how sharp the YI was compared to what I think is a VERY sharp copy of the Oly 45mm. Viewed at 100% the Oly is clearly sharper, and I feel that the bokeh is a bit nicer looking at the character in the background. What I found most interesting is that when comparing the macro image from the Yi to an enlarged version of the OLY, I feel the OLY has still captured more detail than the Yi. Once again, this little test is certainly not scientific nor is it exhaustive, comparing each lens at multiple apertures, lighting conditions or distances. I tend to shoot the Oly wide open at reasonably close distances for portraits, so I thought this test might show differences I might see in actual use. So, even with the Oly being superior to my aged eyes, I think if you can find the Yi for cheap, it would be totally acceptable for someone on a restricted budget.
Now, with any luck my images will be available for your perusal. I don't post much so this a bit of trial and error. Please bear with me.
FYI, just noticed the macro shot is at ISO 640. Oops.
Oly 45mm f1.8
Yi 42.5mm f1.8
Yi 42.5mm f1.8 (at f3.5) macro mode
Had a chance to get a brand new YI 42.5mm f1.8 pretty cheap so decided to give it a try. I was interested in the close focusing possibilities of the lens compared to the venerable Oly 45mm f1.8. As you may know, the Yi has a macro switch with allows you to focus down to about 10 inches, compared to the roughly 20 inch normal minimum focusing distance of both the Oly and the Yi lenses. The only caveat to the 10 inch macro mode is that the lens stops down to a minimum of f3.5 so you lose some light gathering capability.
Anyhoo. I set up a quick test with a couple of bobble-head figurines. Camera was set to aperture priority at the lowest possible aperture (f1.8), output was jpeg at ISO 200 with center-weighted exposure. Did my best to focus on the leftmost eye (facing the subject) of the foremost character. It seemed that the Oly needed about an inch more distance to lock focus than the Yi. The oly also seemed to focus a tad faster and more quietly, though the Yi was far from loud (barely audible in fact.) Afterwards, I loaded the jpegs into Irfanview and did a quick autocolor correct just to get the images a bit brighter.
Take a look and see what you think. I was initially surprised by how sharp the YI was compared to what I think is a VERY sharp copy of the Oly 45mm. Viewed at 100% the Oly is clearly sharper, and I feel that the bokeh is a bit nicer looking at the character in the background. What I found most interesting is that when comparing the macro image from the Yi to an enlarged version of the OLY, I feel the OLY has still captured more detail than the Yi. Once again, this little test is certainly not scientific nor is it exhaustive, comparing each lens at multiple apertures, lighting conditions or distances. I tend to shoot the Oly wide open at reasonably close distances for portraits, so I thought this test might show differences I might see in actual use. So, even with the Oly being superior to my aged eyes, I think if you can find the Yi for cheap, it would be totally acceptable for someone on a restricted budget.
Now, with any luck my images will be available for your perusal. I don't post much so this a bit of trial and error. Please bear with me.
FYI, just noticed the macro shot is at ISO 640. Oops.
Oly 45mm f1.8
Yi 42.5mm f1.8
Yi 42.5mm f1.8 (at f3.5) macro mode
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