Beat this in sharpness

[M Kitzman]

I issue a challenge to produce an image sharper than this and with equal intensity of color. Gfx 50r mounted on Linhof 4x5 and Schneider Super Symmar 100xl. This lens is regarded as one of the finest in the world of large format photography. Image taken from a distance of six feet. Sorry but I am so astonished on what the gfx and the linhof combo can produce.



View attachment ad472304dc4c48b495f6d74196c04699.jpg
Gfx rocks!

 

[Richard Feynman]

Love it!!! The sharpness, the depth, the color. Look forward to the challenges .

1. I assume that is one single shot?
2. Did you mean Schneider 110?
3. Would you be specific on which Linhof 4x5?
4. What type of TS range of adjustment are you able to achieve with this combination?
5. What are you using to adapt to the Linhof?

 

[M Kitzman]

Thanks Richard. You're right, it is the 110xl. It is the Linhof Technica IV model. The method of mounting the lens to the lens board is somewhat contrived. I had a recessed lens board, however, the back of the lens was too far from the film plane to use movements. So I widened the hole or copal#1 opening to allow the front of the lens barrel to fit in this opening. I leveled the lens in the opening and fastened the lens with duct tape to the lens board. There is an outfit on ebay in Japan that sell super recessed lens boards. Eventually I will order one of those. No focus stacking in this image, f22. Cheers.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

nice dimensional rendering as well

 

[JimKasson]

No focus stacking in this image, f22.

At f/22, does the lens you choose matter much wrt sharpness? Airy disk is 15.2 um for 555 nm light, and Sparrow distance is 12.4 nm, so the lens would have to have a lot of aberrations to override the diffraction. To put the 15 um number in perspective, the pixel pitch of the GFX 50x is 5.3 um.

Jim

 

[M Kitzman]

Hi Jim,

The general consensus is that f16 is the sweet spot for this lens. I reshot the image at f16 and then f45 to show the effects of diffraction. I don't see any appreciable difference between f16 and f22 for the above scene. The f45 does lose crispness, but still remarkably decent fpr f45.



View attachment 46cbf58ae27a4fdfa95f3e9027929f2b.jpg
f16



View attachment 6b1d4cfadbe448b3a7bbe2e04a05c3e7.jpg
f45

Hi Jim,

The f16 is sharper than the f45. The general opinion is the f16 is the sweet spot for this lens, however, I don't see much difference between f16 and f22 in the above images. For some reason the f22 seems sharper, but that was at a faster iso. Not sure if I am getting some vibration with lower iso. Will have to check. Hope that helps.





sh

 

[M Kitzman]

Hi Chris,

I agree with you the 110xl on the gfx produces a very realistic rendering. Thanks. Morey

 

[JimKasson]

Hi Jim,

The general consensus is that f16 is the sweet spot for this lens. I reshot the image at f16 and then f45 to show the effects of diffraction. I don't see any appreciable difference between f16 and f22 for the above scene. The f45 does lose crispness, but still remarkably decent fpr f45.

At f/16, Airy disk is 10.7 um for 550 nm light, and Sparrow distance is 8.8 nm. To put the 11 um number in perspective, the pixel pitch of the GFX 50x is 5.3 um.

--
Posted as a regular forum member.
https://blog.kasson.com

 

[rospotte]

In general the sweet spot for any lens begins 3 or 4 notches from wide open.

 

[JimKasson]

In general the sweet spot for any lens begins 3 or 4 notches from wide open.

Not true for all lenses. The Otus 55/1.4 and 85/1.4 are sharpest on-axis a bit more than a stop down from wide open. So is the Fuji 110/2.

 

[rospotte]

Maybe so but for most people especially those just starting out. The three or four stop down for max sharpness is a good rule to know.

 

[JimKasson]

Maybe so but for most people especially those just starting out. The three or four stop down for max sharpness is a good rule to know.

I don't think there are many folks on the MF forum who are just starting out in photography.

 

[NancyP]

Triggered the Geek reflex. Airy I know, Sparrow... well, off to wikipedia :-D

 

[JimKasson]

Triggered the Geek reflex. Airy I know, Sparrow... well, off to wikipedia :-D

Sparrow's resolution limit - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

About half way down the page here:

The Diffraction Barrier in Optical Microscopy

The resolution limitations in microscopy are often referred to as the diffraction barrier, which restricts the ability of optical instruments to distinguish between two objects separated by a lateral distance less than approximately half the wavelength of light used to image the specimen.

www.microscopyu.com

I think other constants are discriminated against. There's no e or i day.

Jim

 

[Richard Feynman]

Maybe so but for most people especially those just starting out. The three or four stop down for max sharpness is a good rule to know.

I don't think there are many folks on the MF forum who are just starting out in photography.

Perhaps not total beginners, but I suspect there are more relative beginners that one might assume. I follow the Facebook group and I see quite a few questions from people there that indicate a beginner level of knowledge (myself included). People who've decided to jump onto the GFX train and are learning as they go.

 

[Rick Knepper]

Hi Jim,

The general consensus is that f16 is the sweet spot for this lens. I reshot the image at f16 and then f45 to show the effects of diffraction. I don't see any appreciable difference between f16 and f22 for the above scene. The f45 does lose crispness, but still remarkably decent fpr f45.

I agree.

View attachment 46cbf58ae27a4fdfa95f3e9027929f2b.jpg
f16

View attachment 6b1d4cfadbe448b3a7bbe2e04a05c3e7.jpg
f45

Hi Jim,

The f16 is sharper than the f45. The general opinion is the f16 is the sweet spot for this lens, however, I don't see much difference between f16 and f22 in the above images. For some reason the f22 seems sharper, but that was at a faster iso. Not sure if I am getting some vibration with lower iso. Will have to check. Hope that helps.

sh

The F22 does seem sharper (but it also seems like a different crop/size). 1/5 vs. 3 secs SS could have something to do with it. Not sure what point is being made about diffraction. If you need f22/whatever, then you need it and this rig is getting it done.

There is a Schneider Super Symmar 100xl lens on eBay for a decent price. How mobile is this rig?

--
Once you've done fifty, anything less is iffy.

 

[Richard Feynman]

Rick,

I know most of this is second nature to you, but just in case these contain anything useful/interesting for you here are a couple of articles I saved on using technical cameras for landscape photography.

The guy in the first post is using one of these cheapies that he mentions is also backpack friendly. He is actually using film.

https://www.alexburkephoto.com/blog/2018/2/13/choosing-a-4x5-camera-and-lenses

This guy is using a Phase One and a Cambo.

https://photoaesthetics.com/the-joy-of-technical-cameras/

 

[M Kitzman]

Rick,

You asked how mobile is this rig? Very mobile. The Linhof Technica 4x5 IV folds into relatively compact size. I have three large format lenses which are also very compact. The gfx 50r speaks for itself. I have a Manfrotto light weight back pack type camera bag and the 50r fits inthe top compartment and the Linhof in the lower one with two lenses.. There is additional space for the gf 32-64 in the top compartment, but the additional weight is pushing the limit of portability. This back pack fits easily in the small overhead bins in those smaller planes. You need a fairly robust tripod and ball head to support the rig. It is not a light affair but doable for short hikes. The set up is fairly quick and composing the shots also very fast. Not having to have a dark cloth over your head and camera, and a light meter to figure exposure while seeing the world up side down is a welcome change. The 110xl is my favorite lens but a word of caution. The lens board has to be deeply recessed to allow the lens rear element to be close to the sensor plane so you can use the movements of the 4x5. Changing the aperture can prove challenging in the recessed space. I have modified a lens board to move the lens close to the sensor, but I have remove the lens from the camera to change the f stop. Not a real big issue if you shoot at f16 most of the time. The quality of the images I am seeing with this set up can bring tears to a grown man’s eyes. 350 mb stitched images or just single shots are amazing. I have macro to telephoto capability with this set up that you can see with earlier post. Cheers.

 

[Rick Knepper]

Rick,

You asked how mobile is this rig? Very mobile. The Linhof Technica 4x5 IV folds into relatively compact size. I have three large format lenses which are also very compact. The gfx 50r speaks for itself. I have a Manfrotto light weight back pack type camera bag and the 50r fits inthe top compartment and the Linhof in the lower one with two lenses.. There is additional space for the gf 32-64 in the top compartment, but the additional weight is pushing the limit of portability. This back pack fits easily in the small overhead bins in those smaller planes. You need a fairly robust tripod and ball head to support the rig. It is not a light affair but doable for short hikes. The set up is fairly quick and composing the shots also very fast. Not having to have a dark cloth over your head and camera, and a light meter to figure exposure while seeing the world up side down is a welcome change. The 110xl is my favorite lens but a word of caution. The lens board has to be deeply recessed to allow the lens rear element to be close to the sensor plane so you can use the movements of the 4x5. Changing the aperture can prove challenging in the recessed space. I have modified a lens board to move the lens close to the sensor, but I have remove the lens from the camera to change the f stop. Not a real big issue if you shoot at f16 most of the time. The quality of the images I am seeing with this set up can bring tears to a grown man’s eyes. 350 mb stitched images or just single shots are amazing. I have macro to telephoto capability with this set up that you can see with earlier post. Cheers.

I've looked at the Cambo Actus for GFX but I don't really know anything about the lenses being offered. Your description of the 110xl in conjunction with your pic got my curiosity up but the modifications are frankly worrisome. I'll have to look but I wonder if the Cambo has a lens board for these Schnieder lenses.

My definition of mobile for this particular kit would be for use on my 4WD trips where the kit sits on the passenger seat until I pull it out wherever I stop. Also, at Iconic/tourist overlooks. No long hiking anymore.

 

[Rick Knepper]

Rick,

I know most of this is second nature to you, but just in case these contain anything useful/interesting for you here are a couple of articles I saved on using technical cameras for landscape photography.

The guy in the first post is using one of these cheapies that he mentions is also backpack friendly. He is actually using film.

https://www.alexburkephoto.com/blog/2018/2/13/choosing-a-4x5-camera-and-lenses

This guy is using a Phase One and a Cambo.

https://photoaesthetics.com/the-joy-of-technical-cameras/

Thanks for the links. Actually, I've landed on the 2nd link just recently. I keep returning to the Cambo in my searches although I agree with wuzup that the best solution for me would be for Fuji to do a T/S lens. Even a shift-only lens would solve some issues for me.