Mamiya 7 50mm MTF

[mas]

Does anyone have the MTF value or LPI for the Mamiya 7 50mm lens?

Thank you.

[EdSawyer]

I don't have the MTF (would like to see that too) but Pop Photo did some tests at one point, and posted lp/mm numbers. I have those PDF'ed here:

http://www.edsawyer.com/lenstests/

along with other lens test data and reviews of the m7 and other stuff. (The specific file is: PP_Mamiya_7II_Lenses_test_and_review.pdf)

Also, Chris Perez did some testing of the mamiya and other lenses, here:

http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/MF_testing.html

Where he did test the 50.

-Ed

[mas]

Thanks Ed. Interesting that the data is so different, but it gives me what I need.

I would like to compare to F-Mount lenses: Zeiss 21mm, and Nikon 17-35 in the 20mm range.

Thanks Again.

Michael

[philosomatographer]

Originally Posted by mas

I would like to compare to F-Mount lenses: Zeiss 21mm, and Nikon 17-35 in the 20mm range.

Ha! (funny)

Not even Leica produces wide-angle lenses as good as the Mamiya 7 ones - your Zeiss 21mm and Nikkor 17-35 will be absolutely trounced. What would you achieve by even trying to compare?

This is like a car magazine comparing the performance of a 1990 Toyota Camry and a Mclaren F1.

The Mamiya 7 lenses are unparalleled perfection in the most absolute sense of the word, end of story.

[mas]

Of course I knew someone would say that. Meanwhile, I'm still curious.

[philosomatographer]

Originally Posted by mas

Of course I knew someone would say that. Meanwhile, I'm still curious.

I am not aware that Mamiya has ever published MTF graphs, and any third-party attempt at producing them are usually fraught with inaccuracy unless you have a Zeiss collimator

It's probably best to imagine an empty graph, because all the lines are jammed to the top. Really, don't even care about resolution with these lenses - like Rolls-Royce said: "Resolution is sufficient".

Testing shows the 80mm, wide open in the corners to best the centre resolution of any Rollei/Zeiss/Hasselblad 80mm ever made, for example. The wide angles appear to be similarly superior.

Everybody gets different lp/mm when they test these, because they don't have sufficient technique or equipment worthy of testing this lens series.

[EdSawyer]

hi Michael -

Given that the M7 lenses are non-retrofocus designs along the lines of the biogon formula, they will inherently be superior to the retrofocus designs for the small-format cameras from zeiss and nikon. Even if the retrofocus 35mm lenses were better, the much larger format of the 6x7 neg would supercede any advantage of the lens, when it comes to results-on-paper.

Mamiya did publish MTF of some of their lenses. I have the MTF for several of the RZ67 lenses posted on the abovementioned site, I believe. (if not, I can post them).

Comparisons are only valid when comparing using similar techniques, so for example all of Chris Perez's comparisons are valid amongst themselves. Likewise the Pop Photo tests are valid within their subset. The most useful part of the test data is determining which apertures are best for which lens. Generally f/8-f/11 will be the sharpest on the M7 stuff.

Some of the RZ67 APO teles are sharpest wide open (!), indicating diffraction-limited performance at wide open aperture - that is about as good as lenses can get. Few lenses can match that claim, even today.

FWIW
-Ed