Beer Bottle Bokeh and Other Optical Phenomenon
Zeiss ZM Biogon 35mm F2 versus Cosina Voigtlander Notkon Classic 35mm F1.4
Biogon @ F2
Biogon @ F2.8
Biogon @ F4
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 1.4
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2.8
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 4
A few crops from the center. No sharpening applied.
Biogon @ F2
Biogon @ F2.8
Biogon @ F4
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 1.4
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 2.8
CV 35 1.4 SC @ 4
Methodology
- Drink beer
- Arrange bottles in triangle like shape
- Find tripod
- Set up tripod approximately 1 meter from foremost bottle
- Click button, manipulate aperture
- Switch lenses, lather, rinse, repeat
Conclusions
- The Biogon is nearly free from distortion.
- The CV is not.
- Focus drift, at least at this distance, doesn’t seem to be problem for either lens.
- Neither of these lenses gets that much sharper as you stop down – at least not at this distance – so you might as well shoot wide open.
- I’d rather drink beer than test lenses, and that’s the only one of these conclusions that I’d fight over.
See another comparison here: CV SC versus Lux Asp versus UC Hexanon
Surely the brand of beer impacts the results…? A few bottles of Sapporo Black Star would have complimented the optics of the Cosina much better.
‘Sapporo Black Star ‘
That’s a bit hard to come by around here, but it raises the question, does German beer go with a Zeiss lens? Or should it be Japanese since Cosina actually makes the lens. Or should it be a German beer brewed under license in Japan. Questions that can only be answered by drinking more beer.
Well Matt, you put a lot of work and patience into the tests. Bottom line: Do youhave a favorite? Are you keeping both lenses? Best regards.
[...] matt wrote a fantastic post today on “Beer Bottle Bokeh and Other Optical Phenomenon”Here’s ONLY a quick extractMethodology. Drink beer; Arrange bottles in triangle like shape; Find tripod; Set up tripod approximately 1 meter from foremost bottle; Click button, manipulate aperture; Switch lenses, lather, rinse, repeat … [...]
Bob, I’ll be keeping both for the time being. They do different things, so I can see a place for both of them.
This is a very helpful test that helps to transition to rangefinder camera gear! :)
Very interesting test.