[Scythels]

 

I understood, even the worst Otus copy to be better than the best Canon 50/1.8 STM, no problem with that. But given most if not all manufacturers use the MTF method for testing, I expected the "best" lens not necessarily best manufactured, but tested the hardest way and with tightest tolerances.

Most of them don't.  The best of them have a pseudo-imatest like setup that is much faster but has lower resolution limit.  It's economical to test each lens when it takes 15 seconds.  Testing an Otus on the ImageMaster takes about 25 minutes, though that could be reduced if you used 3 field points instead of 10 per side and eliminated the focus confirmation between rotations.  TriOptics does make some mfg line MTF equipment that provides souces and microscopes for different field points simultaneously, but they are prohibitively expensive to be used on anything as cheap as a consumer product. 

 

Here are some charts:

 

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Complexity is a bullshit weighted composite of groups, autofocus method (i.e number of cams), IS, tilt-shift, aperture, number of aspheres, and a focal length componenet.  There is a trend but I don't know how meaningful it is. 

 

thxbb12,

 

Micro four thirds lenses use an electromagnetic "always on" focus method so the focus group is loose when disconnected from the camera.  If you shake most of the lenses you can hear the focusing elements slapping around inside.  We need an electronic adapter to test them, which is a project we're working on but more aggressively with sony E mount.  We're just waiting for parts now. 

 

JoJu,

 

I never found a failure copy of the STM, which is a godsend since it is nonadjustable and lensrentals owns exactly 10 of them.  The otus I found one failure copy of, but it had rented something like 36 weeks which is a very high amount and had probably been dropped a bunch. 

 

LensRentals has 40-50 copies of the Otus between EF/F mount.  More expensive lenses are kept in higher stock than less expensive ones because they rent more.  There is a sweet spot around $2000 though.  There's something like 700 copies of the canon and nikon 24-70s and 70-200s combined.

 

Klaus,

 

None of these are grossly decentered.  All are somewhat, but it is not terribly too bad.

 

edit: regarding how easy it is to get a bad copy, the primes are not so bad.  I rejected maybe 8 out of the 650 or so I've tested.  Of course they are pre-screened, but the daily volume of these lenses that comes into repair for optical adjustment is, well, "meh."  Far more come in for dust issues.  2-5% are DoA, depends on the manufacture.


I'm starting zooms now with supposedly one of the best and, well, I fear for the rest.  These are truly a shitshow.