Hum...?
No one ever pays attention.
Plasticity: A subtle quality of roundness, depth, and smoothness of a photographic image highly prised by artistic photographers. It is produced by subtle choice of uncorrected aberations by the lens designer. Pentax traditionally disigns lenses with this quality. The Limited lenses display this charactoristic particularly well.
Plasticity is an old term from prior to WWII, when some lenses displayed it accidently because it was hard to design a lense with exactly the charactoristics that the designer wanted and so accidently left in a some combination of aberations that worked well together. Such lenses were highly prized.
It is the reason why so many photographers over the years when asked why they prefer Pentax have answered, "Its the glass", without even knowing why that is so.
As I have often said, Pentax generally designs its lenses for pictorial quality instead of high resolution and contrast figures that give such nice scores in magazine tests.
That Pentax most always seems to be able to produce this quality in a lens with high resolution and contrast is one of the reasons I have alway preferred Pentax over most other 35mm systems. It tends to be more common in large format lenses where the absolute highest resolution and contrast is not quite as important as in 35mm.
Designing a lens for good Bokah tends to increase the plasticity of the images because the same qualities are needed to render especially pleasing out of focus highlights.
graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com "Idiot Proof" <==> "Expert Proof" -----------------------------------
Cotty wrote:
On 27/4/05, Boris Liberman, discombobulated, unleashed:
Hi!
Recently I met a person who uses EOS 20D and couple of L lenses - 17-40/4 and 70-200/4 both being L lenses.
We looked at each other's photos and I was very impressed with the way the L lenses produce very plastic, very 3D images. He on the other hand pointed out that few of my works were very good while actually spoiled by rather poor optics that I have.
(rest snipped)
Boris, what a loada bollocks man.
First of all - give an accomplished snapper a pinhole camera, and give a
monkey an L lens. Which will deliver a better pic? The point is, there's
slightly more to it than comparing results from two completely different
workflows. Just because someone else's pics look different to your own
means diddly squat. Careful processing in Photoslop will produce as
varied a look as you like.
I will let others comment about the perceived quality of the lenses you mentioned, but let me say this - try and achieve the finished look that you desire - don't be sidetracked by someone else's opinions. I can't remember if you shoot film or digital, but either way, create pictures that *you* like.
If you like a plastic look (whatever that means) then emulate it, develop it, master it. If you want good quality glass, sell a bunch of stuff and buy some Limiteds. Just because someone has a couple of Canon L lenses means bugger all. And as for being told that your gear is holding you back! I would have wrapped that 70-200 around his neck!!
So,
1. Is there any of the "questionable" lenses above that are actually very good?
Pass.
2. What things I should be aware of to improve plasticity of my images?
Post production of your images either digitally or traditionally.
3. If I indeed have to replace all/some of those "questionable" lenses, what would you recommend?
See other's responses. I imagine if I had stayed with Pentax I would be using Limited lenses.
HTH
Cheers, Cotty
___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com _____________________________
-- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.4 - Release Date: 4/27/2005
