Kit lens softer fully wide? at DVinfo.net

Woody Sanford · September 4th, 2013, 09:34 AM

Is it just me or does anyone feel the kit lens is softer when zoomed out. I am constantly playing with picture styles and lenses in my spare time and taking notes of any situation I can come up with. It makes me much faster on a set.

This last week I've been going through this footage to see how far I can push results in grading and found myself wanting to sharpen in post on some, turns out they were all when the kit lens was at 18mm. So I just went out and filmed the bark of a big oak. In changing the zoom and re-focusing each shot it just seems to me that it gets softer when fully wide.

Anyone else seeing that?

I've just started wearing glasses, so I'm not offended to suggestions that its just old age setting in. :-)

Bill Pryor · September 8th, 2013, 12:18 PM

I have two of the E-mount kit lenses I use for my NEX-7 and the 18-55 seems pretty sharp on that camera. I've never tried it on my FS100. Normally I use Nikkor pre-AI and AI lenses on the NEX-7 when using it as a second camera, but I did do some shooting recently with the 18-55 kit zoom. It was outdoors with a ND.9 but still stopped down beyond wide open. The shots were all at 18mm and looked OK. Not as good as the Nikkors or Zeiss, but acceptable.

I've seen cheap zooms before that will be soft only when wide open and only at wide angle but also only at certain focal lengths--ie., it might be a little soft when focused at 5', but OK at 8'.

Matt Davis · September 19th, 2013, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woody Sanford

Is it just me or does anyone feel the kit lens is softer when zoomed out

Yes, it is a little softer on the wide - like many super-zooms.

Wide angle optics are harder to do than telephoto, and there are all sorts of compromises to make if you have a budget and a weight limit to work to.

Try and keep to f6.3-f8 to make sure you're only using the best bits of glass in there.

Woody Sanford · September 19th, 2013, 06:30 PM

I guess I should apply a little more perspective on the matter. I've messed with it some more and its worse on the kit lens than it is with some older minolta AF lenses I've used on the camera. I'm aware there had to be compromises on the lens but right close to the 18mm mark it just goes to crap.

Its funny, I've used this lens since it came on my VG-10 and never shot fully wide. I've shot very close to fully wide and I mean barely zoomed in but it seems like its right at the 19-20mm mark that it just goes Blah!

Didn't really know if it was something I've done to the lens or if it was normal for this lens. I barely zoom out and its fine. Thought I would have noticed it before.

Wacharapong Chiowanich · September 20th, 2013, 12:06 AM

Sample frame grabs would help a lot. One of a wide shot, another of a shot with a little zoom-in.

Woody Sanford · September 20th, 2013, 05:45 PM

Hi Wacharapong ,

Yeah, I've meant to grab some stills from various points of zoom but haven't had time. When I get a chance to I will, if nothing else just to find the point that the focus breaks. I just thought if it was a common thing that maybe someone else had already.

September 4th, 2013, 09:34 AM	#1
Woody Sanford Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Princeton, NC Posts: 161	Kit lens softer fully wide? Is it just me or does anyone feel the kit lens is softer when zoomed out. I am constantly playing with picture styles and lenses in my spare time and taking notes of any situation I can come up with. It makes me much faster on a set. This last week I've been going through this footage to see how far I can push results in grading and found myself wanting to sharpen in post on some, turns out they were all when the kit lens was at 18mm. So I just went out and filmed the bark of a big oak. In changing the zoom and re-focusing each shot it just seems to me that it gets softer when fully wide. Anyone else seeing that? I've just started wearing glasses, so I'm not offended to suggestions that its just old age setting in. :-)

September 8th, 2013, 12:18 PM	#2
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Re: Kit lens softer fully wide? I have two of the E-mount kit lenses I use for my NEX-7 and the 18-55 seems pretty sharp on that camera. I've never tried it on my FS100. Normally I use Nikkor pre-AI and AI lenses on the NEX-7 when using it as a second camera, but I did do some shooting recently with the 18-55 kit zoom. It was outdoors with a ND.9 but still stopped down beyond wide open. The shots were all at 18mm and looked OK. Not as good as the Nikkors or Zeiss, but acceptable. I've seen cheap zooms before that will be soft only when wide open and only at wide angle but also only at certain focal lengths--ie., it might be a little soft when focused at 5', but OK at 8'.

September 19th, 2013, 06:30 PM	#4
Woody Sanford Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Princeton, NC Posts: 161	Re: Kit lens softer fully wide? I guess I should apply a little more perspective on the matter. I've messed with it some more and its worse on the kit lens than it is with some older minolta AF lenses I've used on the camera. I'm aware there had to be compromises on the lens but right close to the 18mm mark it just goes to crap. Its funny, I've used this lens since it came on my VG-10 and never shot fully wide. I've shot very close to fully wide and I mean barely zoomed in but it seems like its right at the 19-20mm mark that it just goes Blah! Didn't really know if it was something I've done to the lens or if it was normal for this lens. I barely zoom out and its fine. Thought I would have noticed it before.

September 20th, 2013, 12:06 AM	#5
Wacharapong Chiowanich Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 400	Re: Kit lens softer fully wide? Sample frame grabs would help a lot. One of a wide shot, another of a shot with a little zoom-in.

September 20th, 2013, 05:45 PM	#6
Woody Sanford Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Princeton, NC Posts: 161	Re: Kit lens softer fully wide? Hi Wacharapong , Yeah, I've meant to grab some stills from various points of zoom but haven't had time. When I get a chance to I will, if nothing else just to find the point that the focus breaks. I just thought if it was a common thing that maybe someone else had already.