At 08:14 6/5/00 , Frank Ernens wrote:
>Tom Trottier wrote
>
>> Perhaps we Oly users shouldn't be so sanguine about the quality of
>> our lenses... [data from photodo]
[snip]
>Given that all the tests are conducted by a single person -
>an ex-pro photographer, not an applied physicist - I would
>question the methodology. Nowhere does it say what that was.
[snip]
>Testing one new sample of a lens doesn't tell you anything
>about sample variation or whether the lens wears out quickly
>and turns into a dog after a few months.
[snip]
Any lens test should have sufficient explanation about methodology to allow
evaluation of method and replication of the test by others. This is basic
to all scientific and engineering research, whether it is a "test" or an
"experiment." Without it test results are confounded with unanswered
questions about the test design.
The existence of variation within a population has always bothered me about
lens testing and published results. A sufficient sample size is required
to capture the variation. I would want no less than a half dozen probably
twice that many . . . and *not* one right after the other off the line . .
. more if variation among the first sample is high. That is probably too
much to ask. Lens tests should be viewed with a "grain of salt" and a dose
of skepticism, the size of which should be based on revelation of test
method and sample size. Judge that against the weight of user consensus
about the particular lens. There are about a half-dozen criteria important
about a lens; it's not all contrast, resolution and MTF.
I applaud Gary Reese's efforts in his lens testing:
1. He explains how he tests the lenses thoroughly enough for a reasonable
replication.
2. He makes an effort to test more than one example if he can get them,
and gives a description of their condition.
3. He tests using different bodies and provides some analysis of
differences noted between results for the same lens on different bodies.
[take a bow Gary]
-- John
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