18-55 kit lens softness

[dbenyakar]

Hi

Just bought the x-t20 with the 18-55mm kit lens.

Did test shots and found very soft images at 18mm f2.8. I know that in 18mm f2.8 its not very sharp in compare to f5.6 or f8.0 but that softness makes it somewhat useless at that f stop. IS is OFF.

Maybe it needs to be calibrated? 

[milandro]

Mine is tack sharp, so, I’d say there is something not quite right about your lens.

[dfaye]

I had a similar problem with my first copy of this lens: mine was rather soft generally,  but particularly at the 55 end. After some research online I discovered lots of comments about variation between copies. I exchanged mine for another, and the new one is beautifully sharp. I'd strongly recommend that you try exchanging yours. Good luck.

[mqaa]

Maybe it needs to be calibrated? 

This does not apply to mirrorless cameras. Focusing is done on the sensor so you can not have front or back focus problems.

[dbenyakar]

It that case can the camera be calibrated?

 

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[Sandro_gsp]

Just bought the x-t20 with the 18-55mm kit lens.

Did test shots and found very soft images at 18mm f2.8. I know that in 18mm f2.8 its not very sharp in compare to f5.6 or f8.0 but that softness makes it somewhat useless at that f stop. IS is OFF.

IS is OFF .  Maybe this explains ..... what shutter speed did you shoot at ?  at 1/60 or slower speed the lack of IS might affect the perceived sharpness.

[dbenyakar]

Mine is tack sharp, so, I’d say there is something not quite right about your lens.

Even in f2.8?

 

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[dbenyakar]

IS is OFF . Maybe this explains ..... what shutter speed did you shoot at ? at 1/60 or slower speed the lack of IS might affect the perceived sharpness.

The speed was way above 1/60. When I get home I will upload a jpg straight out of the camera so you can see it.

 

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[milandro]

It that case can the camera be calibrated?

 

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no

[milandro]

Even in f2.8?

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

yes

[lleo]

I don't know if the X-T series has the option "shoot without lens" but I think so. If so, is it on or off? When you keep it on, the overall image will be softer.

[milandro]

All X camera with interchangeable lenses have the option to shoot without lens but why would THAT have anything to do with sharpness?

 

It doesn’t.

 

Anyway, to debunk this before becomes a myth... here a few shots with and without shoot without lens, they look identically, sharp, to me!

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Edited July 5, 2017 by milandro

[milandro]

without option without lens

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[milandro]

with and without

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[dbenyakar]

I took another set of photos and Im starting to think that maybe it is not the softness of the lens but something else.

About 1 every 5 images comes out not sharp.

I uploaded an example of such photo. I wish I could attach 1:1 images but I added a 1:1 crop of the left side of the photo.

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[milandro]

the entire left side of your picture doesn’t seem to be sharp and lacks contrast too.

 

If my lens would perform like this I wouldn’t be as happy as I am with mine.

[lleo]

It doesn’t.

 

Actually it does. I discovered since short time. I took a sample a couple days ago to send it and I don't have it anymore.

But it's quite clear in your roof pictures. Check 'em better.

[milandro]

I’ve checked very well before I published  the pictures and it doesn’t the pictures do not differ anymore than any picture shot by hand and not on a tripod would from another,

 

Anyway, what will be the theory behind your notion? It is a simple on off switch and nothing more. It doesn’t activate or disacrtivate anything else.

 

 

 

 

Regardless of our difference of opinions on the impact this feature.

 

It is absolutely clear that OP pictures have much more to them that it is wrong than mine! Haze , lack of contrast, perhaps a purple color shift too ( the color banding I suppose is due to resizing).

Edited July 6, 2017 by milandro

[dfaye]

I'm interested in this discussion of the effects - or lack of effects - of the Shoot Without Lens setting on IQ. Can any others offer advice on this, please? Like milandro, I can't see any differences in my images whether I have the setting on or off, and I can't understand how this setting could affect IQ if it is simply left on. The setting is buried deep in the Set-up menu and there's no way of assigning it to My Menu or the Q menu, so it would be a real hassle to keep turning it on and off again every time I want to use a Samyang lens! 

[lleo]

Here's a couple shots I took a little while ago. Even if the light changed a little bit between the two shots (doing a cloud passing by), they were taken with the camera still on the ground, auto shot, auto focus and nothing else. The first images are with shoot without lens OFF, the second ones with the option ON.

As you can see, it's not just my opinion but there's a difference in contrast and in the focal lenght between the two options.

Of course is a ON-OFF switch, but I think it affect the presence of any sensor on the lens. I don't know technically what this means, I guess is just a software difference. The images taken with the option OFF are sharper, no matter what.

The images are not resized nor modified in any way. The crops are at 100%

 

Above corner with option OFF, below option ON. Crop 100%

 

Above center option OFF, below ON

 

Center image above option OFF, below ON. Crop 100%

[lleo]

I add that watching the images here, the difference is more subtle than on the computer screen. But there is though.

[dfaye]

Thanks, Ileo. There is a visible difference between the Off and On settings in these photos. Fascinating!

[milandro]

still,this is not apparent in any of my pictures. the variations that you propose are so minimal that can be attributed to any number of things.

 

 

I don’t understand why switching on or off any function of the camera simply linked to a mechanical thing would produce any such effect and , most importantly, why this wouln’t be mentioned on any manual of any X camera published by themselves or other authors.

 

THIS along wit my empirical observation (along with a pinch of good old skepticism) make absolutely unconvinced ot this supposed effect that Fuji never disclosed.

 

Anyway, this that you show has absolutely nothing to do with the macroscopic complaint by OP, whose problems are much more evident .

Edited July 6, 2017 by milandro

[Hermelin]

Another 18-55 is soft thread again huh.

Might as well respost my post from that thread

 

 

Took this one today on poorly lit room @ ISO 800 where the lens is the softest which is wide open f/4 at 55mm. Thank to to the OIS, I could shot this @ 1/15.
Straight out of famera, no editing. Sharp enough in my eyes. Last time I worried about sharpness, I had a Canon

DSCF2883 by Filip Hermelin, on Flickr

 

Since like I spamming my pics, here's another "soft" 18-55 shot 

DSCF8116 by Filip Hermelin, on Flickr

 

100% crop

Edited July 6, 2017 by Hermelin

[dbenyakar]

I add that watching the images here, the difference is more subtle than on the computer screen. But there is though.

I will experiment with this option in the settings but I doubt it has any impact on my issue.