# List of ten of the world's sharpest lenses



## Deleted member 20471 (Aug 28, 2015)

The Swedish site objektivtest lists ten of the world's sharpest lenses, on the list are four Sigma, three Zeiss, two Leica and one Canon.

The lenses are placed under the name of order. They have *not* ranked them the best of sharpness.

The list can be found here, http://www.objektivtest.se/nyheter/tio-av-varldens-skarpaste-objektiv/, (in Swedish) and here, https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.objektivtest.se%2Fnyheter%2Ftio-av-varldens-skarpaste-objektiv%2F&edit-text=&act=url, with Google translate.


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## Eldar (Aug 28, 2015)

nicke said:


> The Swedish site objektivtest lists ten of the world's sharpest lenses, on the list are four Sigma, three Zeiss, two Leica and one Canon.
> 
> The lenses are placed under the name of order. They have *not* ranked them the best of sharpness.
> 
> The list can be found here, http://www.objektivtest.se/nyheter/tio-av-varldens-skarpaste-objektiv/, (in Swedish) and here, https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.objektivtest.se%2Fnyheter%2Ftio-av-varldens-skarpaste-objektiv%2F&edit-text=&act=url, with Google translate.


Of the lenses listed, of which I know about half, I agree that they are sharp lenses. However, I assume there are quite a few lenses they have not tested, since there are a couple of surprise entries and a number of obvious omissions. Moreover, as many on CR points out, IQ is much more than sharpness ….


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## AlanF (Aug 28, 2015)

They very carefully write "ten of", meaning there are other lenses out there just as sharp, and not "the ten sharpest". Isn't it good enough that not a single Nikon product is on their list?


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## chauncey (Aug 28, 2015)

> IQ is much more than sharpness


Perhaps a definition of Image Quality is called for...is it pixel-peeping at 200% or, is it akin 
to the definition of "Art"...an indefinable term to say the least.


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## sanj (Aug 28, 2015)

Thanks for positing. Does not make any difference to my future buying decisions, but nice to know!


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## AcutancePhotography (Aug 28, 2015)

AlanF said:


> . Isn't it good enough that not a single Nikon product is on their list?


I am not understanding how this could be at all important.


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## AlanF (Aug 28, 2015)

AcutancePhotography said:


> AlanF said:
> 
> 
> > . Isn't it good enough that not a single Nikon product is on their list?
> ...



You are not understanding the British sense of humour. It was a joke. Let me explain. This website is full of Canon users who consider Nikon as the opposition. So, the very fact that there is one Canon lens and nothing from Nikon will amuse some. I believe it is termed schadenfreude in German.


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## Click (Aug 28, 2015)

;D ;D ;D


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## StudentOfLight (Aug 28, 2015)

The Nikon 200mm f/2 is absolutely outstanding. It definitely should be on their to-do list.


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## Luds34 (Aug 28, 2015)

AlanF said:


> They very carefully write "ten of", meaning there are other lenses out there just as sharp, and not "the ten sharpest".



Great point!

To the OP, thanks for sharing, was a fun, quick read.


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## Maiaibing (Aug 29, 2015)

Have a few of them myself - and they are really, really sharp! ;D

I note the Sigma 180mm Macro is there. Have never used it myself but wonder why not more people interested in macro get this lens. Stabilized 180mm goodness for a reasonable price and macro to boost...


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## Tinky (Aug 29, 2015)

This reminds me that I don't use my Sigma 70mm f2.8 nearly often enough.


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## Aglet (Aug 29, 2015)

Tinky said:


> This reminds me that I don't use my Sigma 70mm f2.8 nearly often enough.


Ditto, awesome lens and diaphragm makes wild starbursts of lights for night shots.


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## arcanej (Aug 29, 2015)

At a glance, the list doesn't carry much water. At second glance, they justify their selections with computed - rather than measured - MTF charts in many cases. Great lenses, though.


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## AlanF (Aug 29, 2015)

arcanej said:


> At a glance, the list doesn't carry much water. At second glance, they justify their selections with computed - rather than measured - MTF charts in many cases. Great lenses, though.



They are all measured (on Hasselblad equipment) and the list limited to those that they have measured themselves.

Note the disclaimer:

"The new list provides examples only 10 of the world's brightest lenses. There is more that can be counted there but the tests, we have not yet published on Objektivtest.se. So the list will be revised as. 
To appoint the 10 sharpest other hand, is a little more difficult. But it can happen that we try to us it eventually!"
(translation via Google chrome, you get the gist).


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## Hjalmarg1 (Aug 30, 2015)

I have used couple of them but I tend to agree with the statement that are some of the sharpest lenses available based on the multiple reviews conducted by professionals. My surprise came with the two Sigma Macro lenses, particularly the Macro 70mm f2.8 I was not aware of its existance.


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## RGF (Aug 30, 2015)

Too many 50s. Better would be sharpest in each focal range.


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## TeT (Aug 30, 2015)

Luds34 said:


> AlanF said:
> 
> 
> > They very carefully write "ten of", meaning there are other lenses out there just as sharp, and not "the ten sharpest".
> ...



They link the old "10 sharpest lenses" list in the article... Me thinks they wanted to use different lenses rather than repeat the old list. Thus the title and lack of a bunch of Canon Nikon repeats...


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## TeT (Aug 30, 2015)

Hjalmarg1 said:


> I have used couple of them but I tend to agree with the statement that are some of the sharpest lenses available based on the multiple reviews conducted by professionals. My surprise came with the two Sigma Macro lenses, particularly the Macro 70mm f2.8 I was not aware of its existance.



If you are doing Macro the 70 2.8 is a nifty little lens.. What I really love about it is the short minimum focus distance...


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## Tinky (Aug 30, 2015)

It is a beaut. I bought mine for my old 400D. It was off the chart back then, easily out-resolving the cameras back then.

Criminally underused. I might have to break it out more often.


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## GMCPhotographics (Aug 31, 2015)

So...no comparison to other lenses in the same range / market place or justification to their results. Hmmm I smell a fantasy lens list here. Why the 300 f2.8? why the 70mm macro? It seems a bizarre and poorly considered list to me, withe little consideration to focus ability and a huge bias to Sigma and Zeiss. The Canon 100 usm macro is far more regarded than the Sigma 70mm macro. Even the Sigma 150mm macro is better considered that the 70mm variant. Personally, I would choose a 16-35 zoom over the 15mm prime any day. Where is the 24-70 choice? Surely this is THE lens at the center of most professional user's lens lists? While I understand the 300mm f2.8's inclusion...it worth more than all the other lenses put together...so it's an odd ball choice.


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## Tinky (Aug 31, 2015)

"The Canon 100 usm macro is far more regarded than the Sigma 70mm macro. Even the Sigma 150mm macro is better considered that the 70mm variant." 

It wasn't when I was buying. That was in the pre-L IS days, but that aside, it's still half the price..

I could have got the older 100mm f2.8 Macro or the 60mm f2.8 macro, both won out in terms of focus speed, but in every review I read the Sigma came out best for IQ. Not by a huge margin as all were excellent, but by some margin at least. The fact that it was a viable choice for film, aps-c digital and full frame digital added to it's appeal for me. 

The focus speed was not important. I plonk mine on a manfrotto 454 and tripod for any serious macro work, with the limiter on and in the furthest half of the range, it's af speed is actually ok for portraiture.

As I recall the Sigma 70mm is what AP magazine used for studio shots when testing new bodies for reviews.


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## Aglet (Sep 6, 2015)

Tinky said:


> As I recall the Sigma 70mm is what AP magazine used for studio shots when testing new bodies for reviews.



and imaging-resource.com


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