|
Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 - Review / Lab Test Report - Analysis |
|
Lens Reviews -
Canon EOS (APS-C)
|
|
Page 2 of 2
Distortion
The lens showed no (zero %) detectable distortion.
Vignetting
The full format TS-E 90mm can take advantage of the usual sweet spot effect
when used on APS-C DSLRs. When setting the TS controls to their neutral
position the lens shows only a marginal degree of vignetting which is not
field relevant. However, the interesting question is what happens to the
vignetting when using the TS feature to the max and this is where the
situation deteriorates quite a bit. At f/2.8 the vignetting can be as high
as 1.5EV (and remember - this is on an APS-C DSLR) which can be visible in some situations.
| vignetting @ f/2.8 (no TS) |
vignetting @ f/2.8 (max TS) |
 |
 |
However, to be fair - this is about the most extreme TS setting and at infinity
focus. At close focus distances the vignetting isn't quite as pronounced.
MTF (resolution)
The lens produced exceptionally high resolution figures in the MTF lab.
The center reaches excellent levels straight from f/2.8 and the borders are
only marginally worse. The peak performance is reached at f/5.6 with an
exceptionally high resolution across the frame.
Please note that these figures represent the performance when setting
the TS controls to their neutral positions.
Please note that the MTF results are not directly comparable across the different systems!
Below is a simplified summary of the formal findings. The chart shows line widths per picture height (LW/PH) which can be taken as a measure for sharpness.
If you want to know more about the MTF50 figures you may check out the corresponding Imatest Explanations
Chromatic Aberrations (CA)
Lateral chromatic aberrations (color shadows at harsh contrast transitions) are next
to non-existent and not field relevant.
Verdict
The Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 is an interesting lens for those seeking the maximum
of perspective and depth-of-field control - at a price of around ~1250 US$/€.
Technically the lens is about as good as it gets including excellent resolution,
absent CAs and zero distortions. When choosing neutral TS settings the lens shows
only marginal vignetting at f/2.8 but the more you push the TS feature to the max
the problem increases accordingly (1.5EV at the most extreme setting). The build
quality is exceptionally high. A drawback by design is the lack of an AF motor so
you've to rely on your manual focusing skills here.
|
