GH2 Distortion correction & extra sharpness on Panasonic lenses - example

Matthew P

Matthew P

Well-known member
So I've heard, here and there, that the Panasonic lenses have digital sharpening (along with the distortion correction). I wanted to get to the bottom of it, so did a test. Posting it here in case it's of interest to anyone.

panasoniclenses.png


I used the 14-42mm lens, "nature" profile, with everything except saturation at -2.

From the looks of things, either "look" can be easily achieved through post processing anyway - either a slight blur, or a slight sharpen.
 
The problem with the enhanced sharpening of Panasonic distortion-correction lenses is that it enhances the image sensor's aliasing artifacts as well. Where it's particularly noticeable is on high-contrast sharp edges, and to my eyes, imparts a clinically precise, digitized look to the footage. In some cases, the artificial edge-sharpening is so extreme that you can actually see the moire shimmer in the LCD as the lens locks into focus.
 
Agreed... I'd like to see a sigma 20mm f1.8 side by side with the panny 20mm f1.7 with it's contacts covered.
 
What I would be most worried about is the over sharpening during recording video. Stills can be sharpened or blurred in a number of effective ways, but the aliasing caused by the over-sharpening will create artifacts during movement resulting in the unnatural or "not quite smooth" motion that many have hated about this camera.
Those types of motion artifacts will likely NOT be helped by a post-blur method.
 
My biggest problem with the GH2 and also the lenses is the aliasing. It all goes away with the Vixia G10. However, I am enjoying my flomotion patch :).
 
Matthew P said:
You can always do a test yourself, rather than speculate ;) then you'd know for sure :)
Click to expand...

I'm getting to that....just received a Tiffen Black Diffusion 3 filter and the 20mm/1.7 pancake.
Just have not had the opportunity to fire them up and get test shots done.
Filter literally came in yesterday.
 
Driftwood
is that the name - Orion 4b AVC Intra? I can find the the Orion 4b but not with AVC Intra suffix. Could you post a link?
thanks for the intense work.
bill
 
Interesting test, but would you really want to use the Lumix lenses with no communication with the body? Surely they become next to useless.
 
Geoff Gilson said:
Interesting test, but would you really want to use the Lumix lenses with no communication with the body? Surely they become next to useless.
Click to expand...
Nope. No use at all. This was only a test to see if the Panasonic lenses added sharpness artificially or not (which they do).
 
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