CA with TCON-14B and FZ-10

[srvsd]

I took this photo yesterday at the Purdue football game and am wondering about the CA, especially in the lower right by the ref. I resized it and there was some JPEG compression from the original.



Is this just a fact of the zoom or could I have changed any settings to help this? The lenses (Leica in camera and Olympus add-on) are about as high of quality as you can get at this level.

As a follow-up question, if I go to a DSLR system like a D-70 with an equivalent amount of zoom, will I get the same thing?

Thanks!

[shene]

srvsd wrote:

Is this just a fact of the zoom or could I have changed any settings to help this? The lenses (Leica in camera and Olympus add-on) are about as high of quality as you can get at this level.

The TCON-14B can produce very strong chromatic aberration as shown on my tele converter lenses comparison page in my FZ-10 user guide. Moreover, edge sharpness is not as good as its center sharpness. Close down the aperture will improve the situation but not by much.

As a follow-up question, if I go to a DSLR system like a D-70 with an equivalent amount of zoom, will I get the same thing?

Do you mean at 600mm with your D70? If this is the case, you will need a 400mm lens or 300mm lens with a 1.4X teleconverter. However, a good 300 or 400 lens will cost you at least $1,000 a copy. But, you still have a few options: a Nikon 80-400VR, a Sigma 80-400 OS or a Sigma 50-500 (no OS). Except for the average Sigma 50-500, the other two 80-400 lenses are over $1,000! Yes, you can find cheaper 200-400 or 175-500 lenses; but, they may not provide you with good enough results. Moreover, CA cannot be avoided completely with the above mentioned mid-level long focal length high zoom ration lenses.

CK

http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam

Nikon Coolpix 950/990/995/2500/4500/5700 and Panasonic FZ-10 User Guides

[srvsd]

Thanks Shene. I've defnintely noticed the sharpness dropoff as you get further out. I guess the alternating black and white stripes of the referee's uniforms makes the CA really stand out.

But, in some sense, it is hard to compalin for $599 (FZ-10) + $160 (TCON-14B) compared to $1200 (D70) + about $1100 (Nikon or Sigma telephoto lens).

I mention the D70 only because I dream of it. I don't own a DSLR but I'll have to mention to my wife that my birthday is coming up...