Free Lens Test Chart from Amateur Photographer

This weeks AP has a Free Lens Test Chart

It looks quite good considering the price some test charts cost. Loosely based on old bits of the old Paterson Chart and some new bits. I've not used it yet so no idea if it's any use. A bit more fine detail would have been handy.

They also have a story dated 12th April 2011 about Pentax being back at Jessops....... Not exactly on the ball when it comes to news are they

---

Pentax K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

Yep, I noticed it when I went to the supermarket on tuesday. Prompted me to buy my first copy of AP in at least six months. I'm going to try it out
this coming week.

Buying AP once every 6 months sounds about right. I wouldn't have bought it if it hadn't got the free test chart. The Paterson one used to cost £10 years ago and you can't print one sharp enough yourself.

Unfortunately I threw away an old 20" x 20" Dry Mount press about a month ago I could do with it now to mount this chart on a board.

---

Pentax K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

Amazing, a few weeks ago “AP” mag, was being torn to shreds on this site, I was in the minority, defending them.
Now all of a sudden, there’s a freebee, I suspect all will be well, for this issue??.
So lets have, three cheers for “AP”.


Chris R.

---

Chris R.

I. El. (Eng). (Rtd).

They have given some good freebies over the years. One was a "Lens Wrap" which is very useful for any lens. I use it on my 43mm Ltd. I've only ever seen the Novoflex one on sale and they are a silly price.

It used to be a good buy when they gave away a free film, very often it meant you got the film for half price + free mag.

They have had some good writers in the past.... sadly non at present

---

Pentax K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

Don't think anyone has praised the actual output or quality of the magazine ... just the fact they are including a free focus chart this week.

---

Nothing to see here, move along please ....

AP used to be a lot better. The front cover is always very appealing and promises a lot, but then it fails to deliver once inside the mag. The only thing I really buy it for anymore (other than the freebies) is the odd camera test on a model i might be interested in.

They used to give away "The Great Lens Supplement" probably once a year which contained lens tests. I've got one here from 1996 which was excellent and had 39 lenses tested. It had gone down hill by 1999 now called "The Lens Supplement" with only 8 lens tests and three of them were in an article comparing Standard Lenses of the 30's, 70' and 90's.
A Leica Summitar 50mm f/2, Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and the Pentax 43mm f/1.9. The Pentax wiped the floor with the other two

The other test was on 28-200mm and 28-300mm Zooms.

It used to be well known that prior to the internet people only bought it to see who was cheapest for whatever gear they wanted.

---

Pentax K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

Thanks for posting this will pop out and buy mine in a while

---

All the best

David

Surely it's not a free chart if the only reason people are buying the publication because it comes with a test chart?

Might a better description be

"Lens test chart! Only £5! Comes with loads of adverts and occasional politically correct drivel.

I'd love to see someone take the mag up to the counter. pay for it, remove the chart and walk out leaving the mag on the counter.

I once needed some change for a parking meter so popped in the Co-Op shop nearby and asked for change for tenner. The Borg behind the counter said "we're not allowed to give change" - WTF?? - So I found the cheapest thing on the counter which was a local paper for about 30p. Handed her the tenner got £9.70 change and left the paper.

---

Bodies: 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
Smeggy's Forum and Pics

Fair point but just got my copy,its a good read and I just forgot it was out but its £2.60 so with the chart for me good value
The point you make though from what I saw applies to many of the photo mags in there at the moment


Someone had done this to several mags I think its called theft though !

---

All the best

David

I wonder if it still counts as robbery if one approaches the cashier with hand in jacket pocket pointing finger like it was handgun and demands he opens the cash register and hands over $5.00 in coins, and leaves a five dollar bill on counter before exiting?

---

Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.

That would depend on who's jacket his hand was in

---

All the best

David

I've just found, at the back of my filing cabinet, a set of test charts that AP published in 1972.
There is a set of 11 (actually I'm missing one) which are all identical except for the chart numer on the side.
Alas I've lost the instructions so would welcome answers to the folowing :-

A-Is this kind of chart still relevant today?
B-Does anyone have the instructions (long shot I know)?.

Back then there were no end of interesting articles.

regards
Bernard

Not seen that one before. It looks to be similar to the normally used U.S.A.F. chart, but white on black rather than black on white.

You can still use it, but without the instructions, the results can't be compared with other peoples figs, which is possibly a good thing. Interpretations do vary

Test charts are usually shot at 25x the focal length of the lens measured from the film plane marker. Sometimes it's 50x, but that means getting back quite a distance.

I prefer using flash to avoid any camera shake.

---

Pentax K-5 and some other stuff

Algi