Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm F1.8 Distortion Test

PhotoAgainst Photo Editor's Comment: Barrel Distortion is optical flaw of a lens which causes straight lines in the photo look slightly curved outwards. Its much more apparent in wider focal lengths and zoom lenses and gets worse in the bottom or top of the photo, rather than center. It becomes apparent when skyline is photographed so we do barrel distortion tests with a clear skyline shot.

In the first comparison, skyline in the very bottom of the photo because this is where barrel distortion is worse for any lens.

In the second shot skyline is in the very center of the image where barrel distortion's effect is the least apparent.

In the third shot, skyline is in the 1/3 or 2/3 of the photo (golden rule) where distortion is same for both.

Red line in the photos are added in post production to show where skyline would suppose to be if lens were flawless with no distortion. The closer the real skyline to the red line, the better the lens and more apart the skyline from the red line, worse distortion the lens has.

For more information about this distortion tests, please read our distortion test guidelines.

After reviewing the test, scroll to the bottom of the page to compare Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm F1.8's Barrel Distortion with other lenses.

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