DSLR Users: Do you test your new lenses?

[GTaudiophile]

When you receive a lens, new or used, do you test it first before going out to shoot real world stuff? If you test, what are your methods?

I mean testing for sharpness, back focus, front focus, etc.

 

[IeraseU]

I do a brief test for focus by shooting a small object wide open at various focal lengths. If it's a very expensive purchase I may do a rudimentary sharpness test, but only to make sure the thing is not completely off. Other then that, I only care about real world results, not shooting charts or brick walls or anything like that.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: IeraseU
I do a brief test for focus by shooting a small object wide open at various focal lengths. If it's a very expensive purchase I may do a rudimentary sharpness test, but only to make sure the thing is not completely off. Other then that, I only care about real world results, not shooting charts or brick walls or anything like that.

My procedure, if it could be called that, is similar. The main purpose of my testing is to make sure that the lens doesn't have major faults before I take it out for real world shooting. If a defect were to show up that's bad enough to be seen under the conditions at the local park, I would send the lens back. In other words, I don't worry about pixel peeping, because it's a waste of time if you're doing photography for the sake of photos rather than technology.

 

[foghorn67]

I use a focus chart to make sure it doesn't have front/back focus issues. I don't do any aperture test to see how soft or sharp it is wide open. Instead I shoot some things
outside at a park or arboretum. Softness can show up easily enough there.
After that it's ready for assignments.

 

[montanafan]

When I'm in the camera shop I'll do a quick test on something up close and then far away with the aperture wide open before buying it, same thing when I first take it out of the package after buying online.

 

[virtuamike]

I just go shoot.

 

[pradeep1]

Of course I test my lenses. Especially for focus and lens operation.

 

[tfinch2]

I just pop it on the camera and make sure it works.