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Battle Royale: Five lenses enter. One lens leaves.
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Intro
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This lens test is divided into the following sections:

[1] Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 DX
[2] Nikon 18-70mm f/2.5-4.5 DX
[3] Nikon 45mm f/2.8 P
[4] Nikon 105mm f/2.5
[5] Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Series E
[6] Conclusion

For this comparison I use the terms "critical sharpness" and "absolute sharpness," which I have defined as follows:

Critical sharpness: The point at which a lens performance begins to plateau, achieving sharpness that will satisfy all critical applications relative to other apertures.

Absolute sharpness: The "sweet spot." The point at which the lens peaks, rendering superlative sharpness and the highest quality images at a given focal length out of all tested apertures.

This test would not have been possible without the loan of a 18-70DX, which was graciously provided to me by forum member Ed. Though he is a happy 17-55DX user, please thank him for his generosity in sending his unused lens to a stranger.

Enjoy.

Todd

PS: Please feel free to add your own experiences with any of the evaluated lenses to this thread if you think it would be helpful.