Dyxum Lens Database Reviewing Guideline

This guideline aims to create a general understanding of lens reviews found in the Lens Database and to lower the amount of deviation between different reviews.

It is very important to keep in mind that all reviews in the database are the nonscientific, subjective opinions of their posters.

All reviewers are asked to fill out all the fields when submitting a review -- especially the 'compared to' field which is very important as it will clarify your point of view and will give an idea of your experience with lenses. This information is very valuable for the readers who will want to know which other similar lenses the reviewer had used. Also the 'comments' has a special role, bare numbers are not enough to fully understand one's opinion of a lens. The comments you provide adds meaning to the scores given. With help of those fields, the reader can consider the subjective position of the reviewer. This way it is possible to get useful and reliable information from the reviews. So both the reviewer and the reader should pay attention to compared to and comments fields.

Below you will find a Scoring Guide, the meanings given for scores depending on the scoring behaviour of the average Dyxumer. The Score Guide is compatible with the existing marks.

You may wish to revisit your existing lens reviews to resolve any differences from the guideline, but it is not required.

Score Guide

Sharpness

• 5 - great prime - exceptional zoom
• 4,5 - good prime - great zoom
• 4 - acceptable prime - good zoom
• 3,5 - doorstop prime - acceptible zoom
• 3 - Irrelevant for primes - doorstop zoom
• below 3 - irrelevant for all lenses

Note: Please do not rate ultra fast prime lenses for their wide open performance alone. Some can be exceedingly sharp from two stops above max. aperture.

Color

• 5 - perfectly neutral or beautiful (subjective) tones, rich saturation, no color cast.
• 4 - a regular quality in color rendering, normal saturation, very slight color cast acceptable.
• 3 - bad colors, washed out colors, noticeable color casts
• below 3 - irrelevant

Note: Color rating is not meant to cover CA or PF.

Build

• 5 - Built to a very high standard from appropriate high quality materials in all areas to fine tolerances, can stand very rough shooting conditions and high usage, focus and zoom rings well damped.
• 4 - Regular build from quality materials can stand most shooting conditions, focus and zoom rings operate without problems.
• 3 - poor build. Weak plastics, rattling parts, still usable if not abused, focus and zoom rings may be stiff/loose but operating.
• 2 - very bad build. Weak plastics, rattling parts, bad build makes usage hard/limited
• 1 - irrelevant

Distortion

• 5 - perfect or negligible distortions
• 4 - some distortion but unlikely to show in regular conditions
• 3 - serious distortion, visible in most shots
• 2 - very bad distortion, lens should be avoided
• 1 - irrelevant

Flare

• 5 - good flare control, no flare even under conditions where most lenses would fail. Some flare only when sun is directly in the shot
• 4 - regular flare control. Gives flare only under expected conditions.
• 3 - bad flare control. Flare can ruin shots.
• Below 2 - irrelevant