Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 17-55 mm f/2.8G IF-ED review - Chromatic aberration

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Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 17-55 mm f/2.8G IF-ED

27 May 2009

Arkadiusz Olech

5. Chromatic aberration

The chart, showing the chromatic aberration level, depending on the focal length and apertures is presented below. It’s worth notice, though, that the graph points are average results of 4-6 measurements taken on the left and the right side of the frame and on several test tablets of different dimensions. Because of that, the lens had to be situated in different distance from its goal so we can test his performance in different situations.

Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 17-55 mm f/2.8G IF-ED - Chromatic aberration

In the case of Nikkor 17-55 mm, the aberration will occur mainly with the shortest focal lengths and at large apertures; its level is on the borderline between medium and high. With the rest of combinations of focal lengths and apertures the results are grouped around 0.1% - the value very low and rather unobtrusive.

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One thing should be noted here – chromatic aberration levels, tested here, showed an upward trend with the increase of the goal’s proximity. The aberration was the highest for the smallest test chart and the lowest for the biggest. When we looked carefully at the model pictures, they showed that for objects situated further the aberration level is not very disturbing, even with the most demanding combination of maximal aperture and the shortest focal length.

How it looks exactly on our smallest test chart can be seen in these fragments.

The picture below shows a fragment of a frame corner with 17 mm and f/2.8 for the objects situated considerably further than our test charts. As you see, the colourful fringings are not as bothersome as they were before.