We here at the the Adorama Learning Center have long been big fans of DxOMark's RAW camera sensor tests and are very excited to now see lens ratings added to the mix.
This is a fantastic resource for photographers to learn more about the optical performance of many lenses and make informed purchasing decisions. As we add new lens reviews and update archived stories here in the Learning Center, we will be including links and information gleaned from DxOMark to complement our Learning Center lens coverage.
DxOMark's lens testing is unique in the fact that lenses are lab tested on many different camera bodies to give users real-world information about how this particular lens performs when matched with that particular camera.
As you can see at right, this screenshot from DxOMark shows test results for the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM normal prime lens on many different camera bodies and the scores vary somewhat depending on make and model. At today's launch, there are 540 camera and lens combinations in the DxOMark database, and per my conversations with Nicholas Touchard of DxO, more lens/camera combinations will be added to the site on a continuing basis.
Another cool feature of DxOMark are the Use Case scores based on different photography styles including portraiture, reportage, landscape, and more. All in all, there's a ton of data available on DxOMark.com for interested photographers to sift through to help them make informed lens purchasing decisions–from the simple Stars and Score numbers to advanced graphs and plotted data for really getting yourself into the thick of things when comparing various lens and camera combinations.
It is also important to point out that DxOMark is looking almost exclusively at the optical performance characteristics of the lens and camera combinations. No consideration is given to autofocus motor speed or accuracy, build quality and overall hand feel of the lenses–the sort of information we love to cover in our lens reviews, in other words!
So, in the coming months you'll start to see references to DxOMark scores not only in DSLR reviews, but also in our lens pieces.
In short, partnering our hands-on expertise with the extensive lab data from DxOMark adds up to a winning combination for Adorama Learning Center readers!
