Hi--

>thank you for you email. if you have scanned images of f/22 and f/11
>photos i would really appreciate it if you can email them to me. i'm
>reading your email and it makes sense but i just can't accept it due to my
>past experience. hmmmm...i don't know. i've read arguments like yours
>before but i just have not experience the same.


You are unusual in that you believe your own experience instead of
authorities - bravo! ;-) I don't have anything handy, but if you
follow what I said, you should be able to detect the subtle differences.
If you use a good carefully-focused prime on a tripod and shoot a sequence
of all the stops from wide-open to minumum, and shoot T-Max 100/400 or
Plus/Tri-X and process in a good developer, like D-76 (or shoot Fuji/Kodak 100-speed slide film or color negative), you should easily be able to see
differences from wide-open to two stops down, and from smallest stop
to two stops wider (and virtually all Nikkors focussed from about 10'
to infinity will peak at f8 in the center...). BTW, sharper film will
slightly accentuate the differences... Use a first-class magnifier for
checking (a 16mm movie-camera lens is excellent - or one of those
cheap-but-good folding biology field magnifiers).

>>Assuming that you are using 35mm format, and that your lenses are of
>>high quality, you should easily be able to see a decline in both resolution
>>and contrast in the image as you move from f11 to f22 in the taking lens...
>>(assuming slides viewed with a high-quality 4-5X magnifier, or well-made
>>5x7 or larger prints - and sharp film). If you are using medium format, you
>>will move this effect down about a stop - and with 4x5, yet another stop or
>>two (noticeable decline may not occur until about f32-45). If you are using
>>a zoom, you may well find that it continues to improve as you stop down
>>to f22, but this is more an arguement for using a better lens than a smaller
>>stop, I think... While f22 can provide completely adequate image quality in
>>the 35mm format (and it will increase DOF), those who care about "snap"
>>and good rendering of fine image detail may choose to use fine lenses at
>>f5.6-f11 (and some of the best short teles can provide excellent sharpness
>>by f2.8-4, allowing shallow DOF with high sharpness). Those who do not
>>care about optimum sharpness, or who would prefer more universal
>>DOF, may well choose to use small stops.
>> Hope This Helps.
>>David Ruether - http://www.fcinet.com/ruether