Re: 50mm Summicron

[fortunko@boulder.nist.gov (C.M. Fortunko)]

Marc,

There is another variable that should be considered. I have both the second
and third-version of 50 Summicron. The third version appears to produce
contrastier photographs. What is your opinion on this one.

Chris

>Hans
>
>It isn't so much that Leica now makes lenses which are "inferior" to former
>designs.  It is more that Leica now makes lenses which are supposed to
>produce adequate images but cost less to manufacture.  It's not quite the
>same thing.  And some Leica M designs -- the two aspherical 1.4/35 Summilux
>designs and the current 2.8/90 Elmarit -- are improvements over past
>formulations.  
>
>But the two sticklers in the bunch are the 2/35 and 2/50 Summicrons.  In
>both cases, a fair number of users seem to prefer the earlier designs -- the
>first eight-element design for the 35mm and the rigid or NF design for the
50mm.
>
>The Japanese tests come from a publication entitled CAMERA REVIEW:  ALL
>ABOUT HISTORICAL CAMERAS, issue 24.  Most of this is in Japanese -- which I
>do not speak! -- but I have a brief precis in English with a few of the
>charts deciphered.  Simply put, the results showed:
>
>First rigid design (1959)                       280 center resolution
>181 surface resolution
>second (1978)                                         180
>98     
>current (1981)                                          180
>116
>
>There are a slew more charts but the translation of them is a task!
>
>Further information can be had from my source, Mr Joel Tlumak, publisher of
>RFinder Magazine, at jt@jmbm.com -- I just suggested to Joel that he should
>subscribe to LUG.
>
>Marc
>
>msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
>Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!
>
>
>