Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/06/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Hello Friends - > >A buddy just picked up one of those new Japanese 21/2.8 lenses with shade >and finder. We went to the nearest park to try this lens on each of our >cameras (M4-P, M2 and M6) and with color and B&W. Thought I'd share a few >of my impressions. > >The lens appears beautifully made and is well finished. It feels absolutely >top quality. The focus is smooth and the diaphragm feels silky as well. >The shade is also well made and fits fine. > >The finder is rather large but it is very bright and one can see nearly the >entire frame with glasses on. Quite workmanlike in fit and finish, it was >fun to use. There was no distortion to speak of. > >I shot T-Max 400 film. Used all the apertures from 2.8 to 16 (a trick with >400 film on a bright day). I made full-frame enlargements on 8X10 paper >today. I must say that I can't complain about the image quality. Found the >edges (expectedly) a little soft wide open but, when stopped down a smidge, >the image is very sharp. Also found the contrast of the negatives to be >fine (similar to my Leica lenses - ceteris paribus). > >None of this is scientific. I am not a lens tester and I would suggest my >'findings' are merely annecdotal. Didn't test for coma or other residual >abberations so I can't comment, but for the type of work I do - landscapes >and street shooting - I could find a corner in my camera bag for this lens. >The lens is actually a screw-fitting lens with an adapter so I would guess >the adapter could do double duty for some other screw lens (no?) or the lens >itself could work on a screw Leica. Seems OK to me. Would love to hear >other's practical experience with this piece. > >Regards, > >Curt > Hello Curt, Did you find out, which optical japanese (?) or korean company manufactures these lenses and finders? I assume the screw-thread fitting you mentioned is Leica type,( not M42 - -Pentax)? While Tri-X is a good film using Kodak Technical Pan or perhaps Agfapan 25 in a tripod-mounted Leica would give results, that would allow proper evaluation at greater enlargement ratios. Did you also see a similar 28/f2.8 lens for Leica? Kind regards -otto- otto w. rath, 504-633, northcliffe blvd. toronto on. M6E 3M3 canada (416) 783 5128