Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Randolph Carlisle wrote: >> <snip> >> I have just replaced my 20/5.6 Russar with a Leitz 28mm Summaron > I happen to have one of the better Russars but the Leitz lens >has the edge even though it is over 40 years old. > >Marvin: >If you get the opportunity, try the 28mm f/6 Orion-15. Much sharper than >both Russar and Summaron. Of the couple of hundred lenses I have owned over the last 40 years, the 28 Summaron was one of the sharpest. I used to make 6' x 4' enlargements from High Contrast Copy (forerunner of Tech Pan) negs developed to a continuous tone that showed that the Summaron was a lot sharper than the rigid Summicron 50; the resolution was about 50% higher. BTW, the rigid Summicron was my next sharpest lens out of about 10 I had for Leica at that time. The only problems with the lens were the falloff (mostly true, uncompensated cos-fourth falloff) and the 5.6 aperture. I haven't used any of the Russian lenses, so I can't say how they compare. I don't have a 28, but have a 21/3.4 SA, a 21 Elmarit and just got the 21/2.8 asph., so I'm selling the older Elmarit. First indications are that the new 21 asph. is very good in every way except distortion. A little barrel distortion remains as well as the typical slight 'moustache' corners, so I'll probably keep the SA for especially critical work. Also the new Elmarit is still as long as the old, and the only reduction in size is the filter diameter, which is down from 60 to 55. If you don't meter with an M5 or 6, the SA still seems to be the best bet, but I'll have to check it out some more to say for sure. * Henning J. Wulff /|\ Wulff Photography & Design /###\ henningw@archiphoto.com |[ ]| http://www.archiphoto.com