Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 11:55 PM 1/28/98 +0000, you wrote: >The Zeiss 35/1.4 is the only SLR 35/1.4, other than the Minolta AF 35/1.4, to >employ a hand ground aspheric element and does enjoy (by what I've heard over the I remember when Modern Photography compared the Zeiss and Nikon and Leica 35mm 1.4 lenses (The Leica was the old M version, obviously since Modern's been out of business for yeras). Their conclusion was none stood out over the other. The Zeiss was sharper across the whole image, Nikon sharper in the center, but the Leica was a tad better in overall performance. Has Zeiss updated the formula on this lens since then? All I know is that I saw a comparison of all 35mm lenses in some tests over on compuserve, and the overall rating of lenses went from the 35mm Summilux Aspherical (first version) then the 35 Summilux R, then the Canon 35mm f/2, then the 35 Summicron M, then the Summicron R, then the Zeiss, then the Nikon 35 f/2 and on from there. Not a bad rating for such an old lens, but not anywhere near the top. (Didn't mean to shout at you.) And my experience has been, contrary to some reports here, is the top two are the Asphierical (ASPH) and the Summilux R are the best 35mm 1.4 lenses I've seen put an image on film. They all have some falloff, though the R is a big stronger than others. It makes up for it in other ways. ========== Eric Welch St. Joseph, MO http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse.