Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/17

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 's 21 mm lenses (was: Saving Leica ...)
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 20:48:59 -0600

At 09:47 AM 2/17/98 +0100, you wrote:

>I see from your web site, that you love high contrast lenses. So, 
>you will be happy with the 2.8/21 asph Elmarit (and you would need

You bet. I like the wonderful tonal rendition of Leica lenses. I do like
sharp, and I hate flat pictures. Saturate colors and pure color.

>Besides-1, I promise, that you'll hate the 2.8/21 asph Elmarit also - 
>because you love the out-of-focus rendition of your 1.4/75 Summilux.

It's not the out of focus (bokeh) of the 75 I like as much as what's in
focus. And the tonal modulation, regardless of whether it's out of focus or
not. Saturation! <G>

>Besides-2, the color rendition of blue-green and blue is different
>in both lenses (in my perception). It is somehow flat from the 2.8/21 

Interesting, considering that blue/green (more like cyan actually) that
gives a greater sense of sharpness. One of the things that makes Zeiss
lenses look sharp. They tend to be blue.

And I got the impression from Erwin's web site that the 21 ASPH is clearly
superior to the previous models (all of them). Am I wrong?

All that aside, it really matters what each person prefers. You have your
taste, I have mine. So the word superior is clearly subjective, but I think
some lenses prove they are clearly superior. The 100 Apo macro has no peer.
The 280 f/4 Apo Telyt is another. As is the 70-180 2.8 and the 180 f/2.
All lenses I wish I could afford. <G> Some day.

To tell the truth, I look at pictures by Gene Smith, and Ernst Haas, and
Andre Kertesz and many others, right up to photojournalists work worked in
the 60s and 70s and I think they had a wonderful palette to work with. Ours
today with modern lenses is different. Modern lenses, films, scanners,
printers, and computer screens. It's a different world. And the field is
wide open for each person to select their tools, from a Leica Standard to a
Linhof Teknika to a Leica R8 and 400 2.8. All of them are cool.
==========

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO
http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

I used to have a handle on life, then it broke