[Leica] close-up performace and Kodachrome

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

Nigel wrote:
>, the latest issue of Leica Fotografie contains a statement by Leica
>that the 3,4/135 must be stopped down "1 or two stops" to achieve the
>best resolution in the near-focussing range.

The exact translation of the official statement of leica is this and put in
context:
"The new Apo-Telyt has outstanding image quality at full aperture that
hardly improves on stopping down. This performance extends into th near
focusing range to 1,50m. Stopping down one or two stops gives a small
improvement gain in this range."

This statement is correct, and my own results with the 4/135 indicate the
same kind of performance: the 4/135 also improves a little in the near
focusing range after stopping down.
As all lenses are corrected for long distance, it is a natural law that
performance drops when focusing in close range. Even the 2.8/100 improves a
bit when stopping down in the near focusing range.

I am not sure what performance standards Nigel is accustomed to or what
kind of pictures he takes. So his experience is not easlily transferable.

Tom wrote:
>Do you believe that K25 & K64 outperform Fuji Velvia,
>Astia, & Provia only when used with Leica glass OR
>that K25 & K64 outperform these Fuji films....period!

This statement is too heavy. Fuji films are excellent and the sharpness of
the Velvia (still the sharpest in the Fuji line-up) is only second to the
Kodachrome pair. If you look at colour rendition opinions vary widely. Not
everyone likes Kodachrome. I used Velvia for my testing many years. But the
additional sharpness of Kodachrome, including its capacity for recording
fine fine colour hues with infinite gradation match the performance
characteristics of Leica. Or the other way around: to extract out of Leica
optics their best characteristics, Kodachrome is the must. To avoid many
postings: the Astia also produces finely graded colour nuances, but its
sharpness is less. than K'chromes. I like shimmering clean whites and solid
blacks and K'chrome gives this. Technically the 3 layer structure of
K'chrome against the 14 layer structure of Fuji (or Ektachromes) has the
added value of better edge sharpness and less light scattering,improving
the conrast of extemely fine detail: the level Leica is now exploring.

Erwin