[Leica] More on the 35-70 f4

["James Burris" <jabu@direct.ca>]

Thanks to all who responded!

Looks like I ought to pick up the 60!!  Thanks again for the great advice!!

I don't think it is unfair to compare a 100mm macro against the 35-70 f4
vario elmar.  At infinity the zoom should  provide very comparable results.
But to quote the salesperson in the camera store, the 100mm prime smoked it
at infinity.  This with the 100mm macro elmar - r  shot at f5.6 (both lenses
were used at this aperture).  I agree with John that it's performance in the
near range in nearly indistinguishable from a prime lens.  So basically the
results were exactly the opposite from what I would have expected.  The
close range pictures which certainly should have favored the macro were very
similar.  However the infinity shots which should have favored the zoom were
not comparable at all.  No where near as much resolution with the zoom.
Overall the zoom performs VERY similarly to the Minolta 35-70 f3.5 lens I
used to have - the same design as the original Leica lens, except for a lot
less distortion.

Thanks for your comments John, and perhaps we should pack it in on a Leica
mid-range zoom.  :)  Or at least until the 2.8 version is affordable.

James Burris