Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]My experience is in agreement with your choices. The tiny, 52mm-filter 20/3.5 AIS (a fairly rare lens) is my choice for a 20. Stopped down to f/11, that lens is *very* hard to tell from a 21 ASPH-M...I've shot side-by-sides with them. My choice in a 35 is the current f2.8 Perspective-Control. I have an 85 f/2 and the 85 1.8 AF; the 1.8 is *tack* sharp at every aperture and *very* contrasty...a *lousy* portrait lens but it is perfect for shooting courtside without flash at a high-school basketball game. The 55/2.8 Micro is indeed the best of Nikon's many, many 50's and the latest 180 is a lens to die for, and at about $800 new, perhaps the best bargain on the planet. I am please to see you mention the f/4 Micro. Despite everything written in favour of the f2.8's, the f/4 lens is the better performer across the entire focussing range. I can only compare Nikkors to Leica M, because the lenses I'd *want* in the R-line are too heavy and too expensive for me (19/2.8, 50/1.4,100/2.8,180 APO) and the one's I can carry and afford have been discontinued (90/2.8, 180/4). I don't necessarily find the Nikkors warmer than the Leica-M. What I do find is that although the Nikkors are just as sharp and contrasty, the Leica-M rendition has an almost stereo-like 3-dimensional depth. Projecting the transparencies, Nikons look like beautiful photographs whilst Leica is like being transported to the scene itself. It is hard to describe but easy to see. Regards, Nigel On Tue, 24 Nov 1998 02:29:38 -0500 Carsten Bockermann >I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of Nikon lenses. From time >to >time someone voices an opinion like "the Nikkors produce a brittle" or >"they show bad bokeh". I have some Nikkors for which this is certainly >true >(20/2.8 AIS, 35/2 AIS, 85/1.8 AF). Others like the 55/2.8 Micro AIS, >the >105/4 Micro AIS and the 180/2.8 AF IF-ED produces images that are very >similar to those of my Leica M lenses. However, mixing images from >these >two manufacturers´ lenses in a slide show you quickly realize that the >Nikkors exhibit a much warmer color rendition. > >Carsten > >http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Carsten_Bockermann/ > ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]