Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hehehehehe----this is the best one yet! I >BET< Tamarkin wants you to look through the lens at an even surface!! Better yet, look at everything with soft/even flourescent light!!! I've NEVER seen a serious flaw in a lens using these tests!! Yes, the "penlight test" is BRUTAL!!! Anal retentives will have to learn to DEAL with a lil' dust >IN NEW LENSES!!!< when doing the flashlight test! But you want to first SEE all the flaws, consider the price and what effect they'll have (usually NONE) and then IGNORE the flaws and make pictures (thanks, Ted). But yeah, buddy, I BET ol' Stan and his cronies don't want ya pulling out that penlight and looking at his "instruments"!! -- Hell on buisiness at those prices......See Chatterton (high but DAMN fine gentleman) or Kuehl (same, kinda "looser" personality) -- bought cameras/lenses from both, they're great folks. Here's my test -- use the flashlight/small desk lamp and SEE all the flaws....then look at a flourescent light fixture or WELL lit wall and if ya can't see the same flaws, ignore them. And remember, as many wise folks here have stated, haze/fog and even/fine scratches are MUCH more degrading than even a BIG single ding/gouge....by the one with the 1/2" single mega scratch -- shoot it forever, just don't try to sell it. :) (particularly applies to lenses 50 or longer.. you might want to test a 21 at small stops if there's a major gouge.. I doubt you'd see any problems, but try a 12ex just to be sure..... CU later and Happy NY< Walt On Fri, 1 Jan 1999, csocolow wrote: > Joe Stephenson wrote: > > > Terry, > > It occured to me to add that it is a good idea to shine a pen light through > > older Leica lenses. > > Snip... > > Joe, > > I was told by one of the salespeople at Tamarkin that this is an invalid test, > that shining a light through a lens will show up every piece of dirt and crap > and debris and that it's better to look through the lens towards an even light > source. That being said, I always look through a lens I'm considering with a > penlight. > > Carl Socolow >