[Leica] Re: 4.5/15mm Heliar and Ricoh 2.8 GR28

[Cummer Family <cummer@asiaonline.net>]

Tom A wrote:
>Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 21:54:40 EDT
>From: TTAbrahams@aol.com
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Heliar 4,5/15mm versus Super-Elmar-R 3,5/15mm
> The Heliar is a lightweight lens and I assume that the focussing helicoil 
>probably will not last as long as the old 50 DR Summicron steel and brass 
>one, but considering its price, it is a bargain and certainly no slouch in 
>performance. 
>Tom A
Hello Luggers,
I have just come back from an Easter holiday in Phuket Thailand (no LUG for
a week!) where I used my Bessa-L Voigtlander body together with the
Heliar4.5/15mm and viewfinder. I shot ASA 400 and ASA 100 print film and
from my unscientific happy snaps I am very impressed with the lens. It is a
different kind of shooting, you *have* to think about depth of field - easy
at the beach when you are shooting at F8 and smaller apertures - you just
set infinity at the depth of field scale indicated by your aperture - and
everything from about 0.5 meters to infinity is in focus. The lightmeter -
center weighted on a grey shutter (whether medium grey or not I don't
know:>)) was accurate enough for print film and the images I have are very
crisp and contrasty - although I share Tom's desire for a level on the
viewfinder because tilting the lens does produce severe keystoning - which
can be used to advantage - perhaps - shooting Thai temples. Also, as TA
mentioned the viewfinder is very clear and very bright. For a while I used
the Heliar with an LTM to M adaptor on my CLE - and again the metering was
accurate enough for print film - and this combo had the added advantage of
allowing aperture preferred snap shooting. Everyone who sees and holds the
Heliar will agree that it doesn't have the build quality of a 21 Elmarit -
but the images are very very good for the price - and the only direct
competition is the f8 Hologon modified to M (about US$3,000) and that
requires special filters to overcome the light falloff at the edges, at F8,
which doesn't exist with the Heliar at F8 and smaller apertures. I don't
think the lens will ever be used to take a majority of my pictures but it
is a fun lens and not so expensive that you sweat about taking it out and
using it. The same is true for the limited use Bessa body.
I also used my recently acquired Ricoh GR28 (thank you again Oka-san)
during the holiday - mostly on the CLE - and it is a very good lens -  in
my opinion at least as good as my second generation (1975) 28mm Elmarit and
beautifully made and assembled. The Ricoh viewfinder, however, is not as
bright as my Leica 28 viewfinder, although the Ricoh build quality - in
dull chrome - is more appealing to me than the Leica plastic finder. This
lens for the moment is the only aspherical 28mm available in either LTM or
(with adaptor) M mount and it is a beauty. Of course, I am sure that when
Leica finally releases the 28mm ASPH to join the 21 and 24 - its
performance will be equal or better - but,  as we all know, at a Leica
price! One final comment about the Ricoh - it is a very small lens, smaller
than the Minolta 28 for the CLE and smaller than the Leica 28. I find this
small size very appealing like lenses for the old LTM cameras.
Best Regards
Howard.