Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/10

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Character of 180mm
From: "David W. Almy" <dalmy@mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 07:34:09 -0400

David Strang wrote:
> 
> Does anyone have information comparing the:
> 
> -    180mm f2.8
> -    180mm f2.8 APO
> -    180mm f2.0 APO
> -    200mmf1.8EOS/FD Canon
> 
> I was hoping to learn how they compare optically? The Leica propaganda isn't
> much help. I once saw a lens test page that compared many Leica, Canon, Nikon,
> etc. I would be interested how the Leica 180f2 compares to the Canon 200f1.8
> (EOS/FD).

David,

The ColorFoto data appears below. Results on the 180s are halfway down.
I own both the Apo Summicron and the 70-180 and can only say that the
180 is extraordinary in all regards. The MTF graphs published on the new
Apo Elmarit are extraordinary as well. I have used the zoom for only
several months so cannot yet comment on its optical performance (which
is nevertheless excellent by all accounts). 

Hope this helps (and I'm praying that the table below aligns properly
when received),

David W. Almy
Annapolis

- ------------------------------------------------------

Here are some recent tests published since 12/94.
Compare lenses of the same f-stop class only !!!

Abrevations:
	Res.	Resolution/Sharpness
	Cont.	Contrast
	Cent.	Centering
	Dist.	Distortion
	Vign.	Vignetting
	Total	Total sum of points

				Res.	Cont.	Cent.	Dist.	Vign.	Total
			max.	30	30	20	10	10	100

Leica Elmarit-R 2.8 19mm	19.5	24.6	20	8	6	78.1
Canon EF 2.8 20mm USM		17.3	23.7	17	8	6	72.0
Nikkor AF 2.8 20mm		18.0	24.0	18	5	6	71.0
Leica R 3.5 15mm		16.1	21.0	18	5	7	67.1
Pentax SMC-FA 2.8 20mm		17.1	23.4	16	3	6	65.5
Sigma AF 3.5 18mm		16.1	21.9	14	3	7	62.0
Nikkor 5.6 13mm			14.9	18.9	14	5	6	58.8
Canon EF 2.8 14mm USM		15.2	19.8	13	5	4	57.0
Tamron AF 3.5 17mm SP		14.7	18.3	13	3	6	55.0
Sigma AF 3.5 14mm		14.9	18.9	12	4	5	54.8
Minolta AF 2.8 20mm		12.9	18.6	11	0	6	48.5

Leica Summilux-M 1.4 35mm	21.2	26.1	20	9	9	85.3
Leica Elmarit-M 2.8/28mm	22.5	27.3	20	9	6	84.8
Carl Zeiss Biogon T* 2.8/28mm	20.5	25.2	17	10	6	78.7
Canon EF 1.8 28mm USM		18.3	22.8	16	8	9	74.1

Leica Summicron-M 2/50mm	20.8	26.4	20	8	8	83.2
Leica Summilux-R 1.4/50mm	17.6	24	19	10	8	78.6
Carl Zeiss Planar T* 2/45mm	20.1	24.3	15	10	8	77.4
Nikon Nikkor AF 1.4/50mm	16.7	22.5	15	10	8	72.2
Canon EF 1.4/50mm		16.1	22.8	16	9	8	71.9
Minolta AF 1.4/50mm		17.0	21.9	15	9	8	70.9
Leica Noctilux-M 1.0/50mm	15.5	18.3	20	9	6	68.8
Canon EF 1.0/50mm		15.6	19.5	15	9	6	65.1

Leica Elmarit-M 2.8/90mm	22.8	27.6	20	10	10	90.4
Leica Summilux-R 1.4/80mm	20.4	27.0	20	10	8	85.4
Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 2.8/90mm	21.1	26.4	16	10	10	83.5
Nikon Nikkor 1.4/85mm		18.8	26.7	18	10	8	81.5
Minolta AF 1.4/85mm	        19.7	26.4	15	10	8	79.1
Canon EF 1.2/85mm L USM		19.1	25.8	16	10	8	78.9

Leica Apo-Summicron 2/180mm	25.5	29.1	20	10	10	94.6 (Best Lens ever)
Minolta AF 2.8 200mm APO	22.1	27.3	18	10	10	87.4
Canon EF 2.0 135mm L USM	23.0	26.9	16	10	8	83.9
Canon EF 3.5 180mm macro L	22.3	26.6	15	10	10	83.9
Nikon Nikkor 2/200mm		19.9	27.3	17	10	8	82.2
Canon EF 2.8/200mm L USM II	21.2	26.0	15	10	10	82.2
Tokina AF 2.8 100mm AT-X m	20.6	26.7	13	10	9	79.3
Canon EF 1.8/200mm L USM	18.3	25.2	12	10	8	73.5

Canon EF 2.8 400mm L USM II	23.0	27.5	18	10	10	88.5
Minolta AF 4.0 300mm APO	11.4	27.9	18	10	10	88.3
Tokina AF 2.8 300mm AT-X II	21	27	18	10	10	86.0
Tokina AF 4.0 300mm AT-X	21	27.9	17	10	10	85.9	
Sigma AF 4.0 300mm APO macro	21.6	26.7	17	10	10	85.3
Sigma AF 5.6 400mm APO macro	21.3	25.8	15	10	10	82.1

Canon EF 2.8 17-35mm USM L	17.7	23.3	14	7	8	70.0
Tamron AF 2.7-3.5/20-40mm	15	19.8	10	7	6	57.8

Canon EF 3.5-4.5/20-35mm USM	18.2	23.5	12	8	8	69.7
Vivitar AF 3.5-4.5 19-35mm 	16.4	21.9	12	6	8	64.3
Sigma AF 3.5-4.5 18-35mm 	15.8	21.6	10	7	8	62.4

Tokina AF 2.6-2.8 28-70mm Pro	18.3	25.6	13	7	8	71.9
Canon EF 2.8/28-70mm L USM	17.0	24.2	14	8	8	71.2
Pentax AL 2.8/28-70mm SMC-FA	17.3	24.4	13	9	6	69.7
Tokina AF 2.8 24-40mm AT-X	17.9	22.8	13	6	8	67.7

Nikkor AF 3.5-5.6 28-80mm D	18.7	23.8	13	8	9	72.5
Minolta AF 4-5.6/28-80mm	18.3	23.4	14	8	8	71.7
Vivitar AF 3.5-5.6 28-80mm	17.6	23.1	13	9	8	70.7
Minolta AF 3.5-4.5/28-105mm	18	23.8	13	7	8	69.8
Sigma AF 3.5-5.6 28-80mm Macro	17.9	22.5	12	8	8	68.4
Canon EF 3.5-4.5/28-105mm USM	16.7	23	14	6	8	67.7
Sigma AF 3.8-5.6 28-200mm Asph.	16.5	23.9	13	5	8	66.4
Tamron AF 3.5-5.6 28-80mm Asph.	17.8	22.2	10	8	8	66.0
Sigma UC AF 4-5.6/28-105mm	17.2	22.8	12	6	8	66.0
Yashica AF 3.5-4.5/28-70mm	16.8	21.8	14	5	8	65.6
Sigma AF 3.5-5.6 24-70mm	16.5	22.4	11	7	8	64.9
Tamron AF 3.3-5.6 24-70mm	16.5 	20.1	12	8	8	64.6
Vivitar AF 4-6.3 28-300mm	15.4	22.7	12	6	8	64.1

Leica APO-R 2.8 70-180mm	22.7	27.7	18	9	10	87.4
Canon EF 2.8 70-200mm USM L	18.1	25.0	15	9	8	75.1
Tokina AF 2.8 80-200mm Pro	18.3	24.4	13	9	8	72.7
Pentax SMC-FA 2.8 80-200mm	17.1	23.0	10	9	8	67.1

Leica Vario R 4.0 80-200mm	22.7	26.8	17	9	10	85.5
Sigma AF 3.5-4.5 70-210mm Apo	19.5	25.2	14	9	10	77.7
Nikkor AF 4.5-5.6 80-200mm D	19.2	24.7	13	9	9	74.9
Canon EF 3.5-4.5 70-210mm USM	18	24.4	13	9	10	74.4
Vivitar AF 2.8-4  70-210mm	18.6	24.9	12	10	8	73.5
Tamron AF 4.5-5.6 80-210mm	18.7	24.2	12	9	8	71.9

Minolta AF 4.5-6.7 100-400mm	19.1	25.0	15	8	10	77.1
Canon EF 4.5-5.6 100-300mmUSM	19.7	24.1	14	9	10	76.9
Tokina AF 4.0 100-300mm II	17.6	24.8	13	9	10	74.4
Sigma AF 4-5.6 75-300mm APO m	18.7	24.1	12	9	9	72.8
Canon EF 4-5.6 75-300mm USM 2	17	24.2	12	9	10	72.2
Tokina AF 4.5-5.6 80-400mm AT-X	17.9	24.4	12	8	9	71.3
Tamron AF 5.6 200-400mm		15.7	24.2	12	9	10	70.9
Tamron AF 4.5.6 70-300mm	16.4	23.7	13	7	10	70.1