Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/07

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] lens characteristics 2
From: Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1999 00:04:07 +0200

- --============_-1272788637==_ma============
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"


Noctilux 1:1.2/50
Arguably the most famous of all high speed lenses, its design 
incorporated two aspherical surfaces. Wide open it recorded subject 
outlines with  good clarity and its effective flare suppression 
helped the definition of fine detail. The lens improved on stopping 
down and the on axis performance at 1:2.8 is superb.
 
Noctilux-M 1:1/50
The fingerprint of this lens is unique. At full aperture it shows 
superior flare suppression,a medium overall contrast and a clean 
rendition of the finer textures in subject details in shadows and 
highlights. This is  a lens for the connoisseur,and not  a substitute 
for the 2/50mm Summicron

Tri-Elmar-M 1:4/28-35-50 ASPH
One of the very best lenses available for the M, its image quality at 
all three focal lengths is impeccable at full aperture. The maximum 
aperture at 1:4 is sufficient for many  situations and the smooth and 
easy change of focal length helps capturing elusive picture 
opportunities.
 
Summilux-M 1:1.4/75
An outstanding lens for distinctive location portraiture and  human 
interest photography. At full aperture the lens has a medium/high 
overall contrast and renders fine detail crisply and with good 
clarity of subject outlines. Stopped down to 1:2 brings in very fine 
detail with considerably higher contrast.
Summarex 1:1.5/85
Stopped down to medium apertures this lens from 1943-1960 performs 
remarkably well. At full aperture the contrast is very low and 
subject outlines are rendered with good visibility. A significant 
improvement can be seen when stopping down to 1:2.  Now of only 
historical interest, it clearly shows the optical advances made in 
the last two decades.
Tele-Elmarit-M 1:2.8/90
This very compact and lightweight lens delivers excellent imagery 
overall. Wide open the contrast is medium and the definition of very 
small picture details is slightly soft. Stop down two stops and the 
image quality over the whole picture area becomes of a very high 
order.
Elmarit-M 1:2,8/90
Before the arrival of the new Apo-Summicron 2/90 ASPH this lens was 
the best medium telelens ever designed for the M. At full aperture 
extremely fine textures and picture details are rendered with high 
fidelity and excellent clarity. Stopping down  improves a bit on this 
marvelous performance.
Summicron-M 1:2/90
Stopped down to 1:4 and smaller this classical lens has a first-class 
performance. The full aperture performance that is characterized by 
medium contrast, somewhat fuzzy outlines of finer detail, and a trace 
of veiling glare do indicate that the design is  a bit overcharged.
APO-Summicron-M 1:2/90 ASPH
A masterful lens, setting a new standard of excellence,this one shows 
in what direction the Leica designers are thinking. At full aperture 
extremely small detail is rendered with  very good clarity over the 
whole image field. Flare is hardly detectable, as is vignetting.  A 
supreme lens.
Elmar-M 1:4/135
This design from 1965 will outperform many current comparable lenses. 
It delivers outstanding performance at all apertures and at 1:5.6 
might be called superb. This focal length is very useful for the 
reflective type of picture taking.
Elmarit-M 1:2.8/135
Wide open this design exhibits a medium overall contrast , that 
softens the fine detail a bit. Stopped down to 1:5.6 it delivers very 
good image quality. The detachable spectacle viewfinder helps the 
framing of the image.
Apo-Telyt -M 1:3.4/135
High overall contrast, outstanding clarity of small picture details, 
very clean colors and subject outlines with high edge contrast are 
the trademark of the apochromatic correction, as practiced by Leica. 
At full aperture the Apo-Telyt extends the picture possibilities  of 
the M body with  an image quality that is unrivaled within the M 
range

- --============_-1272788637==_ma============
Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii"



<bold><fontfamily><param>Times</param>Noctilux 1:1.2/50

</fontfamily></bold><fontfamily><param>Times</param>Arguably the most
famous of all high speed lenses, its design incorporated two aspherical
surfaces. Wide open it recorded subject outlines with  good clarity and
its effective flare suppression helped the definition of fine detail.
The lens improved on stopping down and the on axis performance at 1:2.8
is superb. 

 

<bold>Noctilux-M 1:1/50

</bold>The fingerprint of this lens is unique. At full aperture it
shows superior flare suppression,a medium overall contrast and a clean
rendition of the finer textures in subject details in shadows and
highlights. This is  a lens for the connoisseur,and not  a substitute
for the 2/50mm Summicron


<bold>Tri-Elmar-M 1:4/28-35-50 ASPH

</bold>One of the very best lenses available for the M, its image
quality at all three focal lengths is impeccable at full aperture. The
maximum aperture at 1:4 is sufficient for many  situations and the
smooth and easy change of focal length helps capturing elusive picture
opportunities. 

 

<bold>Summilux-M 1:1.4/75

</bold>An outstanding lens for distinctive location portraiture and 
human interest photography. At full aperture the lens has a medium/high
overall contrast and renders fine detail crisply and with good clarity
of subject outlines. Stopped down to 1:2 brings in very fine detail
with considerably higher contrast.  

<bold>Summarex 1:1.5/85

</bold>Stopped down to medium apertures this lens from 1943-1960
performs remarkably well. At full aperture the contrast is very low and
subject outlines are rendered with good visibility. A significant
improvement can be seen when stopping down to 1:2.  Now of only
historical interest, it clearly shows the optical advances made in the
last two decades. 

<bold>Tele-Elmarit-M 1:2.8/90

</bold>This very compact and lightweight lens delivers excellent
imagery overall. Wide open the contrast is medium and the definition of
very small picture details is slightly soft. Stop down two stops and
the image quality over the whole picture area becomes of a very high
order.

<bold>Elmarit-M 1:2,8/90

</bold>Before the arrival of the new Apo-Summicron 2/90 ASPH this lens
was the best medium telelens ever designed for the M. At full aperture
extremely fine textures and picture details are rendered with high
fidelity and excellent clarity. Stopping down  improves a bit on this
marvelous performance.

<bold>Summicron-M 1:2/90

</bold>Stopped down to 1:4 and smaller this classical lens has a
first-class performance. The full aperture performance that is
characterized by  medium contrast, somewhat fuzzy outlines of finer
detail, and a trace of veiling glare do indicate that the design is  a
bit overcharged. 

<bold>APO-Summicron-M 1:2/90 ASPH

</bold>A masterful lens, setting a new standard of excellence,this one
shows in what direction the Leica designers are thinking. At full
aperture extremely small detail is rendered with  very good clarity
over the whole image field. Flare is hardly detectable, as is
vignetting.  A supreme lens.

<bold>Elmar-M 1:4/135

</bold>This design from 1965 will outperform many current comparable
lenses. It delivers outstanding performance at all apertures and at
1:5.6 might be called superb. This focal length is very useful for the
reflective type of picture taking.

<bold>Elmarit-M 1:2.8/135

</bold>Wide open this design exhibits a medium overall contrast , that
softens the fine detail a bit. Stopped down to 1:5.6 it delivers very
good image quality. The detachable spectacle viewfinder helps the
framing of the image. 

<bold>Apo-Telyt -M 1:3.4/135

</bold>High overall contrast, outstanding clarity of small picture
details, very clean colors and subject outlines with high edge contrast
are the trademark of the apochromatic correction, as practiced by
Leica. At full aperture the Apo-Telyt extends the picture possibilities
 of the M body with  an image quality that is unrivaled</fontfamily>
within the M range   

- --============_-1272788637==_ma============--