Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/19

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Nikon Lenses
From: leica <leica@home.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 14:04:09 -0700

I'm not Marc, but I've my camera history went
Olympus-->Nikon-->Canon-->Leica R, and I think I've got a bit of a
"feel" for the lenses though not test data. 
If I weren't with Leica I'd probably take a hard look at Contax but then
go Nikon for the lenses and the bodies. I found their telephoto glass to
be generally superior to Canon's, but have not had occasion to use Leica
telephoto lenses. I do not think Nikon wide-angle glass, even the new
stuff, is as good as Leica's, though it is close. I find it lagging a
bit in detail and shadow detail, and tends to be just a bit soft
wide-open with the large-aperture wide angle lenses. And though they are
excellent, they don't produce that leica character that I can't put into
words. Generally speaking though you'd have to be pretty critical to
tell a difference.

Dave Yoder

"Elliot M. Puritz, MD" wrote:
> 
> Cannot let the opportunity pass without offering some comments about
> Nikon lenses, most of which I have never used.  Of course, I do not have the
> experience that many of you have with regards to the use of diverse lenses
> and bodies.
> 
> Many large format photographers....I know that we all shoot Leica...call the
> Apo-Nikkors the sharpest lenses they have ever used.  Objective charts....I
> know about our controversy about such charts...tend to confirm many of
> such anecdotal observations.  We are not talking about Bokeh, just
> accutance.  Color rendition will, of course, vary from maker to maker.
> Furthermore, I have heard that the Nikon screw mount lenses are sharper
> then most of the Leica lenses of similar focal length. Since I have never
> used these lenses personally I wonder if Marc might comment.
> 
> Elliot