Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sharpness is a perception often confused with contrast. Zeiss optical engineers and others have written much about this. You can have a superior resolving image, but with low contrast it will look terrible. Take a lower resolution image with better contrast and you will have a perceived sharper image. BTW, years ago there was a test run between Olympus Zuiko lenses and Nikkors. You could not tell the transparencies apart except for one trait. The Olmypus lenses had a slightly warmer color balance. I know many of us have been weaned on Nikon but this does not necessarily mean they are the Japanese equivalent to Leica. Quite to the contrary there are lenses from other manufacturers that are often better resolving than their equivalent Nikkor and in some cases Leica. Now I know there will be flames in saying this, but the bottom line in what I am trying to state is simply that superb optics are not always branded with a red dot. Peter K - -----Original Message----- From: leica [mailto:leica@home.com] Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 1999 8:44 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Nikon Lenses Sure, I'm using the R glass but I agree to the very critical eye Leica is going to be superior to Nikon. You have a very critical eye. Many photographers, even professional photographers, don't have such sensitivity to quality. I could show my Leica pictures to two photographers and one could say there's no difference between Leica and Nikon, while another might see the light, so to speak. I haven't done exactly that but something akin to that. Many photographers only look at sharpness, and think the more contrast the better. Dave Yoder Ruralmopics@aol.com wrote: > > > I don't know . . . I've used Nikons for years but after just a few rolls past > my 35mm Summicron and 24mm ASPH I'm absolutely blown away by the Leica > lenses. There is just so much more detail in the shadow areas of black and > white negatives. I've shot T-Max in some low light situations where I really > didn't expect much -- certainly situations where the Nikon would have > produced less than exciting results -- but the Leica lenses really came > through. > > Bob (animals aren't the only things that see in the dark) McEowen