Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/18

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Subject: RE: [Leica] apo 90 versus 4/150
From: Austin Franklin <austin@darkroom.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 20:29:35 -0500

> Hasselblad at f4
> At 10 lines the contrast figure runs from 86% center to 76% corner: very 
even
> At 20 lines: 74% to 60%
> At 40 lines: 48% to 40%.

> Leica at f/4
> At 10 lines: 96% to 96%
> At 20 lines: 90% to 87%
> At 40 lines: 72% over 80% to 70%

Just curious, what are the charts for the Leica at f/2?

How you quantify 'better image quality'.  Overall for the full negative on 
the same size print, or per unit negative area.  Granted, per unit negative 
area, it appears the Leica lense is, in fact, better.   But, given that a 
Hasselblad negative is 6cm and the 35mm is 3.6cm...that means the Leica 
lense has to be 1.6 times 'better' if you consider the entire negative.  Is 
it really fair to compare a 90 to a 150, unless you DO factor in the 1.6 
and compare final print quality?  If you do that, the Hasselblad lense does 
come out ahead...

What about Hasselblad's staple 80/2.8 lense and comparing it to the Leica 
staple 50/1.4?  According to the MTF charts, what is Hasselblad's best 
lense, and Leica's best lense?  That would be an interesting comparison, at 
least to me ;-)

> That people perceive Hasselblad pictures as sharper

But they ARE sharper...  I am not criticizing Leica lenses (I have far more 
money in Leica lenses than Hasselblad lenses these days, at least ones I 
use), they ARE fantastic, and for 35mm, I would use no other, but I really 
don't believe we are comparing apples to apples here.  I really believe we 
have to compare the resultant print resolution, unless you compare lenses 
of equal focal lengths...

> sometimes under suitable conditions may challenge 120 format
> pictures up to 12 times enlargement.

Absolutely agree.  In fact, it is specifically the Leitz lenses and the M 
camera that made me venture back into 35mm photography.  I have not used a 
35mm camera for any serious work in 12 years, I have used purely 
Hasselblads.  So far, I am VERY pleased with the images I have taken with 
my M6 and assorted Leitz lenses.  I even sold my Nikons ;-)