Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jem Kime wrote: > Dante, > As many of us have said, the early 35 Summilux is such a wonderful lens but > it has a different set of criteria to the present (asph) version. Don't try > the newspaper on the wall test as you'll think its poor, it's curved field > makes such a test worthless, but if you want the closest bokeh (look) to a > Noctilux at F1 then this, I think, is as close as it gets. > Lovely for dark clubs and pubs, etc. > The curved field comes toward you at the corners which can be handy when > placing foreground interest near you. Unlike the lens fitted to the Olympus > Pen W (Wide) which worked in the opposite way, I'd photographed a sequence > of posts some eighteen inches away yet at the top corners I could count the > bricks on houses that were 400 yds distant! > > regards, > Jem Interesting perspective, this. I bought my first Leica, an M4, when I was working my way through college as a camera salesman. I placed an order for the camera with the 35 f/1.4 Summilux. A few weeks later, I received a phone call at my college dorm from a Leitz representative who wanted to discuss my choice of lens, as he had correctly assumed that the Summilux would be used as a "normal" lens. In his, and Leitz' opinion, unless I really needed the speed and could accept the particular (curved field} characteristics of the Summilux, I would be much happier with the f/2 'cron. I took his advice and never regretted the decision. VBR, Ira Silverman