Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/02/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Sorry, Henry, I have to disagree. The 60 2.8 is tack sharp "wide open," >and having owned and used the 75 Summliux, and 85 1.4 Nikon AIS and AF, >I have to say that there is not one whit of difference between them wide >open or otherwise. Maybe when shooting newspapers on walls one can >detect a difference, but when shooting Tri-X under real-life >circumstances, the only difference between the 77 Summilux and the 85 >Nikon is price, size, and, as with any non-Leica lens, build quality - >although the 85 is one of Nikon's better built lenses. > >B. D. Well, You are partly right on this one! When you're shooting Tri-X hand held the differences are covered up to a large extent. Put some of your faviorite100 speed transparency film in and give it a go. You'll be singing a different tune. I promise! On that 60 being tack sharp - I guess you got a good one and I did not. :) Its not tack sharp wide open. Shoot a frame or two with it open then a frame or two with it stopped down to f5.6 or 8. You WILL see a big difference! This goes for most any lens - they get better at those apertures - but Leica is the clear winner at open apertures. The 50 Summicron is at least one stop better. Its f2 performance is about equal to the Nikon at f4. Its not really apples to apples but you'd think the Nikon would perform well at f2.8 but it doesn't. Stop it down and it rocks. The reason I am belaboring this is that the better my equipment is, the more keepers. I want the edge. And I'm not saying you can't make good pictures with any of the gear we're talking about. At the same time spending the extra dollars for Leica gear did not come easy or on happen on a whim. I would like to have the Nikon 85f1.4. I think that an SLR is better for me than a RF for close portraits. No recomposing after focusing. The hold-up is that on trying a friends manual focus version I was dissappointed. It did not give what I wanted until stopped down a bit. And what good is a "fast" lens if it only performs well stopped down? I maintain that Leica gear is in general and in particular a step up from anything Nikon makes. In wides and normal its not even a contest. Anyway I may try the Nikon 85 again to see if I'm missing something. Sure as heck would be cheaper than an R8 and an 80 Summilux. Best, Henry