Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/09/04

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Did Kodak at one time beat Leica in terms of lens quality???
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2001 15:41:51 -0400

At 02:58 PM 9/4/01 -0400, Wang, Albert wrote:
>So guys, what do you think about the relative comparison between the
>Americans' ability vs. the German's ability to produce the highest quality
>optical lens during the 1940's? I am not technically proficient so I can't
>comment about lens tests this guy claims to have performed. Is it believable
>that Kodak could have done a much better optical job than Leica did?

Most Leitz lenses were on the mediocre side into the 1950's -- the 3.5/5cm
Elmar, 2/5cm Summitar and 4/9cm Elmar are really the only truly competitive
lenses produced by Leitz prior to the introduction of the 2/5cm Summicron
in 1954.  After that, there are a slew of fine designs which just go on
getting better thereafter.

But, in 1939 or 1946, yes, Kodak made outstanding lenses which often
outshone Leitz' products.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir!

Replies: Reply from "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> (Re: [Leica] Did Kodak at one time beat Leica in terms of lensquality???)
Reply from Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net> (Re: [Leica] Did Kodak at one time beat Leica in terms of lensquality???)