Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/05/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Nikon's wide zoom is the 17-35mm f/2.8 D ED-IF AF-S lens and is said to >blow Canon's right out of the water. Hi Mark It's not my experience. I do prefer the Leica Vario Elmar R 21-35 but owning, too, the two wide zooms you mentioned I've found that the Nikon has slightly better correction of the distortion at 17-20mm while Canon 16-35 is worse on this distortion but has more sharpness and contrast. Neither is a lens up to the level of the Leica, not for sharpness, but for the truly big distortion at 16-20. Perhaps 21 is the limit for a almost perfect wide zoom though I never used the extraordinary Contax 17-35 f1:2.8. In the future this lens could be a strong reason for getting, again, as I rejected mine after first tests, a Contax N. But perhaps 21mm (Leica) is the rational limit for producing an excellent wide zoom With the exception of distortion is my opinion that sharpness on these wide zooms is almost up the level of good primes. So if you are thinking in using them on architectural pictures forget it and use a PC wide on a tripod. Same for landscapes with straight horizon on the sea where, besides, you get some strong vignetting unless you close two or three stops. I haven't used a PC Leica, made by Schneider I think, but both Nikon 28 PC or, better, Canon 24 TS are excellent lenses, I can ensure you. I hope this may help. Kind regards Felix - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html