Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/08/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have had Erwin's book since it was first published, and I downloaded his MTF measurements from the net - I am sad that way. The fact that the Summicron is old doesn't mean it can be easily bettered. Most of the investment in lenses nowadays is in manufacturing technology to make acceptable lenses at very low prices. There has not been an update in the laws of physics and some of the exotic glass types are now no longer available because they contained additives that are no longer legal to use. If a good gain can be had from aspherics or an improvement in close up performance from floating elements perhaps an update is appropriate. Both would add to the cost, particularly the floating element mechanism. Erwin frequently uses the current 50mm summicron as the benchmark against which he compares other lenses. It is almost never equalled. Frank On 9 Aug, 2007, at 00:18, Mark Rabiner wrote: >> You have seen a test I haven't even heard of. Certainly my summicron >> is better than the other 50s I own which include zeiss (for Contax >> SLR and old rangefinder), Canon (rangefinder and SLR), Nikon >> (rangefinder and SLR). The Cosina/Voigtlander 50 f1.5 I had had an >> ugly look (though it was pretty sharp). >> The only "standard" lens I have tried which compares is the 45mm for >> Contax G cameras, love the look hate using it :-) >> Frank >> > > > I like my 50 Summicron better than my 1.4 ai Nikkor. > But not that much better than my 1.8 Nikkor which I paid 99.99 for > made in > Thailand. But that lens is an exceptional phenomenon. Its on my > camera now. > My D40x. Which is my at this point in time main ax. > That's right I'm shooting with a 99 dollar lens. > F 1.8 and be there. > And loving it. A 75 as it translates to the DX crop circle. > > > There have been many discussions on the LUG on how the 50 Summicron > is a bit > long in the tooth. But were over shadowed by the longer in the tooth > Summilux. Which was remedied. With much over kill and over the top > technology with all kinds of mechanizations people have been having > all > kinds of trouble with. Like focusing it. > Its no wonder a lower tech approach to other various issues is now > being > considered. > > By the way in Erwin's book I read this morning that > a Summarit is a Xenon with a coating. > > A bit of an under whelming assessment of the legend of the Summarit > marque > Leica is now touting. And which is of course absolutely true. > The 1.5 Xenon introduced over f2 speed to the 1936 shooting crowd with > really bad results. But they had to keep up with the Zeiss's and > the Contax > first came out right then and with an f1.5 right on it. And in this > case > having Schneider helping Leica out on this lens design didn't do > anything > all that positive. Perhaps they'd have been better off with a Berek > design a > more obvious approach. > > 18 years later in 1954 they coated the Xenon and called it a Summarit. > > The coating didn't do much for its intended use. (wide open) > But seemed to help a bit when you stopped down which without the > coating > didn't much help the Xenon Erwin says. > Both the Xenon and the Summarit performed very similarly and that's > basically because they are the exact same optical formula. > > The Xenon only stopped down to f9 and that didn't help much. > But the Summarit with the coating though they let stop down to the > normal > f16. And stopping down did some help to the image. > > My assessment of what Erwin writes is no doubt not quite on the > money in at > least one way so I'd get the book and read it yourself if you want > it right > from the horses mouth its much better than printing out PDF's which > I used > to read its a gorgeous book. Fits in my bag. Not really too heavy. > I'm not leaving home without it. The Leica Lens Compendium. > > http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/compendium.shtml > http://www.amazon.com/Leica-Lens-Compendium-Erwin-Puts/dp/189780217X > Price: $37.77 > You are loosing money not buying it. > 34 used & new available from $25.00 > > > > > Mark William Rabiner > Harlem, NY > > rabinergroup.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information