[Leica] IMG's plus advice needed - Guy, girl, bokeh (Geoff Hopkinson)

[rpalmier at depaul.edu (bob palmieri)]

On Mar 24, 2009, Geoff wrote:

> Hi Bob. I just shot this for you, including some out of focus  
> highlight
> areas for you too. Apologies to the Friday people for the subject  
> matter.
> This is the current Summilux , close to minimum focus distance (. 
> 7m) and
> f/2.  Well worth getting used to the different feel of the focus  
> ring, in my
> opinion. This is the best fast 50 you can buy right now regarding  
> correction
> and lack of focus shift. It costs a lot. The new Nocti shares some  
> of its
> design, I understand. It costs two arms and a leg.
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/a/ns/KG.jpg.html
> Against the light on dilute XTOLed film it does this.
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/a/Vic/MV27.jpg.html

Geoff -

Thanks for showing these shots.  I really like both of them for  
different reasons.

I also seem to recall that you may have spent an evening in front of  
the TV racking that new 'lux back & forth mercilessly in order to try  
to loosen it up and get the little notch to fade into the background.
I'm sure it's likely the best 50 1.4 lens out there in many ways at  
the moment.

However, perhaps I shoulda been more specific about the problem which  
constitutes my only objection to the old version for the ways that I  
use it.  This involves the rendering of distant point sources of  
light wide open when focussed at a subject a few feet away.

I also recall maybe last year sometime a list member (of some repute)  
was offering to trade one of the new ones for a good version of one  
of the late sphericals after going through some gyrations trying to  
get rid of the little notch in the focussing where the floating group  
action kicks in.  I couldn't do the trade because I found that I  
agreed with him...

With this lens on a film M I shoot fast, really fast.

Bob Palmieri