[Leica] Cameraquest claim re. Voigtlander 50mm f/3.5 Heliar IV M mount

[Mark Rabiner]

We know always think of the best glass as fast glass - they cost more and tended to be more used by pro’s but as Franks says it just isn’t so. It’s way easier and more obvious make a slow lens sharp. People don’t know that. They assume the opposite.
When they add extra speed to an optical formula it creates all kinds of problems for the designer (one gets from one’s readings.)
If we are talking specifically about Leica glass made for Rangefinder, then we have a unique advantage in the otherwise ground glass shooting world to not have a dimmer view of trying to look though the thing. The frame lines and what’s in them are just as bright and snap in and out of focus just as fast with a thimble sized f 4.5 as with a honking f 1.4. So, a slow lens option in the Leica catalog is not just a cheap way out. It’s also about compactness and light weight and if we are shooting digital we’re still going to get those night shots capturing action and getting depth of field. So, it’s all good. Also, sharper and less “flare” with the outer element tiny and not picking up a bunch of non-wanted light.
I’d get a slow optics even they cost more. It’s all about quality not the opposite.

 
 

-- 

Mark William Rabiner
Photographer

On 2/16/17, 5:44 AM, "LUG on behalf of Frank Dernie" <lug-bounces+mark=rabinergroup.com at leica-users.org on behalf of Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com> wrote:

    I have one of the originals which came on a green body I failed to resist. It is indeed super sharp but is only f3.5, so much easier to make sharp from an optical design pov.
    I know nowadays with modern computer analysis tools fast lenses which are amazingly sharp are available, but I am old enough to have come from the time when only the slower lenses were sharpest, and the fast ones were known to have compromised speed for sharpness!
    I have had an apo Summicron on my camera and shot a few frames in dark conditions where camera shake made much more difference to sharpness than lens quality.
    Frankly with modern digital cameras having splendid light sensitivity this would be a superb choice if DoF effect isn’t the deciding factor.
    I’m going to get mine out again and give it another go - I have far too many 50s to use them all.
    cheers,
    Frank D.
    
    
    > On 15 Feb 2017, at 20:08, Paul Roark <roark.paul at gmail.com> wrote:
    > 
    > Has anyone ever tested this claim by Cameraquest
    > <https://www.cameraquest.com/> ?
    > 
    > "The new Voigtlander 50mm f/3.5 Heliar IV Leica M Mount is extraordinarily
    > sharp, comparable to Leica's 50mm f/2 APO Summicron-M!"
    > 
    > It came around in an email circulation.
    > 
    > It seems a bit over the top.
    > 
    > Paul
    > www.PaulRoark.com
    > 
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