Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/03/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Patrick Sobalvarro wrote: > same (like the 135mm/2.8 Elmarit-R), but many of them are different. > Marc Small has made the point that starting a few years ago, a lens > designer at Leica had decided to remove from new R lens formulas the > residual spherical aberration that gives M lenses their characteristic No, that is not true. Residual sphercial aberration is not and never was a feature of R or M lenses. It is simply a fact of life to some degree in every lens. And will be 'til lens elements are flat. It's not what gives them their "look." Any more than resolution and contrast are adequate determinants for lens quality. Lens design is an incredibly complex situation. If you want to know what Leica does, check the book "Leica Lens Practice." Very good book. It squelches many myths about what Leica does. The new APO lenses show the "Leica look" just fine. I had one of the best (the 280 Apo Telty 2.8) and it was stupenously good, but it was also every bit the Leica of my other lenses. Leica has very good control over the look of their lenses. And they even tell you when a lens shows anything different in color characteristics. Just try that with any other manufacturer. -- Eric Welch Grants Pass, OR