Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/07/17
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>At 06:11 PM 7/17/96 -0400, you wrote:
>
>>>...However, technologies do peak out.
>>
>>As film appears to be doing even now, sadly.
>
>It's not becaue it can't get better. In 86 Kodak was saying they could
>probably squeeze 10X more imaging quality out of film. Unfortunately, that
>was before they made major cuts in research. Dang. Fuji is still making very
>nice stuff, though. Mabye when the lawsuits settle, they'll have to go back
>to competing honestly.
>
>>The current production equipment seems to provide the best combination of
>>color saturation, contrast, and sharpness for my taste, but I must agree that
>>(allowing for sample variations) _some_ of the older lenses have slightly
>>better sharpness. The exception I would make to this is my new-formula 50mm
>
>Have you tried any of the APOs? They are stupendous. And the 35 Summilux R.
>It's scary it's so good. But on the average, I think your right.
>
>===================
>Eric Welch
>Grants Pass (OR) Daily Courier
>NPPA Region 11 JIB chair
>
>"I think not," said Descartes, and disappeared.
>
>Some older lenses deliver measurably more sharpness than more recent Leica
lenses. However, the higher sharpness is delivered at lower contrast levels
which in the photographic practice gives less interesting pictures (David
Hamilton may disagree). Leica started calculating their lenses in the
sixties to deliver maximum contrast, rather than maximum resolution. Also,
coatinglayers are chosen in order to enhance contrast and Leica may accept
some vignetting if the final result is higher contrast.
In my opinion, their design philosophy is absolutely right. I have a
collapsible Summicron f 2/50mm which is definitively sharper than their
recent Summicon f2/50mm but the Kodachrome slides made with the recent lens
come out much nicer due to better contrast transfer (crispier image, more
saturated colors).
In terms of black-and-white negatives, the difference in contrast between
Leitz fifties- and Leica's contemporary lenses is in excess of one
photographic paper gradation level.
Gerard Captijn,
Geneva, Switzerland.
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