Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/02/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The Tele-Elmar-M 135 is optically one of the best lenses Leica is now offering. To claim that it is one of the sharpest ever, as Mr Lager does, needs some qualification. To support that claim one needs to make comparison shots with for instance the Summicron-M at a distance that is 100 times the focal length. That is: the 135mm lens at 13,5 m and the 50mm lens at 5 m. Both on the same subject of course and magnified at the same factor. The Tele-Elmar-M is unique because it is the only lens in the Leica line that has its best optical quality already at full aperture. Stopping down is only necessary for extending the depth of field. It exhibits excellent contrast at full aperture. It has apo-like optical properties. That may be the reason that there is some rumour that there is an apo-element in it. By the way "apo-elements" as such do not exist. There are aspherical elements and apochromatic corrections, both totaly different and not related. Erwin Puts