Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/06/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hello Friends - A buddy just picked up one of those new Japanese 21/2.8 lenses with shade and finder. We went to the nearest park to try this lens on each of our cameras (M4-P, M2 and M6) and with color and B&W. Thought I'd share a few of my impressions. The lens appears beautifully made and is well finished. It feels absolutely top quality. The focus is smooth and the diaphragm feels silky as well. The shade is also well made and fits fine. The finder is rather large but it is very bright and one can see nearly the entire frame with glasses on. Quite workmanlike in fit and finish, it was fun to use. There was no distortion to speak of. I shot T-Max 400 film. Used all the apertures from 2.8 to 16 (a trick with 400 film on a bright day). I made full-frame enlargements on 8X10 paper today. I must say that I can't complain about the image quality. Found the edges (expectedly) a little soft wide open but, when stopped down a smidge, the image is very sharp. Also found the contrast of the negatives to be fine (similar to my Leica lenses - ceteris paribus). None of this is scientific. I am not a lens tester and I would suggest my 'findings' are merely annecdotal. Didn't test for coma or other residual abberations so I can't comment, but for the type of work I do - landscapes and street shooting - I could find a corner in my camera bag for this lens. The lens is actually a screw-fitting lens with an adapter so I would guess the adapter could do double duty for some other screw lens (no?) or the lens itself could work on a screw Leica. Seems OK to me. Would love to hear other's practical experience with this piece. Regards, Curt Elizabeth Mei Wong Henry Curtis Miller, M.P.A. Pittsfield, Massachusetts In the Berkshires, next door to Tanglewood