[Leica] Testing lenses wide open

[ted grant <75501.3002@compuserve.com>]

John McLeod wrote:

<<<I just read Ted's post about testing his lenses wide open.>>>>>

<<<<<My questions are:
Is it just chance or is there some predictable/logical relationship between
resolution, light fall-off, and contrast (at wide apertures)?

<<<<<which is generally preferable for wide open shooting -- a lens that
has great contrast wide open, but some fall-off and pretty good sharpness,
or a lens that is extremely sharp with little fall-off, but lower
contrast?>>>

WOW! Did I evoke these questions because I said I test my lenses wide open?

Holy mackeral!!!!

John,

 I better fix this real quick about the word "test" and how I do my purely
unscientific "testing". :)

Some of the lads in here who really do ___"test lenses"___ are very astute
in method and operation and I'm sure they will give you the answers.

All I do is hand hold and fly around shooting a whole bunch of various
subjects from people to flowers to whatever falls before me while I'm
dashing around, just to get this out of the way and the film souped so I
can see what it looks like.

As you can see this is strictly visual reckoning and heavan forbid, me of
all people to answer your questions. 

I just look at the backgrounds on the film,  does it look as sharp as I
figure it should be and "Bob's your uncle" clean quick and I'm on my way. I
bet some folks will say " what the hell does he test for?"

Well I want to see how sharply what I focused on separates from how the
background appears. And how the mush of colours or monotones appear, so
I'll know whether they can be used to advantage in the future.

I don't pretend to do this scientifically, as I don't usually care like
some folks do about all the nuanses of one lens over the other. I just want
them Leica sharp and making neat out of focus backgrounds that make my
subject jump from the page or screen.

I realize this isn't much of an answer for you, but I'm sure help be along
shortly. 

ted