[Leica] 's 21 mm lenses (was: Saving Leica ...)

[Alfred Breull <puma@hannover.sgh-net.de>]

Eric,

there are (at least)  2 high reliable sources on Leica's 21 mm
M lenses, which result in different conclusions. The first came
from Henning J Wulff in Nov last year, and the second from Erwin 
Puts three weeks ago.

While Henning described the 3.4/21 mm SA's rendition as more pleasant
than the rendition of the 2.8/21 asph Elmarit, Erwin described the
the optical parameters of the asph lens as (very slightly) superior 
to the SA.

I have thousands of 3.4/21 SA b/w negatives (FP4, Tri-X), landscapes
and persons, and 3 rolls of 2.8/21 asph Elmarit slides (E100s). 

I agree, that's it's hardly a base for lens testing. On the other
hand, I didn't need more to find out, that I didn't like the rendition 
of the asph 21 mm lens in most pictures. 

It is too "hard", shows too much constrast, and the rendition of the 
out-of-focus areas agrees to the 1.4/35 asph Summilux, while the SA's 
out-of-focus rendition agrees to the non-asph 2/35 Summicron (or the
1.4/75 Summilux). 

In short: To me, the rendition of the 2.8/21 asph Elmarit is disharmonic, 
not in general, but in too many pictures.

I see from your web site, that you love high contrast lenses. So, 
you will be happy with the 2.8/21 asph Elmarit (and you would need
her, since you take news pictures most of the time). Different, 
I prefer low to middle contrast lenses, so I'm more happy with the 
3.4/21 Super Angulon.

Besides-1, I promise, that you'll hate the 2.8/21 asph Elmarit also - 
because you love the out-of-focus rendition of your 1.4/75 Summilux.

Besides-2, the color rendition of blue-green and blue is diffferent
in both lenses (in my perception). It is somehow flat from the 2.8/21 
asph Elmarit, and comparable to the non-asph 2/35 Summicron from the 
3.4/21 SA.

Alf

- ----------------------------------------------------------------
At 20:23 16.02.1998 -0600,  Eric answerd on my question:
>>And, did you ever try any other 21 mm ?
>
>Nope, I defer to Erwin on this one.