Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have been talking to differrent Leica users for 25 years, and the only lens that I have heard about in this context is the thin Tele-Elmarit 90/2,8. It was at a local Leica club meeting, where the lecturer (a Swedish pro photographer) said that he had to try out 4 samples of this lens in order to find a good one. That is what he said, but I don't know if there is any substance in his story. Talking about subjective lens impressions, I will take the opportunity to tell you that I have tried out my two new AlS-Nikkors 85/1,4 and 135/2,0. Both lenses are producing very nice images wide open, and I think that the AlS 135/2,0 is sharper wide open than the AF 135/2,0 that I used two years ago. But I have nothing to publish yet, as I only have family portraits (and pictures of our two cats). Weather has been awful in Sweden the last few weeks. In order to force myself to do something positive with my cameras, I went to a well known "factory outlet" in Ullared, where people queue up for hours before they are let inside the shops. I walked around with two Nikons for 1/2 an hour, but felt soon uncomfortable with the weight. I dumped the Nikon gear in the trunk of my car, and took two M:s for the rest of the day, and felt much more in the mood for photography. I hope to have some decent images on these films. One of the Gothenburg Leica club members have recently bought the APO-Summicron-R 180/2,0 for his R8, and showed frame filling facial B/W portraits made by it. Outstanding images of course, but the lens weighs a lot, and is best used on a tripod/monopod. However, I think this is the best 180 mm lens money can buy. /Hans >lens? I would be very interested to know if Erwin has ever done optical >bench comparisons between identical lenses. Can such variations ever be >greater than the design differences? I guess (hope) variations are less on