Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 35 Summilux ASPH Bokeh
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Sat, 02 May 1998 10:19:07 -0700

At 09:13 AM 5/2/98 -0500, Larry wrote:
>
>How would users of the 21 and 24 ASPH describe the bokeh of those lenses?
>Smooth gradations? More sudden and/or blocky? Something else? Can anyone
>describe the bokeh from the new 50 R lens? I guess I'm trying to determine
>if the look of the 35 Summilux is unique to that lens or seems to be the
>direction Leica is moving in lens design.
>
>Thanks!
>Larry
> 

Larry,

I think that Bokeh is an "art" word. What is "art" to one person is "trash"
to another. I firmly believe that "good Bokeh" to one person makes an "ugly
photograph" to another. I like many lenses because of the way I photograph.
Different people photograph differently. A LUGger, awhile back, reported
that he was disgusted with any photograph that had a single silver molecule
out of focus.

My point is that asking someone to describe Bokeh is akin to trying to
define art. You'll have to take photographs the way you take them, with the
lenses you choose, and look at them yourself. Make up your own mind. Even
though Preston Publications has tried to describe different kinds of Bokeh,
it seems to me to be very nebulous. It's in the mind of the viewer.

FWIW

Jim