[Leica] Critical test reports by CDI

[Pascal <cyberdog@ibm.net>]

Hello folks:

In the midst of the Photokina fever, I would like to come in with the 
conclusions of a couple of tests done by the French magazine Chasseur 
d'Images (although their latest reports have been mentioned before on 
this list). The results are quite critical...

Summicron-R 35/2.0
4 stars for performance (out of 5), 1 star for price/performance ratio, 3 
stars for cote d'amour (subjective rating)
Excellent lens but price is outrageous: even when the quality of the 
construction is taken into account, the price is 3 to 4 times as much as 
the competition.

Apo-Telyt-R 180/3.4
4 stars for performance, 1 star for price/performance ratio, 1 star for 
cote d'amour
Maximum opening too slow compared to the classic 180/200mm (2.8). No 
internal focusing. A lens of the past. Others are about the same quality 
for much less, with added autofocus. With the exception of the second 
hand-market (and even then), this lens cannot be recommended.

Summicron-R 90/2.0
3 stars for performance, 1 star for price/performance ratio, 2 stars for 
cote d'amour
Excellent performance for such a type of lens, but once again: why should 
it be priced 5 times as high as the competition without really much 
optical quality difference? Excellent performer, but with very banal 
characteristics.

Do you notice a pattern? Althought they admit that the optical and 
mechanical quality of these three lenses is excellent, their prices at 
outrageous compared to the competition that can offer lenses as good as 
these Leica's for much less with the added bonus of autofocus.

In the same Octobre issue, the MINILUX ZOOM is tested. Here again, the 
results are very critical. Perfect finish and very elegant, no doubt 
about it. But very banal characteristics (just like an ordinary P&S).
Major drawbacks: lenscap not integrated (one can even press the shutter 
with the lenscap on), too easy to change settings unwillingly, shutter 
release button awkwardly placed, too big and too heavy, center-metering 
only (no matrix), no aperture-priority mode.
On the plus side is of course the excellent lens quality. But they note 
that the optical quality is less than a quality SLR zoom lens like a 
Sigma 28-70/2.8 or Tokina 28-70/2.6-2.8! There is also some vignetting at 
35mm.
This camera falls in between two different groups of users: the 
well-heeled inexperienced users (but then the problem is they have to 
think a lot because there is no matrix metering) and the expert users 
(but for these some essential features are lacking like aperture priority 
mode).
Only three stars for cote d'amour. Handling 3 stars, viewfinder 4 stars, 
exposure 3 stars, noise level 3 stars, ergonomics 2 stars, lens 5 stars.

The CF flash that goes with it is somewhat more powerful than the 
built-in flash, but its coverage is as good or as bad depending how you 
look upon it. Both internal flash and external CF flash show a difference 
in coverage of 1.2 IL over the entire field.


That will give you all something to think about while savoring the 
Photokina news ;-)

Pascal

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