Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/14

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Subject: Re: Was: [Leica] Bought a 75mm. Now: Bought a 135mm
From: "Boreham" <boreham@dial.pipex.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 07:17:53 -0000

Nigel Watson wrote:-
> Good for you, Dan.  Read the commentary in the Nov-Dec issue of "Leica
> Fotografie" regarding the 3,4 135 APO.  Leica *themselves* state that it
> is necessary to stop down one or two stops to maintain maximum resolution
> in the near-range.  This is definitely *not* the case with the
> Tele-Elmar.  We must realise that the 3,4 was not designed to

Nigel, I don't think it is valid to infer from the statement "the 135/3.4
APO improves on stopping down in close range" that it is inferior to the
135/4 tele-elmar, as you imply. My amateurish tests on my late type 135/4
certainly confirm that it doesn't improve with stopping down. I do not have
a 135/3.4 but my tests also show that at close range my 135/4 is inferior
to my 90 Elmarit-M, by some margin. I can easily believe Erwins findings
and the LF comment that there is a similar margin between the 135/3.4 and
135/4, such that it can be true, both that the new lens is better than the
earlier one, and that it  improves on stopping down. 
Mike Boreham