Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/02

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Subject: [Leica] Re:
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Tue, 02 Mar 1999 11:50:17 -0600

At 12:19 PM 3/2/99 -0500, you wrote:
>    It's a retrofocus design.  The M allows the designer to use less of the
>retrofocus principal when designining the lens.  Translation: less flare,
>greater sharpness.

But you said Leica hasn't ventured beyond 21. This is not true. The 
superiority of retrofocus to true wide angle used to be true. I believe 
Erwin has said that retrofocus is no longer a detriment. Or maybe it was 
Mike Johnston.

This lens (second generation 19mm Elmarit) proves that is no longer the 
case in practice. This lens can compete with any wide angle lens out there 
for image quality. Note I didn't say ultra-wide. It compares to my 35 
Summicron ASPH very favorably for brilliance, sharpness and what makes 
Leicas so special. It has some fall-off in the extreme corners, but no 
doubt a tradeoff for more important correction elsewhere. Photoshop and a 
good darkroom technician can fix it no problem.

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO
http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.