Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/06

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Summicron 35/2 wide open
From: bfranson@greennet.net (Bill Franson)
Date: Sat, 06 Mar 1999 19:52:57 +0000

>I still like the lens, but try not to use it wide open unless it is 
>absolutely necessary.

>>>This is normal behavior.  My 35 f2 does the same thing.  I was so 
>>>curious about this lousy open aperture 
>>>performance I even wrote Erwin, and he confirmed my results.  It seems 
>>>that until you get to f3.5 the edge 
>>>performance of this lens is really crummy.

I know this is going to sound blasphemous to this list, but there are some
Leica users who actually like this crummy effect. Chances are, if you are
shooting wide open with fast film then the light is not very available and
edge unsharpness becomes an effect. And I can't get that same crummy effect
with my Nikon 35mm f2. The Nikon prints don't have the same sharp, unsharp
look (glow) that the Leica prints do. I hope there is more to photography,
Leica photography even, than edge to edge tack sharpness. If there isn't,
I'm doomed. ~:)

Bill Franson