Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/04/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]
I just did a test of three 50mm Leica lens. The lens were a uncoated
Summitar, a M mounted Elmar (1954) and a brand new Summicron M. The film was
Tech Pan and the lens were mounted on a M3. The subject was a still life of
old pewter plates with lots of middle tones.
F/4 was used.
The tonal scale of the Summitar and the Summicron were very close
together. The Summicron had higher resolution which you start to see in
11x14s. The Elmar had clearly more contrast which made it seem sharper.
I think after a year of hard testing I am starting to understand Leica
lens. The Summicron is a very special lens and needs a high level of
darkroom work to bring out its tonal characteristics. I have two 11X14s on
the wall of similar subjects. One is from a 4X5 neg and the other is my new
Summicron. It would be hard to guess the neg size. Regards Bill