Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/21

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Russar?
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1999 13:13:31 -0400

At 09:44 AM 8/21/1999 -0700, Stephen Gandy wrote:
>Quality of the Russian LTM lenses in my experience is all over the place.  I
>once bought six lenses, and returned five of them five minutes later -- they
>would not screw on a Leica IIIC!!   Quality control of the Contax mount
Kiev and
>its lenses, up to the the Kiev 5, seems to be better.
>
>I've shot with the Heliars, and got better results with them than I got
with the
>Russars.   No, I am not saying they are Leica quality, but they are excellent
>lenses.
>
>I find Marc's negative comments on the quality of Heliar pics in the current
>Viewfinder pics rather odd, since they are infinitely better than the only
Marc
>Small photographs I have -- the poorly done ones in his LTM book (or at
least I
>presume he did not hire a photog for them).
>
>But then perhaps the problem is the printing reproduction.....in which
case Marc
>shouldn't be in such a hurry to judge a lens he has not shot.

Well, I relied upon the comments of Tom Abrahamson that the reproduction
quality of the Heliar shots accurately reflected the print quality.  If
this was in error, then I do stand corrected, and will wait until I can see
actual prints made with the lens.  Certainly, the quality of the shots in
the corners is unacceptable, as printed.

Your comments on the print quality of the shots in my LTM book are absurd,
Stephen.  Compare them to the shots in the ZEISS COMPENDIUM and you will
see the difference between the work a quality printer does and that of a
slap-dash effort.  My pictures in both books were mainly taken with a
5.6/135 S-Planar and a Hasselblad 2000 FC/M;  a few were shot with a
Bellows II rig and a Leica M6, mainly with a 4/90 Elmar lenshead.

Finally, Stephen Gandy is the man who revealed to us several years back
that he found the Komura tele-extender a decent piece.  I guess he managed
to buy the only decent one of these to have ever surfaced.  I suspect
Stephen is more intrigued with fit and finish than with optical performance.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!