Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/28

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Propaganda
From: "Dan S" <dstate1@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 13:45:12 GMT

Actually....According to a 1984 Pop photo test of the R4 and 50 Summicron 
the lens was pretty much the top SLR 50 available THEN.

From my experience the Planar 1.4 and 1.7 are both very comparable in 
performance to the Summicron R now, and at a lower price.  Too bad they have 
to be stuck on noisy, unreliable Contax bodies.

As for the Summicron M...That is another story. I have yet to find a 50 that 
surpasses it.  To paraphrase Lee Iacocca, if I can find a better 50, I'll 
buy it!  I could live with a 50 and nothing else...Well, maybe the camera 
body also....and beer, I DO need beer.

Dan



>
> >>>The 50 Summicron has been lens all other 50mm lenses have
>been compared against for decades (but not usually zooms) and defines
>"Leica"<<<
>
>Pardon, but this is propaganda. It hasn't been true for at least a
>decade or two. It's a very good lens. That's about all I'd claim.
>Compared to what would be possible today in a true "reference standard"
>50mm lens, it's not really close. For one thing, it is way too prone to
>flare compared to other existing lenses.
>
>Calling it the standard is about like saying the R8 is "at the limits of
>what is technically feasible."
>
>Now whether anyone in their right mind _needs_ anything better, that's
>another question entirely...<g>
>
>--Mike
>

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