Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 35mm 1.4 ASPH
From: "Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 10:12:29 -0800

At 7:37 AM -0500 11/18/99, FIGLIO4CAP@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 11/18/1999 2:32:31 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>henningw@archiphoto.com writes:
>
><< I don't think the ASPH ever meant as much on any other lens as on the
> 35/1.4 M. Also, ASPH is quite rare on the R line, not being an 'R' user >>
>Is that because the pre-ASPH 1.4 had such a large amount of  flare and
>aberration at the wide apertures and such is not the case with the other
>lenses?

That's pretty much it. The differences in performance between the 21ASPH
and older non-ASPH, between the 35/2ASPH and pre-ASPH and between the
90/2APO-ASPH and pre-ASPH are noticeable, but of a much smaller magnitude
than the differences between the 35/1.4ASPH and pre-ASPH. The 35/1.4 just
stood to gain the most. The older lens had huge coma, astigmatism and
spherical aberration especially at full aperture which gave pictures a very
distinctive and sometimes charming look. I had one for nearly 30 years, but
when I saw the results from the ASPH, I didn't hesitate in trying to get
one. Actually, due to the cost, I did hesitate long enough to enable the
2nd version to come out, and I'm glad I did. There isn't a lot of
difference between the 2nd and the first (double aspheric) versions, but
the second is both slightly better (in my trials) and cheaper.

   *            Henning J. Wulff
  /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
 /###\   mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
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