[Leica] Re: 180 Summicron vs. Canon 200/1.8

[Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@bayarea.net>]

Although I've found lens tests fascinating over the years, in general I 
don't really bother reading them much for making buying decisions. What I 
usually do is find someone whom I know who has tastes similar to mine and 
see if they've tried a lens and get their opinion. Or I work out with a 
dealer the ability to shoot a quick roll of film with a lens I'm 
considering, shoot it, process it, and read the negatives. It's how I've 
found lenses that give me good results more effectively than looking at 
test reports. 

This is the great boon of having a good, well stocked dealership nearby 
my home, and patronizing them. First hand experience is always more 
valuable than studying someone else's bench tests.

Godfrey

>I rely on no single source for lens testing information (except, of
>course, Erwin! :-)). Over the years I have looked for a consensus of
>lens test results to guide purchase decisions, combined with informed
>anecdotal performance accounts. This combined approach is more difficult
>to determine than a single number, but a truer overall performance
>indicator.
>
>David W. Almy
>Annapolis