[Leica] Re: which lens

[Summicron1@aol.com]

what is this crap, dan? You make 1950s leica optics sound like model Ts. I 
can hear the victrola playing in the background as you talk about "that 
period look" and "retro-look."

Leica optics always had a distinctive look to their images because of slight 
unresoved errors, but only the slightest -- they are as sharp as anything 
made today and as capable of producing a "modern" image (whatever the hell 
that is) as they were then. I just got done shooting a series of 
architectural studies with my 50 mm 3.5 Elmar (ca. 1956) and they are as good 
as anything you would get with your modern hasselblad, whatever. 

so why you dissing them? u work for Leitz? They pay you to push the aspheric 
lenses? 

Cross stitch this somewhere everyone will ya: Leica Made NO bad optics. They 
are all Excellent. You feeling silly about all the money you paid for them 
and have to talk yourself into believing they really are $2000 better?

and remember, no matter  what lens you use, the end-result image is still 95 
percend dependent on the shooter and only 5 percent on the equipment. The 
added improvement of modern glass is, in that formula, very small indeed.

charlie trentelman
ogden, utah

In a message dated 1/29/0 8:07:47 AM, you wrote:

>If I might add, if you are using the M camera for a living then go for the
>current crop of lenses which are in a class of their own and will produce
>pictures of current vintage look and has the optical attributes of modern
>lens designs. If you are going to enjoy your picture making 
>("making" as in the sense of artistry), try out some of the older vintage
>optics and you'd be quite pleased with the period look that you get -
>especially on monochrome films. Who knows, your clients might even be
>thrilled with some retro-look shots taken of them in monochrome and with a
>leica 1950 lens!
>
>Dan K.
>