Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/27

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Subject: RE: [Leica] OT:APO vs non-APO enlarger lense
From: "Frank Filippone" <red735i@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 09:05:46 -0800

Ed Buziak:  I know I would like a copy of that article, email address at the
bottom of this page.

The payback on the 105 APO EL Nikkor is supposed to be at F5.6.  It is
diffraction limited at this aperture.  Stopping own further gets it in the
same class as "the normal" lenses.  However, as my contention, this also
means you have lower DOF to focus with.  Now all the other things in your DR
must be perfected..... like focus, alignment, parallelism, flatness of
paper, negative buckling, etc,etc,etc.

On testing lenses at "home": The ability of the paper to reproduce the level
of fidelity necessary will be limited.  I was told recently by a well known
color photographer ( 8x10 and Hasselblad shooting Christopher Burkett)  that
B+W paper can reproduce only 7 Line Pairs per Millimeter (LPM) whereas
whatever they call Cibachrome today can resolve 30LPM.  SO the test for best
enlarging lens on B+W paper is false.  You must use color materials to tell.
Of course, the bigger the print, the more this difference will be negated by
the film.  So at enlargements of 30x40, the lenses will show their true
colors.   Relevant for the normal 8x10 family portrait  print?  I doubt it.

Owning the best and not being able to tell is OK.  It is your money.
However lenses like the APO Rodagon, Leitz, even the regular El Nikkor,
Componon ( or APO Componon-S HM), etc are certainly fine performers.
Especially in B+W printing.

Would I own a 105 APO EL Nikkor at $2500?  Absolutely not.  The question
becomes: At what price would I own the best?  $1000?  $500?  We might all
agree that at $100 we all WOULD own the best.  It is just a matter of
justified price, and luck to find the lens of our dreams at a price we have
justified to ourself.....  As those non-Leica users would say... why own a
Leica 50 MM Summicron lens for $800 when you can own a 50mm F 1.8 Nikon lens
for $100?  It takes just as good a picture.......

My technique is certainly below the equipment I have.  I doubt I will ever
really catch it where owning better is the only way to get better results.
But just like in owning Leica Lenses for shooting 35mm...... I feel better
knowing I have the best.  And maybe that confidence allows me, inspires me,
or just plain nags at me,  to make better images and better prints.

Frank Filippone
12434 Viarna St.
Cerritos CA 90703-7731

red735i@earthlink.net