Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/04/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mark Rabiner wrote: > Part of my point is that a big advantage to a Rangefinder system over an SLR > system is the quality of its wide angle lenses. > So many people think of rangefinder cameras as a means to do wide angle > photography, the normal lens becomes the telephoto; the telephoto's don't exist. > A lens designed for a rangefinder camera has an edge over it's SLR > compitition...can bulge out more in the back. > We're not alone anymore as of yesterday in the rangefinder world. There is > "Voigtlander" and Konica and Contax. The wide angles on these systems have a > natural edge over Nikon/Canon/etc SLR's i think. > Mark Rabiner It used to be the wisdom on the street postulated that it is easier to make a straight focus wide-angle than a retro-focus wide-angle, and that straight focus wide-angle lenses would be more contrasty and exhibit fewer distortions. I don't know if retro-focus lenses now equal the performance of straight focus lenses, but it still has to be easier to design and manufacture a straight focus lens. Anyway the 25 mm Skopar is so small, that has to be a plus. John Shick