[Leica] Re: Cosina at it

[Dr H L Lau <shllau@zdnetonebox.com>]

Hi fellow LUGGERs,
This is the first time I join in the discussion on LUG, although I've been enjoying the interesting discussion here for a few months.
For Cosina/Voigtlander products at their best, I'd think less of their lenses than their accessories.  The VC meter is a bliss when used on my IIIb or M3 -- its lightweight and compact size, and most-important-of-all, you won't need to fear that on mounting and unmounting the meter you'd scratch the top plate. The double accessory shoe comes in very handy when I need to place both a meter and a viewfinder on top of the camera at the same time, e.g. for wide-angles.
As for lenses, I'd agree to the premise of their being "lightweight alternatives" to Leica lenses only in 75mm, or ultra-wides. For other focal lengths, Leica has a lot of alternatives in their old inventory.
I've always been amazed at the VARIETY of "tastes" or "footprints" Leica lenses can provide, e.g. (please forgive my oversimplification and overgeneralization)
(1) the pleasantly soft renditions, e.g. the pre-war uncoated Summar;
(2) the oil-on-painting-like bokeh, e.g. the 50mm Summilux, first version (1959-61) -- in fact the bokeh is literally bubbling with light (and life) for backlit shots;
(3) the crisp and 3-D impressions, e.g. the 50mm Summicron, 2nd version, rigid (1956-68);
(4) the sheer beauty of the lens itself and the images it produces (some would say "lust"), e.g. 75mm Summilux;
(5) the unmistakable imprints and versatility (except its weight perhaps) of the Noctilux;
(6) the razor-sharp images (some would say "Nikkor-like"), e.g. the current 50mm or 90mm APO-ASPH Summicrons.
It's a dream-team in itself already. But for those who live on long telephotos it's another matter, because it touches on the limitations of the RF system. Life is not life without limitations.

Horace Lau
Hong Kong