Re: [Leica] Erwin's Leica Lens Compendium

[Henning Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

At 10:14 PM -0400 4/1/01, SthRosner@aol.com wrote:
>Fine, Henning, I have agreed with Erwin that this choice, optically, is a
>matter of taste. But let's not confuse construction quality with weight. My
>Leica Catalogue No. 39 (1966) gives the weight of the DR with close-focus
>optical unit as 14.5 oz. (few users carry it around with them). I have just
>weighed my close-focus unit on an accurate postal scale = 2 oz. Thus, the DR
>weighs 12.5 oz and the Rigid seven-glass 50/2 slightly less as there is a bit
>less brass in its focussing mount. Leica gives as the weight of the current
>black 50/2 as 240 grams and the silver chrome lens - necessarily of brass -
>as 335 gr. My conversion scale of 28.35 gr/oz puts the weight of the current
>chrome/brass 50/2 Summicron at 11.8 oz. Of course the black 50/2 is lighter -
>8.5 oz. - as its mount is largely alloy.
>
>Again it is largely a matter of taste or more accurately of choice. But I'd
>much rather have the reassuring solid construction of the DR (some have
>called it jewel-like) or, for that matter, of the current silver chrome/brass
>50/2 than the lightness of the black lens. And does a difference of 7/10 oz
>between the DR and the current silver 50/2 warrant the constant reference to
>the DR as a "tank," as though the current equivalent lens is so much lighter?
>I think not. No one could say that a user preferring the lighter black 50 was
>wrong. That's still a matter of choice.
>
>Another myth dies.

I have only black lenses at present; silver or black makes little 
difference to the way I use lenses, while weight and cost do. The 
difference in weight between the DR and the current black 50 is 
substantial as a percentage.

Weight as such has little to do with construction quality or 
durability. The current black and chrome lenses are essentially the 
same, except that the bearing surface materials are interchanged to 
allow the different finishes. Weight and finish are the differences; 
quality would be the same.

This brings to mind the old myth of large American cars, namely that 
you needed lots of weight to 'hold the road', as it were the road 
that had a tendency to head off in directions unknown. In many 
instances weight is the antithesis of good engineering.

- -- 
    *            Henning J. Wulff
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