RE: [Leica] 50mm lens purchase

["Rodgers, David" <david.rodgers@xo.com>]

Will,

Very nice photograph. I've seen lots of pictures of the Golden Gate that
look the same. Your photograph is refreshingly different. Rather than show
the majesty of the bridge (like most photographs) you make it appear rather
frail compared to the surrounding earth. Very nice perspective.

JOOC, did you shoot this with reversal or chrome film? Which Nikon scanner
did you use? Do you think the digital print turned out as well as a type C
or type R print?  

I understand the new 50/2.8 is a fine lens. I had the old version 50/2.8,
which I think was a modified tessar. It was very crisp at middle apertures,
but softened a bit opened up. The current 50/2.8 is a new and much improved
design.  

IMHO, the newer Leica lenses are all so good that I think choice really
comes down to things, like cost, speed, size, etc. All new Leica lenses
perform extremely well. Nice that we have a choice between 4 different 50mm
designs. Or five if you count the "O". 

Dave 

- -----Original Message-----
From: Wilfred VonDauster [mailto:vondauster@earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2001 10:30 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] 50mm lens purchase


Hi All,

Mark Langer asked about the 50mm f2.8 Elmar-M.

In my office I have a 30 x 42 inch print of a photograph I took in 1996 at
Land's end in San Francisco, California. Here's the photo:

http://www.ravensrest.com/will/coast-9.html

It was taken with the current production Elmar 50mm, and is stunningly sharp
even at that huge size. (scanned on a Nikon scanner, printed on an Epson
9500P).

At f5.6 or f8, I would pit it against any 50mm. It is fully usable at f2.8,
though here the Summicron will give a slight edge. It has, as others have
said
(perhaps Erwin?), a more "brittle" sharpness to it than the very smooth
rendition one expects from the Summicron. The colors will be more saturated
than your older 50's, due to more modern glass and coatings.

An outstanding lens, IMO.

Will von Dauster