Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/07/08

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] .58VF & 90mm
From: Dante Stella <dante@umich.edu>
Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 12:17:47 -0400 (EDT)

Erwin's web site carried a different explanation that would have allowed a
0.58x M6 to squeak by with a 90/2.


On Sun, 8 Jul 2001 shino@ubspainewebber.com wrote:

> > From: "Michael Reichmann" <m_reichmann@hotmail.com>
> >
> > With concerns about the rangefinder accuracy of the Summicron and the .58 VF
> > I called the product manager at Leica's Canadian distributor the other day
> > with my concerns. He replied that his personal experience and information
> > from the company indicated that there was no reason not to consider the f/2
> > 90mm, .58 VF combo.
> >
> > Of course this doesn't mean that there won't be an issue but at least it
> > isn't vebotten.
>
>
> on page 226 of leica lens compendium, puts gives a detailed exposition
> of rangefinder accuracy and on page 228 gives a table showing the
> "effective rangefinder bases" needed for the various M lenses.
> according to this table, even at the more lenient 0.03 circle of confusion
> tolerance, the 90 summicron needs en effective base of 48.5, which is barely
> covered by the 0.72 (effective base 49.86) and not by the 0.58 (e.b. 40.17)
> however, the "effective base" calculation does incorporate a number human
> factors, so i suppose it's possible some will do better and some worse.
>
> regarding relative depth-of-field, using formulae i took from
> http://members.home.net/gillettm/DOF.html
> i put together a little spreadsheet of depth-of-field
> of some current fast m lenses.  the 90/2 has the second
> smallest depth of field after the 135/3.4 *, about 1.86 inches
> at 6 feet, which is much smaller than the noctilux at 6 feet
> (3.08 inches) and practically the same as the 75/1.4 at 6 feet
> (1.89 inches).   i was surprised that the noctilux had over one
> and a half times greater depth of field that the 90 summicron.
>
>
> Dist (ft)->  3     4    5    6     7    8      9    10    11    12
>  Lens                   Depth of Field (inches)
>  35/1.4    2.17 3.90 6.14 8.89 12.15 15.93 20.23 25.06 30.42 36.33
>  50/1      0.75 1.35 2.12 3.08  4.20  5.51  6.99  8.65 10.48 12.49
>  75/1.4    0.45 0.82 1.30 1.89  2.58  3.39  4.30  5.33  6.47  7.71
>  90/2      0.44 0.80 1.27 1.86  2.54  3.34  4.24  5.26  6.38  7.62
> 135/3.4    0.31 0.58 0.93 1.37  1.88  2.48  3.15  3.91  4.76  5.68
>
> (Circle of confusion =  0.03)
>
> -rei
>
> * the old 135/4 also had a smaller DOF (1.61 inches at 6 feet),
>   as of course the 135/2.8, although the latter had the advantage
>   of magnifying "goggles."
>

Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] .58VF & 90mm)