Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Michael, >>Yes, the Leica tools MAY be a bit better in the bench tests way out at the corners and they are certainly built with greater quality control, but you most likely will not realise a $1700 difference in your images above and beyond the top quality CV tools.<< Short term, I agree. But what about the long run? You bring up a good point about build. I don't want to take anything away from less expensive alternatives. But I wonder how some of them will perform after a few years of heavy use. You buy a lens once. But each one has a finite life -- some, I think, longer than others. I could be wrong, but that's been my experience over the years. I had a really sharp Vivtar lens once. I bumped it slightly, and it wasn't so sharp anymore. Collectors have it all wrong. They should collect and not use the less expensive lenses. That way they'll stay shiney and tight forever. Out of the box performance is important. But so is lifespan. Leica lenses are built for the long run. Plus, Leica lenses are so fun to shoot. Dave