Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/11/01

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and 50mm Summilux-M
From: Tom Christiansen <tomchr@softhome.net>
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 10:46:24 -0800

Folks,

>I'd not give this testing nonsense an eye lash width of attention
>simply because these people are all bench testy touchy people who don't
>read the remarks of  users on the streets like many here on the LEG or
>LUG, nor the many hundreds of others who take real time pictures with
>the lens used in both an amateur and professional capacity day to day.

You know. This is the exact same situation as with audio equipment. If you 
buy a decent stereo you can typically find all sorts of test data on it. 
Total harmonic distortion (THD), frequency response, signal-to-noise (SNR) 
ratio etc. But scientific tests rarely mentions the sound that actually 
comes out of the stereo speakers. Does it sound good or bad. Some people 
swear by the tube amplifiers, claiming that their sound is totally unique 
and the best in the world. Way better than the sound of any solid-state 
amplifier. But it is a well established fact that tube amps have rather bad 
THD -- especially 2nd harmonic distortion. There are also people who swear 
by LPs claiming that they sound *way* better than any CD, even though SNR 
and dynamic range is vastly better for the CD.

My point is: It is really, really easy to make people buy stuff because is 
has "great numbers". Numbers are easy to (mis-)interpret. If the MTF(70%) 
of lens A is higher than MTF(70%) of lens B, then lens A must be the best 
one. But there are other parameters that can be measured from a lens. So in 
order to make it easy for beginners (and pros who don't know better (no 
offence intended!)), PhotoDoDo has made it real easy. They've combined all 
the data into ONE magic number.

But does this mean that if lens A has a PhotoDoDo grade of 3.5 and lens B 
got grade 3.7, then you'll most definitely like the pictures taken with 
lens B better??

I'll let the answer blow in the wind...

         Tom

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Replies: Reply from "Barney Quinn" <Barney.Quinn@noaa.gov> (Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and 50mmSummilux-M)
Reply from David Rodgers <drodgers@swiftnet.com> (Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and 50mm Summilux-M)
Reply from "George Weir" <george@georgeweir.com> (Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and 50mm Summilux-M)
Reply from Tom Christiansen <tomchr@softhome.net> (Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and 50mmSummilux-M)