Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/11/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and50mmSummilux-M
From: "Barney Quinn" <Barney.Quinn@noaa.gov>
Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2001 10:55:47 -0500
References: <5.1.0.14.2.20011101102700.00a40c30@pop.softhome.net> <5.1.0.14.2.20011101223333.02de3980@pop.softhome.net>

Tom,

I'm sorry if some of what I said seemed contentious. I didn't mean it to
be. I am not claiming virtue here for my self. If you want to buy what
you think is the very best just because you get a kick out of having it,
and you have the money, I say go for it. I've done that more than once. 

If one's recreation is looking at lens reviews and swapping and trading
gear based on these numbers, I say go for it. I've done, that, too, more
than once. I'm simply in favor of a little "truth-in-lending" here,
meaning I'm going to get it simply because I want to. There's nothing
wrong with that. In fact, after three or four decades of hard work I
think a person has won the right to do exactly that.

Barney

Tom Christiansen wrote:
> 
> Hi Barney,
> 
> >I agree about the
> >numbers thing, and how it leads to dissatisfaction, and sales. Let's say
> >one has the lens with a rating or 3.5. The marginal utility, IMHO, of
> >getting the 3.7 lens because one "just has to have it" is very, very
> >low. I've been down this road and cost myself lots of money I really
> >didn't have to spend.
> 
> First things first:
> 
> 1) Sometimes it leads to personal satisfaction to buy a renowned lens.
> Those lenses are after all usually quite good. But you're right. Most times
> throwing 10x the money at stuff doesn't yield 10x the quality.
> 
> 2) My point about PhotoDoDo is that they combine a lot of rather complex
> measurements into one single number. I really don't like that. I would
> rather have all the MTF curves, distortion curves, etc. and a really good
> explanation of what each curve means and how the stuff shown in the curves
> relates to the pictures I'm getting with this lens. Then _I_ could
> interpret what I wanted from that data. I could determine which parameters
> were important to me. But PhotoDoDo wants to make it "easy" for everybody
> by just providing a single number. Just pick the highest number and you've
> got the best lens. This is not science (IMHO). It is BS presented in a
> scientific form.
> 
> >When you ask him about it he will tell you that he spent a
> >modest sum to get himself 90% of the way there. The next step up would
> >require spending another $10,000, and his plan is to sit in front of the
> >speakers he has and enjoy drinking every drop of that ten grand! I never
> >thought about it this way before, but maybe he's the Ted of audio! :-)
> 
> :-) I like that. I'm an EE myself (in case you for some reason weren't able
> to conclude that from my first email... :-))
> 
> Tom
> 
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In reply to: Message from Tom Christiansen <tomchr@softhome.net> (Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and 50mm Summilux-M)
Message from Tom Christiansen <tomchr@softhome.net> (Re: [Leica] Photodo ratings for 35mm Summilux -MASPH and 50mmSummilux-M)