Re: [Leica] Where's Joe?

[Henning Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

At 7:16 PM -0800 12/21/01, Ted Grant wrote:
>Dr. Elliot Puritz wrote:
>>>  > Have you used the 12 or 15mm from Voightlander on your M Mark?  Wonder
>how
>>  inferior the lens really is at hundreds/thousands less. <<<
>
>Hi Elliot,
>I'm not answering for Mark as he does very well on his own.;-)
>
>However, I have used both the R 15 3.5 and used it extensively for quite a
>number of years and it's an extremely fine lens, cuts slide film like a
>razor blade for sharp images.
>
>I've also used the Voitlander M 15mm for two years now and I have absolutely
>no complaints at all.  It cuts a mean image in a negative or slide to the
>extent that one can project a Voitlander image back to back with a Leica R
>image and have difficulty telling which was shot with which lens.
>
>Now let me clarify this comment by saying, no the cameras were not on a
>tripod snapping printed targets, but the images came from various
>assignments where both cameras were used during the project.
>
>We racked slides and invited several pro photogs over for a viewing and a
>scotch! ;-) To see if casual observers could pick Leica 15 from Voitlander
>15. We assumed it would be a piece of cake, Leica would shine. Actually it
>was a miserable failure, as they picked more Voitlander images to be Leica
>than the other way around.
>
>So one can assume, that in some cases the lenses, Leica or other wise that
>fit our M's or R's can, under work conditions, create images that are equal
>to each other, whether we want to believe that or not.
>
>I realize this may shatter the lives of many, "absolutely there is no other
>lenses than Leica folks.".. but hey,  this is real life use and not playing
>toy games on a test bench. Now remember, don't get all huffy assed and start
>fighting back, as it wont make you feel any better and I wont be dissuaded
>from what we've experienced in the work a day world.
>ted
>

I'll certainly second Ted's comments. The 12 and 15 CV lenses are 
quite compatible with Leica glass, in the same manner that 10 or 15 
year old Leica lenses are compatible with the latest. The only 
difference is that no one else makes a 12, and with either of the 
lenses you don't pay Leica prices, you don't get Leica prestige and 
you don't get Leica resale. But you get the pictures, and if you drop 
the lens on it's face you shrug and get another one.

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    *            Henning J. Wulff
   /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
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