Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/01

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Bokeh - proven myth ?
From: "Jeffery Smith" <jsmith45@bellsouth.net>
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 20:13:19 -0600

For what it's worth, the only bokeh I can recognize in a heartbeat is that
from a mirror lens. I've never seen a side-by-side test of different lenses
aimed at the same subjects and/or light sources (like headlights). There
seem to be too many factors (contrast, distance from lens, focusing
distance) to quantify anything objectively or subjectively.

Jeffery Smith
New Orleans, LA



> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Henry Ting
> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 7:45 PM
> To: Leica-users
> Subject: [Leica] Bokeh - proven myth ?
>
>
>
> This is going to be controversial.
> I read about a lot of Leica lens offering a distinct
> "Bokeh" image that's missing from lens of other makes.
> I was confused as to how could this be possible,
> unless outside of physics' existentialism, Leica lens
> have a metaphysical spirit that the likes of Nikon or
> Zeiss lack.
>
> To prove my point, I did some experiment.
> I used my Leica M6 with the 35 Summicron and a Nikon
> F2 with a 35mm lens. I set them up both on tripods
> with the same camera to object distance in shooting my
> car head on at a range of only 5 feet. The background
> was a cul-de-sac of our neighborhood with florals and
> houses and images that I am familiar with.
> Then I shot the pictures with Ektachome 64 with the
> aperture of both these cameras wide-open. I controlled
> the session with everything identical from the 2
> cameras except the lens (Leica vs Nikon).
>
> I got the slides back right before X'mas and here are
> the results :
>
> I setup my projector against a white screen at 15 feet
> distance, the image of the Leica lens show a hint of
> warmth and the same amount of details from the
> highlights to the shade compared with the Nikon. The
> area of the car's hood which were the focal point,
> both images are tack sharp. The Nikon image shows a
> bit more contrast, but very minor when everything is
> in sharp focus. However, the image behind the car's
> hood, extending further back from medium distance all
> the way back to infinity, the images get progressively
> blurry as the distance increase. Using some florals
> and our neighbors front yard, the out of focus image
> from both the Nikon and the Leica were 100 percent
> identical. Even the sizes of the Bokeh images were of
> the same size (we all know the image gets
> progressively bigger as it comes into focus). At least
> from my eyes, I cannot see any differences from the
> highlights to the shades. Both these pictures were
> taken at F2, 1/1000 sec with the same subject to
> camera distance and the same film used.
>
> The result?   No differences whatsoever. I think the
> reverse is true. If both lens are of the same focal
> length, the graduality from sharpness to blurryness
> should not be different at all. Based on the law of
> physics this should apply to every lens.
> I for once proved to myself there is no difference and
> for anyone that claim there is a "Bokeh" difference
> between Leica and Nikon lens, my only comment from
> here onwards is "More power to them".
>
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Replies: Reply from Doug Herr <telyt@earthlink.net> (Re: [Leica] Bokeh - proven myth ?)