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

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: RE: [Leica] Bokeh - Leica myth.
From: "Austin Franklin" <darkroom@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 00:08:53 -0500

Dante,

> It is a myth that "bokeh" is an inherent or intentionally-created
> characteristic of any Leica lens.

Why?  Do you have proof of this?  Did you read this:

http://www.darkroom.com/MiscDocs/bokeh.pdf

It clearly shows that one CAN design bokeh "into" a lense.  How do you know
what characteristics of a design are intentional and not intentional?  Just
because something is inherent, doesn't mean it wasn't intentional.

> What we call bokeh is a complex of aberrations in out of focus areas.  As
> Erwin Puts is quick to point out, for about 75 years, Leica has
> attempted to
> design all aberrations out of their lenses.  As they become more and more
> successful at eliminating them, the bokeh gets worse and worse.

I don't agree with that.  How come my Zeiss 110/2 has the best bokeh of any
lense I have ever seen, and it's a very modern lense?  As well as my 85/1.4
Zeiss for my Contax?  This may also be true with the Leica lenses, it's just
that I don't have any of the latest designs, like the 90/2 to see if the
bokeh is "worse", but it sure isn't "worse" on my 50/1.4 and my 75/1.4.

Austin

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html