Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/03/18

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

Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Leica DSLR
From: Johnny Deadman <lists@johnbrownlow.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 10:48:58 -0500

>> But also the ultra high specs of Leica lenses are wasted on aiming 
>> it's
>> light on a digital sensor grid (I forgot what these commonly known
>> things are called).
>
>
> It's called the Nyquist limit. The MTF frequency of a lens should be 
> around four times less than the frequency of the sensor. All sensors 
> used in pro cameras have a low pass filter over the sensor to dumb 
> down the lens. Digital is the great lens equalizer. It matters little 
> whether you use Canon, Nikon, Oly, Leica, or whatever lenses. They're 
> all dumbed down to the same MTF frequency.

MTF frequency is only one part of the story. Cameras like the 1Ds are 
EXTREMELY unforgiving of lenses. It's simply wrong to say it doesn't 
matter what lens you use because sharpness at the edges and the 
correction of chromatic aberration have nothing to do with center MTF 
frequency. The 1Ds sensor outperforms all but the very best lenses when 
you consider the whole field of view.


- --
John Brownlow

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com

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