Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/04/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sorry, but one of the things that I find most useful - and appealing - about the 21 ASPH, 28 Summicron ASPH, and 35 Summilux ASPH is their flare suppression. Compare the 35 ASPH to the pre-asph 35 Summilux which is one big flare zone. As for the "harsh bokeh" of the ASPH lenses - no, the bokeh is not as smooth as that of the earlier lenses, but the contrast is better, the image is "sharper," and there is far less flare - and all of those things are far more important - to me - than what the out-of-focus areas look like. I'm shooting what's in focus, and if I get gorgeous out of focus areas but veiled flaring of the subject, I have a failed image. The Tri-Elmarit? I have never understood why anyone shooting Leica M for the quality of the glass would even consider using anything other than the astoundingly good primes. B. D. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Thomas Pastorello Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2003 2:17 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: [Leica] ASPH Flare and harsh Bokeh I must agree with Dan States about the flare proness of the Tri-Elmar. I sold mine. I also sold my 24mm-M ASPH for the same reason. It is my experience (and my careful reading of tests reports)that all ASPH lenses are more flare prone than the pre-ASPH Leica-M generation. Leica paid too high a price for the corner sharpness that comes with the ASPH design. I speculate that the ASPH flare problem has to do with the molding technique used by Leica to create the aspherical elements. I say this because I own a 35mm-M f1.4 Aspherical (not ASPH). This is the original lens with two HAND-POLISHED aspherical elements. It is totally flare free under all conditions without or with hood! Unfortunately, like all ASPH lenses it has poor bokeh in close range, compared to the pre-ASPH Leica-M generation. (It is better than all the ASPH lenses, however, in regard to bokeh. Yes, I do believe the 35 Lux Aspherical to be superior to the 35 Lux ASPH.) I won't use ASPH lenses. If I want extra sharpness, I need only scan and process through Photoshop -- that way I get all the virtues of the pre-ASPH lenses (including beautiful bokeh)and ASPH lenses (extra sharpness)without the drawbacks of the ASPH lenses (flare and poor bokeh). I don't miss the Tri-Elmar. Tom P.S. Read the Putts reports carefully. Even he indicates (inconspicuously) that the out-of-focus images of the ASPH lenses shatter (i.e., harsh bokeh). __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html