Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/05/28

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Subject: [Leica] RE: Wide zooms
From: "Felix Lopez de Maturana" <fmaturana@euskalnet.net>
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 20:27:05 +0200

>Nikon's wide zoom is the 17-35mm f/2.8 D ED-IF AF-S lens and is said to
>blow Canon's right out of the water.

Hi Mark

It's not my experience. I do prefer the Leica Vario Elmar R 21-35 but
owning, too, the two wide zooms you mentioned I've found that the Nikon
has slightly better correction of the distortion at 17-20mm while Canon
16-35 is worse on this distortion but has more sharpness and contrast.
Neither is a lens up to the level of the Leica, not for sharpness, but
for the truly big distortion at 16-20. Perhaps 21 is the limit for a
almost perfect wide zoom though I never used the extraordinary Contax
17-35 f1:2.8. In the future this lens could be a strong reason for
getting, again, as I rejected mine after first tests, a Contax N. But
perhaps 21mm (Leica) is the rational limit for producing an excellent
wide zoom 

With the exception of distortion is my opinion that sharpness on these
wide zooms is almost up the level of good primes.  

So if you are thinking in using them on architectural pictures forget it
and use a PC wide on a tripod. Same for landscapes with straight horizon
on the sea where, besides, you get some strong vignetting unless you
close two or three stops. I haven't used a PC Leica, made by Schneider I
think, but both Nikon 28 PC or, better, Canon 24 TS are excellent
lenses, I can ensure you.

I hope this may help.

Kind regards

Felix


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Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com> (Re: [Leica] RE: Wide zooms)