[Leica] Sharp lenses, who cares?

[daniel.ridings at muspro.uio.no (Daniel Ridings)]

I bought a zoom with my Leica D100 and it was reputed to be sharp: 24-85
AF-S. On the D100 it seemed to be. I had no real complaints and didn't
notice any difference that mattered when I'd put on a fixed focal length
lens, something I did out of a gut feeling that they must be better.

I didn't have a film camera that could use the lens so I never used it on
anything other than digital. Last week I picked up a bargain F90X (I'll
get to Leica content, don't worry). With one exception, when it comes to
shooting modes (I can't use aperature priority since you can't set the
aperature by a control dial and the 24-85 AF-S doesn't have a ring) it
works just fine. So I thought I'd run a few rolls through and see how it
holds up.

Mush. At f8 it's just mush. Maybe that's sharp by some peoples standards,
but compared to the fixed focal length Nikkors and Leica lenses the
particular sample I have is not much to write home about (but I'm doing
it, huh?).

Now we have a situation where a so-so lens for film is just fine on
digital. Nikon's software and for all I know, hardward, takes care of what
I would call deficiencies when it comes to film. It's mush on film but
gives me results I'm happy about on digital.

So ... Leica has a reputation for good glass, a well deserved reputation.
It's their special angle in the film world. When the industry is going
digital, what will their trademark angle be? Their technical advances in
engineering? Their innovative software? Their good glass?

Who is going to care about the good glass when the quality comes from a
combination of strengths where Leica only has the corner, or shared
corner, on one of the strengths? Good glass isn't even a top priority, as
far as I can understand, when it comes to quality pictures with a digital
camera. None of the biggies make crappy glass and the rest can be lifted
up by other means. What will be the equivalent of that "Leica glow"?

My guess? Nothing.

This coming from a PAW:er who with almost 100% consistency only posts
analogue shots ... and in the vast majority of cases done with Leica M:s.
So I'm not inherently antagonistic to film or Leicas. I love them both and
I love digital. I just don't pester you guys with it.

Daniel