[Leica] Summarit press release

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

In many articles in the Viewfinder right now and on stuff on the LUG and
elsewhere I'm sure one would get the idea that it is a forgone conclusion
that an up and coming photographer choosing Leica M's as their tool of
choice would be remiss in JUST stocking up on current cutting edge Leica
glass.
You'd have to stock up on some Leitz glass form decades gone by or you'd be
screwed. Hung out to dry. Out to lunch.

You see you run into CONTRAST SITUATIONS;
Which require some softening.

Those modern lenses Leica has been making blow out your highlights and make
for an harsh over all effect.
You need some old glass you balance out your kit. With less coating.
No never know when you'd be shooting black cat fashion on the Bonneville
salt flats at high noon.

Well I think its baloney.

I think that cutting edge Leica glass is cutting edge the way edges need to
be cut.
With no negatives.

And that there are NO situations were a photogeek with a current crop of
Leica glass could not blow everybody else's stuff right out of the water.
Current modern Leica M glass is second to none.
And whatever is second might was well be in third.

I don't think Leicas current crop of optical designers have their heads
having out to dry. It think they know when a lens is performing critically
supremely well and when its not.

They are not going to let glass which blows out highlights and gives harsh
in any way results out the door in the name of MTV graphs or other non real
world but just numbers and charts results.
They actually look at pictures taken with the stuff.
Developed in D76 1:1.

I think they know what they're doing.

And telling them to forgo Asperical lens advances to me does not add up.

Yes they can use a whole higher grade of optical glass than their so called
competition is not about to use. Which glow in the dark or make YOU glow in
the dark.


But they have computer grinding now. Bumping and grinding.


Now that was loud!!!!

Mark William Rabiner
Harlem, NY

rabinergroup.com