Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/04/18

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Subject: [Leica] Re:LUG ot: sorry, I meant the 14-24.
From: felixmaturana at telefonica.net (FÂelix LÂopez de Maturana)
Date: Fri Apr 18 07:02:44 2008
References: <200804180711.m3I75rQv051735@server1.waverley.reid.org>

>
> Felix you're testing the sharpness of two lens each one designed for a
> different format.
> Do you test a Hasselblad lens against a Leica lens?
> You'd need to make the same size print and judge output.
> A larger format optic is designed around not having to be blown up as much.
>
> So for the 14-24 full frame to be sharper than the 12-24 which only has to
> cover APS-C format is a hard pill to swallow.
> Also its a 2.8 lens  a stop faster and also an ultra wide.
>
> Less of a chance an ultra fast ultra wide is going to be sharper than a
> plain less fast wide. An f4.
> An ultra fast ultra wide angle zoom I'd expect to be lots of things if its
> from a reputable lens group like nikon.
> Super sharp no.
>
>
> Also a Tokina lens expected to be better than a Nikor lens that's written
> where? That's an even tougher sell. I don't know anyone whose going to
> believe that.
>
>
>
> Mark William Rabiner
> markrabiner.com

Hi Mark

Size in digital has not the same meaning than in film. If an picture 
shot with a Hasselblad and a Planar 80 has less lines per mm then aone 
shot with M7 and Summicron 50mm the final image is sharpest on the Hassy 
because the magnification factor is smaller. In digital the final size 
is due to the number of pixels and the final quality of the image is due 
to the quality of these pixels. I've shot a lot with the Canon EOS 1Ds 
and their images were abble to a bigger magnification as the camera has 
more pixels. But images from the Leica M8 are in fact -in my opinion- of 
a better quality. The Nikon D3 sensor has the biggest pixel size in a 
reflex camera -not far of the excellent Canon EOS 5D- and therefore his 
ability for low light pictures is wonderfull.

So, both Nikon D300 and D3 have same number, more or less, of pixeles 
and for a magnification of same magitude the resultant image is of same 
size. Accordingly a lens -of sufficient circle image coverage- will 
produce same images on D3 and D300. In fact the 14-24mm f2.8 even set at 
f4 produce *better images* than Nikkor 12-24mm f4 although is 
equivalente in DX format to a 20-36mm while the other is a wider 
18-36mm. And, yes, the 14-24mm is very sharp in corners and borders even 
at f2.8.

I own and use all the material concerned and quoted in this mail so I'm 
speaking of my own experience.

Concerning the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 I've ordered it -not arrived yet- 
after reading this:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tokina/11-16mm.htm


Anyway the Nikkor 12-24mm f4 is an excellent wide zoom for a Nikon DX 
format camera.

Warm regards

Felix