Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/11/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Len, I was wondering about multi-coating, rather than the original coatings that were developed in the 30's and 40's. Multicoating started in the late 60's and early 70's with Pentax's SMC, developed by Optical Coating Laboratories Inc. (OCLI), now a part of JDSU in Milpitas California (thank you, Doug), and Zeiss's T* coating. Nikon called theirs Integrated Coating, Minolta called theirs Achromatic Coating, Canon calls theirs 'Sub Wavelength structure Coating,' but Leica has never indicated they use multi-coating. That was my questions -- are Leica lenses multi-coated? If they are, is it all of them? just some? how do we know? Bob > Bob, > > Marc James Small has done a lot of research on lens coating and may be > the expert on the LUG. He only devotes 1 1/2 pages to lens coating in his > book though. While studies in lens coating can be found as far back as > the 1890's, it was in 1938 that Smakula, of Zeiss developed the vacuum > coating process or T coating for Zeiss lenses. Leitz was not allowed to > use this process and this is where they started drip coating of their > lenses. It might be the 8.5cm Summarex in 1941 that was first coated. > When the Zeiss patents ran out in the 60's that's when Leitz started to > use the Zeiss modern process. > > It might be more difficult to get specific information about different > lenses and elements except by going directly to Leica. > > You might be able to get some info from John van Stelton at Focal Point > since he polishes and re-coats Leica lenses. > > Len > > > > On Nov 21, 2008, at 7:42 PM, Robert Meier wrote: > >> Doug, >> >> Zeiss is the one who developed their T* coating at the same time Pentax >> developed Super Multi-Coating (and maybe even in cooperation with them). >> >> Do you know what elements or what lenses have multi-coating? >> >> Bob >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: <wildlightphoto@earthlink.net> >> To: <lug@leica-users.org> >> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 5:51 PM >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Are Leica lenses muliticoated? >> >> >> Robert Meier wrote: >> >>> I've always assumed that Leica lenses have been multicoated since the >> 70's, >>> but is that true? There has never been an indication of multicoating >>> on >>> the lenses (no T* or SMC), and they don't have the almost garish >> multi-hues >>> of Nikon or Zeiss lenses. So, are they multicoated? >> >> As far as I know Leitz began multi-coating where it would make a >> significant difference before Pentax publicized the OCLI >> "Super-multi-coating" process on their lenses. >> >> Doug Herr >> Birdman of Sacramento >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >> mail2web.com - What can On Demand Business Solutions do for you? >> http://link.mail2web.com/Business/SharePoint >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information