Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/02/18

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Subject: [Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!
From: hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson)
Date: Wed Feb 18 13:43:07 2009
References: <034301c9915d$6dd85550$80f510ac@chris0436b6050> <36172e5a0902171635p70632086nbe3aa51fc3a8a90b@mail.gmail.com> <00da01c99179$3744b5d0$a5ce2170$@net> <440b792d0902171951r50e43446s71d518014b8f7825@mail.gmail.com> <00de01c9918b$15d4f790$417ee6b0$@net> <440b792d0902172150n4b7cb7d0p4f247981fdde84c9@mail.gmail.com> <021820091848.18857.499C57FD000BF054000049A9223245003003010CD2079C080C03BF970A9D9F9A0B9D09@mchsi.com>

One characteristic of the new Elmar f/3.8 24 is that it provides its best
performance wide open. This is rather remarkable. You can read the review by
Erwin Puts if you are interested. If you look at the MTF diagrams for the
same lens you will see that there is vitually no fall off right out to the
extreme corners of the 24x36 area. In my informal shooting with this lens so
far I have seen zero visible vignetting and no detectable softening right
out to those corners either.You actually need to shoot it with film to look
all the way into those corners! The initial press release for the Super
Elmar f/3.8 18 says that it has the same properties. I have the Distagon ZM
f/4 18 currently and it is excellent, but I shall certainly be looking at
upgrading to the Super Elmar when it becomes available.

When the intial ad from a French dealer emerged before the official
announcement it only showed the Angle of View figures on an M8. Some people
took that as an indication that the lens would not perform over the 24x36
area. Purely specualtion. Now even though Leica does quote the angle of view
figures for 24x36 the rumour still seems to persist. It morphed into 'oh
well maybe it will work for film but that doesn't prove it will work on a
24x36 sensor' !!! I don't know how the doubters intend to prove this
currently!!
That's the internet for you. No-one questioned whether the 16-18-21 would
perform over the whole 24x36 area when it was released. This new prime seems
likely to exhibit less distortion that that one, it will be much cheaper and
it is much more compact. I think it is an excellent and much requested move
by Leica to make this one available.

2009/2/19 <grduprey@mchsi.com>

>
>
> Since it is designed to cover the film format, I would then assume they are
> talking about either format.   Seems only logical.  ;-)
>
>
> Gene
>
>
>
>  -------------- Original message from mehrdad <msadat@gmail.com>:
> --------------
>
>
> > well frank the m9 is not out, and all i want to do is understand what
> leica
> > says
> >
> > "...The fundamental parameters of vignetting and distortion traditionally
> > encountered in super-wide-angle lenses have been effectively corrected in
> > the case of the LEICA SUPER-ELMAR-M 18 mm f/ 3.8 ASPH., so that they play
> no
> > role at all in practice. This results in extremely sharp, crystal-clear
> and
> > uniformly exposed images from corner to corner. Due to the outstanding
> > contrast and reproduction of details, the initial aperture of 3.8 can be
> > used without any limitations."
> >
> > are they talking about using this lens on the m8 (1.3x) or the m 6/7/p/9
> >
>  > On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Frank Filippone wrote:
> >
> > > Mehrdad..... Do not understand.....
> > >
> > > The lens covers FILM at 24x36... and since there is no M9 or whatever
> that
> > > is a digital 24x36, I guess the answer is redundant......
> > >
> > > Frank Filippone
> > > red735i@earthlink.net
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Leica Users Group.
> > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >  -------------------------------------
> >  regards, mehrdad
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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
>



-- 
Cheers
Geoff
'Licence to Chill'

In reply to: Message from leicachris at worldnet.att.net (Chris Williams) ([Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!)
Message from hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!)
Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!)
Message from msadat at gmail.com (mehrdad) ([Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!)
Message from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!)
Message from msadat at gmail.com (mehrdad) ([Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!)
Message from grduprey at mchsi.com (grduprey@mchsi.com) ([Leica] New Leica 18mm and a Flash!)