[Leica] M LENSES ON PANASONIC G1

[kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour)]

On May 23, 2009, at 11:08 AM, Richard S. Taylor wrote:

> The discovery that some M-mount lenses produced fuzzy edge images (I  
> think Sean Reid noticed it first) led me to test the lenses I had on  
> hand to see if I got the same results and could understand what was  
> happening.  I tested the following lenses:
>
> 14-45 mm f3.5-5.6 Lumix Kit Lens
> 15 mm Heliar
> 21 mm Elmarit ASPH
> 25 mm Color Skopar
> 28 mm Summicron ASPH
> 35 mm Summicron ASPH
> 50 mm Summicron (1970's version)
>
> The 14-45 lens, designed specifically for the camera, was included  
> for comparison.
>
> I've posted the test images here:
>
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/rtaylor/PICKS/G1_M_LENSES/
>
> or
>
> http://tinyurl.com/qlh84o
>
> The first shot shows the DVD/CD shelves I used as a target.  It was  
> taken with the 15 mm Heliar wide open at f4.5.  Then images from the  
> center and worst edge for each lens are presented at full size (1:1)  
> first with the lens wide open and next at two stops down.
>
> These pictures were all taken at a shooting distance of about 3-1/2  
> feet with the camera carefully squared to the shelves.  They are all  
> at ISO 200 with the camera on a stiff tripod and the shutter tripped  
> with the self timer. The last three images are from a shot with the  
> 28 Summicron outside at f8.0.  First I show the full image and then  
> full size crops at the center and worst edge.
>
> I omitted the 35 and 50 Summicron images from this post because the  
> effect is minimal at 35 mm and almost gone at 50mm.
>
> The 14-45 kit lens is sharp at the center and at the edges.  All the  
> M-mount lenses show smearing in differing amounts at the edges when  
> wide open.  The smearing is worst at the widest apertures and gets  
> better when closed down.  Outdoors at small apertures it disappears  
> entirely.  It also seems to improve at greater distances from the  
> subject.  These results are pretty much what you'd expect from a  
> sensor designed to accept light primarily straight on.

so this appears to be exactly the problem that is faced and often  
discussed in designing a full frame sensor for the M8,


no?



Steve


>
> So, for me, this limits the usefulness of the M-lenses on the camera  
> but does not preclude using them.  They are the only wide-angle  
> large-aperture lenses available for it and in many situations the  
> fuzzy edges won't matter. In bright light, stopped down, the M- 
> lenses do very well, but on the other hand, so does the kit lens.   
> Currently I plan on using the camera with 4/3rds optics when the  
> light is even half way reasonable and use the M-mount lenses when  
> the light gets dim and the edges don't matter, though that may  
> change after I've had more experience with the G1 and the M lenses  
> in actual use.
>
> It would be interesting to see how the camera performs with Leica R  
> lenses and I'm hoping someone having those will buy the new R  
> adapter for the G1 and post the results.  The one test I ran with a  
> Nikkor 20 mm f2.8 lens showed less difference in sharpness across  
> the field than the M-lenses displayed but was also less sharp in the  
> center than the kit lens.
>
> As a travel camera the G1 still seems perfect to me and I plan on  
> taking it, the kit lens, the 28 Summicron, and maybe the 21 Elmarit  
> along when I go to Japan in a few months.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Dick
> off-list comments to r.s.taylor at comcast dot net please.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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