[Leica] All cats are grey at f8

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> I don't understand this discussion... You choose whatever f-stop you
> need to get the result you desire, no? If I need depth of field I
> close, when there isn't any light, I open the aperture, change ISO or
> use a tripod. What is so complicated? That goes for all brands of
> lenses.
> 
> All the best from the south of France!
> 
> Tarek


Some of the LUG people have been saying for years you should always shoot
with a Leica lens wide open no matter what; and a lens designer over there
in Solms backs this piece of odd advice up.

There's a bit less of a need to stop down Leica glass because they perform
so well wide open. More so than glass from other companies perform wide
open.
It used to be a bit more than 10 or 20 years ago that the standard technique
and advise was to really try to stop down a couple.  The widest setting was
a bit of a huge compromise in quality. The glass was made a bit faster than
it should have been.
I think nowadays when you pay way more money for fast glass from most
companies that widest f stop is more viable. But especially Leica.

[Rabs]
Mark William Rabiner