Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/06/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]According to Erwin's Book Leica Lens Compendium, 2001: " At full aperture the M-21 has a low to medium overall contrast, crisp rendition of fine detail on axis (image height 6mm), with a fairly rapid drop in the field. The lens is flare sensitive, has vignetting of 2.5 stops and visible distortion." You'd of course need to read the thing yourself to get the full context.* Stopped down a couple it improves. Read f 5.6 He says that at f 4.5 it matches the performance of the ASPH version wide open at 2.8! I have in my mind an image of a wide angle f 4.5 lens. Its tiny. A bit smaller than the super Angulon 3.4. About the size of the tip of my pinky or a thimble. No need for it to be collapsible. I think I've seen them in the Leica and Nikon catalogs and books. I've never before this review of the lens remembered the contrast or resolution of a Leicas lens described "medium" let along "low". I think in glass made in the 1930's the word "medium" was used now and then. Normally its an issue of: high, very high, and ridiculously high. But don't quote me. If were to use a lens on a rangefinder camera which really only performed well at f 4.5 I'd get an 4.5 lens Its not as if I'm looking THROUGH the darned thing. It does not need to snap on a bright groundglass. That's SLR thinking. Oh and by the way he writes that stopping down the ASPH two stops to f 5.6 removes all distortion and is in effect the optimum way of shooting the lens. I'm surprised no one could fish out his or her Erwin book or look up the PDF on his hard disk or on the internet. The pre apish 21 is a real embarrassment for Leica. One of the real very few. But made in 1980 its also a bit of forgettable history. To buy one now and think you're getting a deal becuae it says "Leica or Leitz" on it and you're getting it for a song to me is regrettable. There is a shoebox full of much worthier option's from a dozen companies. *This is on page 102 of the PDF or page 140 of the real book. Mark William Rabiner Photography http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/ Cars: http://tinyurl.com/2f7ptxb > From: "Henning J. Wulff" <henningw at archiphoto.com> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> > Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:53:54 -0700 > To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> > Subject: Re: [Leica] M lens 21mm F2.8 pre ASPH > > This is all relative. Compared with most SLR lenses of similar > specifications at the time, the Elmarit was a completely competent > performer. It was just not the outstandingly better performer that > the 21SA had been in it's time, and that most current Leica lenses > are. > > And most importantly, as I've mentioned often, most people gravitate > to certain lenses regardless of their technical (im)perfections > because for a whole lot of reasons other than MTF curves they can > create successful pictures with them. > > I've been fortunate that I've been able to try out almost all Leica > lenses and many of the other lenses that fit on Leicas, and often > multiple examples so that now I can often choose the right lens for a > particular purpose. But mainly, I've learned with which lenses I can > take pictures that please me more than others. Sometimes, that's a > technically outstanding lens like the 75/2, but just as often it's a > lens like the 90T-E or the f/1 Noctilux. > > > > At 6:20 AM -0500 6/29/11, Sonny Carter wrote: >> On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 2:28 AM, Henning Wulff >> <henningw at archiphoto.com>wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> >>> Retrofocus lenses tend to mustache distortion. Note: the pre-ASPH >>> Elmarit >>> does not have the most. What it has is astigmatism, coma and chromatic >>> aberrations in the corners that is worse than the others; ie, it is >>> softer >>> and has more flare in the corners. >>> >>> When you're at f/5.6 all this is largely irrelevant, as usually other >>> factors conspire to make your pictures not as good as you'd like, rather >>> than the lens faults. But if you want to shoot at f/2.8 to f/4, the >>> other >>> candidates are all better than the pre-ASPH Elmarit in the corners. >>> >> >> I use the lens on an M8, and usually crop. Ninety-nine percent of my >> images >> go to electronic publication or small print. The lens works for me. It >> handles nicely, There is no filter issue, and it cost me 3000 less than an >> Asph. >> >> I'll live with that for now. >> >> >> >> -- >> Regards, >> >> Sonny >> http://sonc.com/look/ >> Natchitoches, Louisiana >> >> USA >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- > > Henning J. Wulff > Wulff Photography & Design > mailto:henningw at archiphoto.com > http://www.archiphoto.com > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information