Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/04/10

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Subject: [Leica] The world is awash with M9.......
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:33:14 -0400

The Summarits also pride themselves in no use of any asperical elements.
This keeps the price down a bit and could appeal to the mindset of some who
think asperical elements are evil entities sent to rob them of their
precious bokeh. An idea I've found to not have a trace element of truth.
They also don't have sophisticated internal moments for special close
focusing adjustments.
I find them very un inspiring. I'm a huge fan on how Leica has incorporated
asperical elements into their modern lens designs and would rather buy one
of those used than a new Summarit. Or a used Summarit. I'd rather get an
older Leitz lens from the 80's or 70's. Or 60's or 50's. Or 40's or 30's.
They get cheaper as they go down.
The idea of dummying down from its premium lens  line is unusual for Leica.
The way to save money on a Leica lens has been if not to buy used then to
get the slow version of that lens. As each focal length came in a fast,
medium and slow version. The slow version when you look through the camera
is not darker to see through nor does it pop out of focus any father. Its
just lighter, sharper and cheaper.
So its win win win wherever you go.
If you had more bucks you could get the medium priced spread.
And if you were rolling in dough you'd get the 1.4. Or whatever the high end
f stop was. So you paid extra for a bloated heavy more flare prone optic.
And everybody knew you were a stupid millionaire.

- - from my iRabs.
Mark Rabiner
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/springdays/


> From: Gene duprey <grduprey at mchsi.com>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:44:41 -0500 (CDT)
> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] The world is awash with M9.......
> 
> Not cheap, but less costly.  They use interchangeble body parts, unlike the
> normal model where every lens has specific parts for that lens only.  This 
> is
> similar to build model that Zeiss uses for their ZM line of lenses, where 
> they
> use interchangeble body parts to keep the tooling costs down.
> 
> Gene
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris Crawford" <chris at chriscrawfordphoto.com>
> To: "Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>" <lug at leica-users.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 11:38:38 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
> Subject: Re: [Leica] The world is awash with M9.......
> 
> So, explain the current Summarit lenses? Leica explicitly said they were
> designed to be cheap.
> 
> -- 
> Chris Crawford
> Fine Art Photography
> Fort Wayne, Indiana
> 260-437-8990
> 
> http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My portfolio
> 
> http://blog.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My latest work!
> 
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Crawford/48229272798
> Become a fan on Facebook
> 
> 
> 
> On 4/10/12 11:43 PM, "Mark Rabiner" <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:
> 
>> Yep that's Leica's business model!  Designing cheap glass.
>> 
>> - - from my iRabs.
>> Mark Rabiner
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/springdays/
>> 
>> 
>>> From: Dante Stella <dstella1 at ameritech.net>
>>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>> Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:56:39 -0400
>>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>> Cc: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] The world is awash with M9.......
>>> 
>>> The 28mm Elmarit ASPH is challenged in the corners because it is
>>> designed to
>>> be a cheap (orig $1,600) compact lens, no?
>>> 
>>> Dante
>>> 
>>> On Apr 10, 2012, at 19:03, Marty Deveney <benedenia at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> The 28 Elmarit 2.8 ASPH appeared to be designed for the M8 not the
>>>> Summicron - its performance drops in the corners when used wide open
>>>> on a 24x36mm frame as you can see on the MTF chart linked from here:
>>>> http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/lenses/2194.html.  The
>>>> 28 Summicron is sharp right out to the corners, and has a very flat
>>>> field.  H. Ball Arche, who used to use a 28 a lot and posted here
>>>> prolifically, didn't like the flat field because it made heads in the
>>>> corners of the frame look like footballs - he preferred the C-V 28/1.9
>>>> which had greater barrel distortion and a less flat field, but less
>>>> apparent distortion of things like heads in the corners.  A nice
>>>> display of the compromises optical design includes.
>>>> 
>>>> The 35 Summicron ASPH was designed during the film era and in some
>>>> ways doesn't perform as well as the 35 Summilux ASPH II with the
>>>> floating element, but it's still pretty formidable.  On the M8 I
>>>> prefer a 28 to a 35, but I think generally I prefer a 28 overall, even
>>>> if it is the Nikkor 28mm f1.4 which is actually a ~31mm lens.  After
>>>> Leica revises the 50 Summicron (now the oldest lens in the M line up
>>>> and the only Summicron without aspherical element(s)) the 35 and 90
>>>> ASPH Summicrons are probably next, because they are the oldest.
>>>> 
>>>> Summicron 28 (borrowed, and my, look at that magenta!):
>>>> 
>>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Freakscene_001/L1002579.jpg.
>>>> html
>>>> Nikkor 28: 
>>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Tsukiji/File0825.jpg.html
>>>> 
>>>> Marty
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 6:40 AM, John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.nz>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> Where are you coming from Mark?
>>>>> Where has it been said that they are lowering quality??
>>>>> Where is it said that they designed an M lens for smaller than 24mm x
>>>>> 36mm???
>>>>> 
>>>>> I am on record here in saying how good the 28mm Summicron is.....
>>>>> 
>>>>> All I am saying, and this backed up by users on this list, is that a
>>>>> 28mm
>>>>> lens becomes the equivalent of a 35mm on the M8 and that is a more
>>>>> used
>>>>> focal length than 28mm is for FF.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Please read (and understand) what is being said rather than making
>>>>> things
>>>>> up.
>>>>> 
>>>>> john
>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> It strike me as phantasmagorical baloney that Leica lowered its
>>>>> standards on
>>>>> edge quality to make the compact Leica 35mm f/2 SUMMICRON-M ASPH
>>>>> ideal for
>>>>> the M8 making it less ideal for the M9. By the way the lens is now
>>>>> being
>>>>> sold new for just over four grand $.
>>>>> I don't think Leica has ever made a lens for a crop camera and has
>>>>> stated
>>>>> over and over any lens it ever makes will be fully usable on a film M.
>>>>> I don't t think anything is going to get it to settle for less than
>>>>> excellent edge quality for its M glass going straight out to a 43.3mm
>>>>> image
>>>>> crop circle....
>>>>> The 28 Summicron is  a gem and at the top of my list for my next
>>>>> Leica lens.
>>>>> This lowering of quality thing is a LUG myth which I don't think
>>>>> we're going
>>>>> to find documented elsewise.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> - - from my iRabs.
>>>>> Mark Rabiner
>>>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/springdays/
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> From: John McMaster <john at chiaroscuro.co.nz>
>>>>>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>>>>> Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:47:45 +1200
>>>>>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] The world is awash with M9.......
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> That is more of an M8 staple rather than the 35mm/50mm of the M9.....
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> john
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I have seen more 28 Summicron for sale in the last month than last 2
>>>>>> years.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> 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
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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




Replies: Reply from john at chiaroscuro.co.nz (John McMaster) ([Leica] The world is awash with M9.......)
Reply from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] The world is awash with M9.......)
In reply to: Message from grduprey at mchsi.com (grduprey at mchsi.com) ([Leica] The world is awash with M9.......)