Cosina Zeiss vs. Leitz M lenses?

<p>Darius: "how do you guys think the Cosina Zeiss line compare with comparable Leica focal lengths?"</p>

<p>Wai-Leong: "Why don't you go look for some lens reviews?"</p>

<p>I wasn't aware us guys have published reviews of those lenses.</p>

<p>Hi Dan, </p>

<p>That is my impression as well. The actual optics are pretty great, but the fabrication is not anywhere near up to Leitz standards.</p>

<p>Wai -Leong. Why not take a few days off. It is obviously the wrong time of the month for you or you are a very stressed<br>

person. Perhaps if you inhaled it might solve your problem. Sensible and reasonable question with helpful responses. This is what PN is or shoud be about. Having just bought an MP I find the thread interesting.<br>

Carry on gentlemen.</p>

<p>I don't have a PMS.... As for inhaling, it is escaping from reality, but doesn't really change things.</p>

<p>My dad always said, "When you argue with a crazy person, no one else knows who the crazy person is." I'm sure it's a quote he heard somewhere, but he never attributed it. I advise everyone to try a HoodHat. It really will change your life.</p>

<p><em>"Yes, people can prefer to not search, not read reviews, etc. But is there something morally wrong to advocate self-help?"</em><br>

So this is now the Leica Last Resort forum. Dont use us as your first port of call and research everywhere else first, and if you cannot find the answer then and only then trouble us with a post? Morally wrong no but pretty silly telling people not to discuss things on a discussion forum but read reviews for their answers instead. With that logic no forums like this would exist!</p>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=2347092">Arthur Plumpton</a> wrote: "A camera body that is five times the price of another should be at least twice as good, if not 3 or 4 times as good."</p>

<p>How do you quantify the goodness of a camera body (or lens)?</p>

<p>Really good thread. I bought an M3 and paired it with the Nockton SC 40m. Recently bought a Leica 90 2.8 Elmarit m.The point is ,I am happy to mix and match depending on price,quality and the amount of usage that I will put the lense to. The helpful opinion which has always been the hallmark of this forum has often proved invaluable to me in making these decisions. Please continue to provide it. </p>

<p>It s no reason for argument or even fighting.We just share our experience of the lens and that s it.<br>

I currently use the nokton 35mm/1.4 and I found it really amazing.But maybe I just be a little sensitive.I think the color what this lens brings out is a bit too much.<br>

So if money is not the biggest prob,i will prefer leica lens.<br>

^^</p>

<p>Frankly both of you: Way Leong Lee and Michel Galileo are boring with your endless argument which brought NO useful contribution to this forum!</p>

<p><b>"How do you quantify the goodness of a camera body (or lens)?"</b></p>

<p>Douglas:</p>

<p>1) by measurements (lens MTF charts, lens centering, mechanical construction and life without re-adjustment or repair, precision of response on exposure or focus, comparative ability to produce a 10X or 20X magnification print using the same materials, etc.),</p>

<p>2) by subjective evaluations of quality, in comparative use, by persons of experience (reviewers, other)</p>

<p>and 3) by a quantitative and qualitative quality/ price evaluation, based on the foregoing.</p>

<p>There may be even better ways to predict how good is a photographic instrument, but I don't know of any. <br /></p>

<p>Stuart: I think Leica now have a comparable lens to the zm 18/4, their 18/3,8 should be very interesting.</p>

<p>OP: I had a ZM 50/2 and thought it a fine as an all-round lens, but I traded it for a mandler-designed 50/1,4 lux. What it lacked was low-light applicability and a distinctive look, a character flaw or something that said 'this is That' lens. This is just my take, of course. I have a thing for lenses that might be 'flawed' in a certain sense but yet have a distinctive rendering. I think the sonnar zm 50/1,5 is a more interesting lens in terms of its rendering.</p>

<p>Hi Darius,<br>

congrats on a nice combo. IMO, for all practical purposes, the ZM Planar, modern Summicron, and M-Hexanon 50/2 are pretty much equivalent. Of course there are some minor differences when it comes to flare, and high magnification resolution, but not much.<br>

With respect to signature, it gets more interesting when you consider other specifications. For example, the M-Elmar 50/2.8, ZM 50/1.5 and Summilux pre-asph v3 produce beautiful images, all three in very different ways. The M-Elmar, BTW, is quite affordable.<br>

Some Leica prices are partially justified in the design, not only in the quality. For example, the modern Leica 50/1.4 Asph includes aspherical, floating AND apo elements, none of which are featured by Japan-made ZM lenses.<br>

In general, I don't think Cosina Voigtlaender vs. ZM quality is any different. There are better and not so good lenses. For example, the CV 28/3.5 and 35/1.4 that I use often are very high in build quality. One Nokton I had "wobbled" (easy to fix), but similar issues have been reported on Planars and Biogons. In general I feel it's great that there are so many lenses of different specifications to choose from.<br>

I would be interested in more information about the manufacturing process of the two lens lines at Cosina, and other details; for example, how are CV aspherical surfaces made, compared to Leica for instance. Haven't found anything yet, however.<br>

Regarding build quality, if you like chrome and brass, nothing currently available beats the built quality of Leica, Nikon LTM or Canon LTM lens of the 60s though :)<br>

Best,<br>

Roland.</p>

 

<p>ok, did we decide the ZM 50/2.0 is ok?</p>

<p>did any one ever perform a side-by-side test of ZM 50/2 and Summicron-M 50/2, shooting the same scene at the same time on Provia or something similar? that could be really interesting to see...</p>

<p><strong>My Voigtlander Nocton 50/1,1</strong> test at <br>

http://www.leicapassion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16584<br>

Regards and thanks<br>

Roberto Piero Ottavi<br>

Leicapassion © Admin</p>