maestro logos Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 One Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maestro logos Posted June 2, 2004 Author Share Posted June 2, 2004 Two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maestro logos Posted June 2, 2004 Author Share Posted June 2, 2004 and Three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_pelizza_salusso_di_vol Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Better than the Summicron at 2 and at 5,6? So it seems from the official diagrams of Leica.... Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_jones4 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 better than latest 50 summilux for R, according to charts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_wilder1 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I think it's great news that Leica is finally updating this 30 yr. old optic. Does this commitment mean Leica is fiscally healthier than previously thought? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_wilder1 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Sorry, I meant 40 yr. old optic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maestro logos Posted June 2, 2004 Author Share Posted June 2, 2004 Personally I prefer Leica lenses of the 1960s/1970s vinage. But as far as the modern standards of sharpness and contrast are concerned, it looks like this lens really is going to kick ass. For spoof compare to MTFs of Zeiss/Contax 50/1.4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_brown4 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Wow! The MTF curves at f1.4 are truly impressive. They just blew the doors of the competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricks Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 hm, how about 10+ years too late... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin m. Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Yes, that old Summilux is such a dog! Mike Dixon might have a viable career without his misguided attachment to that over-rated German paperweight! I'm placing my order for this new wunder-objectiv now, and then I'm waiting for my phone call from Magnum!<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_b. Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Guess what guys- This lens is really going to work well for the digital M. Just like Schneider and Rodenstock designed their digital lenses for almost double the lines per millimeter of the regular lenses. Still should be pretty great for film too though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry_ting2 Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Kevin, that's a great picture illustrating how an older lens is capable of, if used to its full potential. I just don't see how the 50/1.4 ASPH can improve on it (for the average photographer). As my golf instructor once told me, forget about the latest and greatest golf equipment. 99.9% of the golfers out there have yet to be able to use the full potential of a "starter" set of golf clubs, let alone trying to get into clubs like Callaway's exotic titanium "Big Berthas". There's some similarities here between golf equipment and lens :):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guan_leong_chua Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Impressive MTF. I wonder if it is measured or calculated. Time to save up for one of these gems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feli Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Nothing wrong with that crappy lens, Kevin. People love to knock the old Lux because it was designed 40 years ago, but in every test I have ever seen it either comes out on top, equal to or second to every other 1.4/50 out there, except the new 1.4/50 Lux-R which eats all of them for breakfast. This new lens will probably best the R version, simply because there are certain advantages you can design in to a rangefinder lens, versus a SLR lens. Puts claims that the old Lux performs as a 2/50 Summicron v03 opened up a stop. I have a current Cron-M and R, a Cron-DR, a Lux and until recently a Noct and trust me the Lux is no dog. Also keep in mind that MTF graphs and ultimate sharpness isn't everything. The old Lux has a certain fingerprint/signature that many people find very appealing, especially when doing black and white work. The new Lux will be a high contrast, flare free design and will lose the glowing med contrast/high resolution signature of the old design. Of course you could ignore all of the charts etc. and simply shoot a good picture... Feli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob haight Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 I suspect the new lux will outperform the old at all apertures. It will probably outperform the Summicron until f2.8. I would think the Summicron at f8 will beat the new lux at f8. Not a fair test really, but food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 It seems that for ever smaller incremental improvements in sharpness and contrast we pay ever greater amounts of money. Maybe Leica finally designed a 50/1.4 that can beat the LTM 50/1.4 Nikkor designed in the 1950's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh_t Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Blasphmer!!!! (I probably spelled that wrong but you know what mean Kaplan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin m. Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 "Maybe Leica finally designed a 50/1.4 that can beat the LTM 50/1.4 Nikkor designed in the 1950's." Well, I can see why people have come to rely on MTF charts, as every other aspect of lens performance seems totally subjective. I had the Nikon for less than a week, and was happy to see it go. The Summilux, to my eye, is a much better lens, particularly when shooting people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 http://www.dantestella.com/technical/nikoleic.html Here's some good info on the 1950's vintage Nikkor glass. I'm sure the new Summilux has more contrast, if only from improved coating technology over the past half a century, but some of the older lenses really were very good! The 50/1.4 and 85/2 excelled in the near focussing range and I always regretted selling my 50/1.4 and black 85/2, but I did manage to find a chrome 85/2 with clean glass about 15 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin m. Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Thanks for the link, Al. Dante explains exactly what I didn't like about the Nikon. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icuneko Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Caveat: Won't the expensive liquid (probably high-end German beer dregs) surrounding this new lens floating elements encourage internal mold growth? And what happens if/when the liquid leaks or evaporates out and the floating elements can no longer float? Heh heh ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_chan2 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 The best MTF chart in the world isn't going to do you 1 iota of good if you don't have a HUGE tripod.... ... there is of course the significant OOGLE factor though! LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_brown4 Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 The improved corner sharpness at f1/4 will be noticeable. This coming from a big fan of the current 50mm Summilux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliot_rosen Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Maestro, where did you get the data on the new 50/1.4 ASPH M. I couldn't find anything about it on Leica's website? Where did they publish it? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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