james_cooke Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 On the CVUG forum Bob Shell made this comment; "When I visited the Leica factory in Solms in the early 90s they were still making mostly single coating lens elements and just beginning to use multicoating, and then only on a few elements. I've had some serious flare issues with some of their lenses." (Bob Shell CVUG Aug 16th 2003) I found this comment interesting as I always believe Leica started multicoating in the early 70's. Just thought it was worthy of discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_line Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 He may be off by 10 years. Look at http://www.imx.nl/photosite/leica/magazine/threegen.htmlMulti-coating a design developed for single-coating isn't going to help much, just like painting your car red doesn't make it a Ferrari. The absence of multi-coating is a poor reason to reject classic lenses from any maker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles barcellona www.bl Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 Multicoating a lens "designed" for single coating WILL help with the flare and to some extent the contrast. Some lenses are so flare free as it is, however, that it doesn't matter much either way. The 38mm Biogon is one of those, in which the T* coated lens is really not much better than the standard coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_hall1 Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 I believe James is only trying to verify some facts instead of "rejecting non-MC classic lenses" or applying multi-coating to junk. :) I have read many times the story about Leitz started using MC without announcement "way before Pentax". Unfortunately the alleged source was always some "Leica sales rep". I would like to hear something more factual too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_w. Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 My 1968 35 is multi-caoted. I wonder what's up with the Bob Shell case? Maybe I'll google him and try and find out more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_w. Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 From 8/5/05 Tracy Walker telephone conversation with him: I'm in need of models, of course. Do you have anyone in SW Virginia? My budget is pinched right now for obvious reasons and I probably can't afford to bring in your top girls from major cities. Mostly I do my shoots for pictures to illustrate my articles in photo magazines. This gives the girl some good mainstream visability. Then I also do my personal shooting during the same shoot. This is about him and his girlfriend:She took an overdose of prescription drugs. I'm accused because she died in my studio. It happened after hours after a day of shooting. Yes, she and I were alone when she died. I didn't know she'd taken the drugs and thought she was just asleep. She had a prescription drug problem, and I'd beentrying for a year to get her clean and sober, but she kept backsliding. She was my girlfriend and we lived together. They think I gave her the drugs, but I have dozens of models who will testify that I was always 100% professional with them and didn't allow drugs in my studio. I'm pretty confident of proving my innocence, but it will take time and cost a lot of money. He is used to paying models at least $100hr for shoots, but due to a legal battle, he is somewhat strapped. Bob Shell Ltd. 1601 GROVE AVENUE - P.O. BOX 808RADFORD, VA 24141fax: (540) 633-1710http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=article_Bob_Shell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_w. Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 http://www.google.com/search?q=bob+shell&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert knapp md Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 Another critical variable for flare development is teh NUMBER of lens elements. You can have all the multi-coating you want BUT if the number of elements is high the probability of flare increases., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Herbert Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 Photo of flare.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 <<"When I visited the Leica factory in Solms in the early 90s they were still making mostly single coating lens elements and just beginning to use multicoating, and then only on a few elements. I've had some serious flare issues with some of their lenses." (Bob Shell CVUG Aug 16th 2003)>> I hope there are no LHSA members on his jury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerry_szarek Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 Al said "Another critical variable for flare development is teh NUMBER of lens elements. You can have all the multi-coating you want BUT if the number of elements is high the probability of flare increases.," Al when did you get a degree in optical engineering? You are absolutely correct on this, unfortunately most users don't understand and can't understand why their wiz bang zoom lens is always being beaten by a descent prime. GS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Herbert Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 Lense hood? Do you use one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug herr Posted August 17, 2003 Share Posted August 17, 2003 <I>Another critical variable for flare development is teh NUMBER of lens elements. You can have all the multi-coating you want BUT if the number of elements is high the probability of flare increases.,</i><P>Pretty close but it's actually the number of air/glass interfaces that increases the probability of flare. IMHO the popularity of do-it-all zooms is what has led to the popularity of Velvia and other high-saturation films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_line Posted August 17, 2003 Share Posted August 17, 2003 Allen H is dead-on correct about using lens hoods to minimize flare. Keeps fingerprints off the lens, too. After searching a couple places and checking some references, I still don't have an answer to the original question. Best I can come up with is that some elements of some lenses were being multi-coated by Leica in the '70s, and that by the time of the current ASPH lenses, it was common. IIRC, my Summicron M's had a purplish tint but that was a few years ago. Does anyone know when Leica started multi-coating, for sure? I still think Shell is off by a decade. Did the CVUG follow up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johann_fuller Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Leica lens hoods are a waste of time for excluding direct light sources that are outside the frame area - they are far too shallow. They do keep fingers out of the frame and give some protection against bumps and scratches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan_reynolds Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 Intriguing comment, Johann. Would you comment on what DOES make an effective lenshood for any of the common Leica lenses? I realise this is a heresy, but it's a fact that I'd never experienced flare from an off-screen light source UNTIL I bought a Leica and Summicron 50 this year. Now I have, when using a fixed lenshood. My previous photgraphic experience was with rather less prestigious lenses with smaller maximum apertures. Is this simply the cost of pushing optics to its limits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_hall1 Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 <a href=http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/30054111/Images/summitar2.jpg>This</a> will satisfy even Johann. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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