Quote:
Originally Posted by leicar7
As for edge performance, I challenge anyone to show anyone's lenses where the performance at the edges is such a high percentage of the central performance for wide, normal, and short tele lenses. Very few lenses, even from Leica, and none from other makers, render contrast so uniformly and at such high levels across the image frame at these wide, normal, and short tele focal lengths. The S lenses, at least as far as the MTFs indicate, look like a new level of contrast rendering.
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I think it is great if Leica makes wonderful lenses. But from my perspective, there may be diminishing returns for some photographers. I have a long background shooting MF - Hasselblads and Rollei 6000 series for 6x6 and Linhof with Zeiss, Rodenstock, and Schneider glass for 6x7, 6x9, 6x12. And of course 4x5 and 8x10 too.
You know what? I think I shot almost all of my MF photos at f8 or smaller. (The view camera lenses were almost always at f11-22) I once compared my Zeiss 80mm Planar/Rollei 6006 with a $60 Ukranian Arsat 80 on a Kiev 66. At f8 the images looked excellent from both lenses. (I can't recall what I thought of them at f2.8) You don't always need such great lenses for good results on 6x6. (That's why lots of cheap TLR's gave such good results.)
So let's say the Leica glass is great at the corners and center wide open. When do you shoot MF wide open? Maybe portraits when you desire minimal depth of field. But you don't usually need sharp corners for this. Most static objects are shot stopped down - generally using a tripod if one is after maximum sharpness. Perhaps the longer lenses will often be used wide open for fashion and the like. But I don't think I used my 350 TeleTessar wide open too many times. And I don't see that many sport shooters going with any MF system.
So while the MTF charts may be incredible, all that will really matter is if a typical user can really see a difference in the type of photos he/she shoots with the S2 versus another system. In the case of the S2, perhaps more users will be shooting at larger apertures or wide open if the camera truly can displace some of the work that is typically done on 35mm.
While the S2 has a number of f2.5 lenses vs.what is commonly 2.8-4 on 6x6 systems, the Rollei system has a 110mm f2 Planar and a 180 f2.8 for those who want to shoot MF with less depth of field. The H3D has a 100 f2.2. I don't know how good those lenses are wide open but they are also working on a larger format.