pascal_meheut Posted December 16, 2006 Share #1 Posted December 16, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) They tested all the current Leica lenses except the tri-elmars and the Noctilux. The result is quite simple : they all got the maximum note, i.e 5 stars. The number are quite impressive : no vignetting (using coded lenses and the automatic correction), no distorsion, no chromatic aberration and extremely sharp corner to corner from wide-open to f/16. Only exception: the 90/2 AA wide-open but this is because of the lack of focusing precision. They also tested some Zeiss lenses: the 21mm, 25mm, 28mm and 35mm. They are basically as good with slightly more vignetting. The 35mm is also behind the Leica lenses wide-open. P.S: CdI stands for Chasseur d'Image, a french magazine whose tests are quite serious. However, their protocol to test the lens+digital camera couples tends to level the field compared to what we had when they were testing lenses only. But lenses reaching such a level, i.e. with no aberration at all are quite rare. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 16, 2006 Posted December 16, 2006 Hi pascal_meheut, Take a look here CdI has tested the M lenses with the M8 . I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
abrewer Posted December 16, 2006 Share #2 Posted December 16, 2006 Thanks for the information Pascal. Here is a link to their site, which (of course) is in French. Chasseur d'Images Merci! Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riley Posted December 16, 2006 Share #3 Posted December 16, 2006 This make even more sorry is need to put filter on front of all this lenses, filter always take away someting even if small still is worst than no filter. when film was the big gig we used filters all the time that was because we couldnt edit the results as well with slides and the results were important today nothing has changed, the results are important, and the results with M8 with the filter on speak for themselves. when the bugs are sorted out with M8 it will routinely produce exceptional quality beyond 35mm format. it does that now, but not consistently enough why drive a toyota when you can drive a mercedes dude, get the lighter fixed ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosuna Posted December 16, 2006 Share #4 Posted December 16, 2006 I am considering to buy a 75mm lens, but I don't know if the Summilux or the Summicron. I am interested in Chasseur analysis about these lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal_meheut Posted December 16, 2006 Author Share #5 Posted December 16, 2006 Quite easy: the performances are the same. Some vignetting wide-open for the Summilux (1/3 f-stop) but as sharp as the Summicron and even less distorsion and CA. But they are so low in both cases that it does not matter. Their comment is "superlative quality" for the summicron and "testing these Leica lenses is dull, they are all excellent" for the summilux. So choose whatever you like. I had the Summilux years ago and loved the images but could not get used to the 75mm focal length. Now, I bought the Summicron for the M8 and it is a small, light, easy and fast to focus, does not obstruct the viewfinder. For me, this is worth not having the f/1.4 aperture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted December 16, 2006 Share #6 Posted December 16, 2006 They tested all the current Leica lenses except the tri-elmars and the Noctilux. The result is quite simple : they all got the maximum note, i.e 5 stars.The number are quite impressive : no vignetting (using coded lenses and the automatic correction), no distorsion, no chromatic aberration and extremely sharp corner to corner from wide-open to f/16. Only exception: the 90/2 AA wide-open but this is because of the lack of focusing precision. They also tested some Zeiss lenses: the 21mm, 25mm, 28mm and 35mm. They are basically as good with slightly more vignetting. The 35mm is also behind the Leica lenses wide-open. The vignetting you mention in the Zeiss must refer to a coded Leica lens vs. an uncoded Zeiss. If the in-camera corrections are not considered, both the Zeiss 28/2.8 and CV 28/1.9 vignette *less* than the 28 Summicron. I suspect that other Zeiss ZM lenses also vignette no more than (and possibly less than) their Leica equivalents. I'll confirm that in testing on the M8 as I get to each focal length. Count me as one who thinks the Leica lenses are superb but I'd like the record to be accurate about which lenses do what under which conditions. When codes a Zeiss 28/2.8 as a Summicron 28 Asph., it's actually "over-corrected" for vignetting at F/8. Ditto for the Ultron. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal_meheut Posted December 16, 2006 Author Share #7 Posted December 16, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) The vignetting you mention in the Zeiss must refer to a coded Leica lens vs. an uncoded Zeiss. Yes, and they said so quite clearly in the test. They say that the Zeiss are excellent value for the money and very well built. They only regret that the hood does not comes with the lens and that the wide-angles do not have a tab like the Leica's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosuna Posted December 16, 2006 Share #8 Posted December 16, 2006 Thanks Pascal. Are the fingerprint differences at coincident apertures obvious? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal_meheut Posted December 16, 2006 Author Share #9 Posted December 16, 2006 Well, it has been years between my use of the 75mm/1.4 and the 75mm/2. And the Summilux was before Kodachrome whilst the Summicron is before a CCD... So I cannot really say. However, I remember the 75/1.4 had this special fingerprint just like the Leica R 80mm/1.4: sharp but not too contrasty making portrait shot in available light quite beautiful. This is less important to me now because I can adjust my raw file afterwards depending on the subject. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted December 16, 2006 Share #10 Posted December 16, 2006 Sean, are the Voigtländer and Zeiss lenses *worse* with correction than without, or just not perfect? In other words, is it worth doing the correction anyway? Pascal, I think you just nailed my 75mm choice: I will get the Lux. I love love love love love my 80 Lux, and have been breaking my heart over this decision, but the fact that the Lux is as sharp in practice along with the special look really makes me want the Lux. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosuna Posted December 16, 2006 Share #11 Posted December 16, 2006 Pascal, I think you just nailed my 75mm choice: I will get the Lux. I love love love love love my 80 Lux, and have been breaking my heart over this decision, but the fact that the Lux is as sharp in practice along with the special look really makes me want the Lux. Thanks! The new 75mm framelines are smaller in the M8's viewfinder. The magnification has changed, from 0.72 to 0.68. The question is how much of the viewfinder is blocked by the 75mm Lux in the M8, compared to the M7 or MP... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted December 16, 2006 Share #12 Posted December 16, 2006 The answer is "some" I will learn to live with it. The LFI and other articles I have seen make it sound like it only scrapes the 50mm frame lines, but doesn't touch the 75mm area. I already have the magnifying loupe anyway. This is a really important issue to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted December 17, 2006 Share #13 Posted December 17, 2006 Sean, are the Voigtländer and Zeiss lenses *worse* with correction than without, or just not perfect? In other words, is it worth doing the correction anyway? Pascal, I think you just nailed my 75mm choice: I will get the Lux. I love love love love love my 80 Lux, and have been breaking my heart over this decision, but the fact that the Lux is as sharp in practice along with the special look really makes me want the Lux. Thanks! Hi Carsten, Have you had a chance to read the 28s article yet? Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted December 17, 2006 Share #14 Posted December 17, 2006 Hello Sean, I am partway through it. It is long! I guess that means that the answer is in it. I will look. It is mostly for curiousity anyway, and for adding to the lens table. I am planning to use my 30% to get the 28 Cron Asph instead of the Elmarit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted December 17, 2006 Share #15 Posted December 17, 2006 By the way, Sean, in the Zeiss Biogon description it says Summicron instead of Biogon when discussing the blocking of the viewfinder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted December 17, 2006 Share #16 Posted December 17, 2006 Hello Sean, I am partway through it. It is long! I guess that means that the answer is in it. I will look. It is mostly for curiousity anyway, and for adding to the lens table. I am planning to use my 30% to get the 28 Cron Asph instead of the Elmarit. Hi Carsten, Look at the section about "self-coding". Thanks for finding the typo, I'll fix that. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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