dseelig Posted January 4, 2008 Share #61 Posted January 4, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) My leica 24 elmarit is black never seen one in silver but I live in Idaho Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 Hi dseelig, Take a look here Zeiss 25 or Leica 24?????. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
sean_reid Posted January 4, 2008 Share #62 Posted January 4, 2008 About contrast: The logic seems to go that a lower contrast lens is somehow easier to manage on the digital file. That makes no sense to me when you take that theory to the extreme with lenses like the Summar. The Summar produces images with low contrast that CAN be adjusted in post processing, but you can not completely recover the lost shadow detail that has been obscured by image noise (flare). Low contrast in a lens is due to flare...period. That flare only serves to reduce image detail in shadows, smear hightlights and confuse TTL meters. Hi Dan, That's not quite true. Tell me if you'd like to discuss further. Cheers, Sean Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted January 5, 2008 Share #63 Posted January 5, 2008 I second that, and i have a question for Sean Reid:How does a lens affect the AWB? Now it's maybe more only my impression, but i found that the % of correct AWB shots is much higher when shooting with ZEISS 25 then all my other lenses (2CV and maybe too many Leica). Could it be possible? This weekend i'm gonna take the tripod from the attic and make some shots to make a little statistic, but am I wasting my time? Best Regards Maurizio Hi Maurizio, Lenses vary in their color renditions so you could just be getting lucky in that the combinations of subject colors, lens color rendering and camera-chosen WB all blend well. In other words, they're working well together (collectively). For example if a camera's AWB tends to run cool and a given lens tends to run warm then the two, by lucky coincidence, may tend to balance each other out. You may just be lucky. But, strictly speaking, I'm not aware of any reason that a lens should change AWB *accuracy* per se. Cheers, Sean Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted January 5, 2008 Share #64 Posted January 5, 2008 I second that, and i have a question for Sean Reid:How does a lens affect the AWB? Now it's maybe more only my impression, but i found that the % of correct AWB shots is much higher when shooting with ZEISS 25 then all my other lenses (2CV and maybe too many Leica). Could it be possible? This weekend i'm gonna take the tripod from the attic and make some shots to make a little statistic, but am I wasting my time? Best Regards Maurizio Hi Maurizio, Lenses vary in their color renditions so you could just be getting lucky in that the combinations of subject colors, lens color rendering and camera-chosen WB all blend well. In other words, they're working well together (collectively). For example if a camera's AWB tends to run cool and a given lens tends to run warm then the two, by lucky coincidence, may tend to balance each other out. You may just be lucky. But, strictly speaking, I'm not aware of any reason that a lens should change AWB *accuracy* per se. Cheers, Sean Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted January 5, 2008 Share #65 Posted January 5, 2008 I agree as well.It works out at about the same as three monthly mags with a fraction of the content of the years subscription to http://www.reidreviews.comBrian Thanks Brian. Cheers, Sean Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted January 5, 2008 Share #66 Posted January 5, 2008 The silver chrome 24/2.8 is discontinued isn't it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyspedden Posted January 5, 2008 Share #67 Posted January 5, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) The silver chrome 24/2.8 is discontinued isn't it? Yes But having one as I do (used on ebay followed by CLA at Leica N.J.) there is no substitute. The chrome silver lenses, IMO, are just very special. Nothing to do with image quality for sure but the overall experience is just over the top. Thanks to Leica for the brass barrel and helicoid, weight and all. A wonderful lens to be sure. Woody Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mauribix Posted January 5, 2008 Share #68 Posted January 5, 2008 Yes The chrome silver lenses, IMO, are just very special. Nothing to do with image quality for sure but the overall experience is just over the top. Thanks to Leica for the brass barrel and helicoid, weight and all. A wonderful lens to be sure. Woody i second every single word! best Maurizio Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phovsho Posted January 5, 2008 Share #69 Posted January 5, 2008 Hello Am I correct in thinking that the black paint lenses have the same construction to the chrome? I recently bought a BP 35/2A and it is a joy to use. Good weight, smooth operation etc. Noticeably better to use than the standard black finish. M Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 5, 2008 Share #70 Posted January 5, 2008 Hello Am I correct in thinking that the black paint lenses have the same construction to the chrome? I recently bought a BP 35/2A and it is a joy to use. Good weight, smooth operation etc. Noticeably better to use than the standard black finish. M Murray, The main difference is that the chrome lenses (like my 50mm ASPH Summilux) have a brass barrel, as the chrome will stick to that but it is very difficult to get chrome to stick well over a long period to the aluminium used in the black anodised lenses, even if you vacuum deposit it. Brass is a bit easier to machine accurately, not least because it generates less heat while being machined and conducts that heat away quicker. This may account for the fact that there SEEMS (?) to be fewer complaints about faulty chrome new lenses than there are about black ones. It may just be perception, in that the chrome lenses are heavier and therefore feel more solid. They are not necessarily smoother focusing. My new 50 Summilux is still very stiff, particularly when cold, whereas my WATE focuses like silk. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phovsho Posted January 5, 2008 Share #71 Posted January 5, 2008 Thanks Wilson. Am I right in thinking black paint lenses are brass also? M Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted January 5, 2008 Share #72 Posted January 5, 2008 Thanks Wilson. Am I right in thinking black paint lenses are brass also? M Lars or Carsten - HELP! You will need to get one of our most historically knowledgeable Leicaistas to tell you that one. My guess is that certainly the older Leica black painted lenses are brass, as you can sometimes see the brass shining through wear marks. Also, why paint a lens black, when if they were aluminium, you could provide a longer lasting, harder coating by anodising them. For example, I have no idea what the barrel of my black T-E 135 dating from about 1986 is made of. By the weight it could be either, as it is about halfway between what I would guess the weight of a brass or aluminium lens might be. The finish looks more like paint than anodising. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackal Posted January 5, 2008 Share #73 Posted January 5, 2008 chalk and cheese i had teh zeiss for a bit but found it distincly non leica very sharp across the frame no doubt about that but too brittle looing and the macrocontrast was so over the top, I didn't like many of the pictures that I took with it and found that I had to dial contrast right down to make them acceptable. Nicely made though and nice looking... just not my cuppa tea and if you really like the leica softness then chances are you will prefer the leica 24 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dseelig Posted January 5, 2008 Share #74 Posted January 5, 2008 HI Jackal Maybe thats why I like it with all the leica glass when I need something a little diff . I pull it ooout. Also I ahte the fat short leica lenses liek the 21 and 24 . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted January 5, 2008 Share #75 Posted January 5, 2008 This is a really interesting thread -- one year old and breathing life, again. The best thing about expressing oneself (speaking about photography, here) is that the process enables one to use tools that suit the person making the expression. That said, 1. I agree with Peter Tomsu that nothing compares to Leica glass. I know there are a lot of lenses that are about equal in yada-yada-yada, but the way Leica glass draws is the most pleasing to me. Like Peter, I spend the money on the Leica glass -- and am not in the money-doesn't-matter club. 2. When the M8 was going to come to me, I knew I needed a wider lens. I use a 35 on my film-M's and knew I needed a similar effective length. As a subscriber to ReidReviews I knew I would be able to make a decision based on the reviews and read all the reviews for lenses in the 21 to 28 length. The images from the 24 made my mind up. The subscription price (in my second year, now) is insignificant when I need to make a decision on a kilo-buck lens. 3. When the 24 arrived (used on eBay for $1,500, about the same as the new 28 elmarit), it more than confirmed Sean's (and Puts') recommendations. This lens is nothing short of magnificent and shares time on my M8 with the 35 'lux-a, depending on the light requirements. Regards and Happy New Year to all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted January 5, 2008 Share #76 Posted January 5, 2008 Lars or Carsten - HELP! You will need to get one of our most historically knowledgeable Leicaistas to tell you that one. My guess is that certainly the older Leica black painted lenses are brass, as you can sometimes see the brass shining through wear marks. Also, why paint a lens black, when if they were aluminium, you could provide a longer lasting, harder coating by anodising them. For example, I have no idea what the barrel of my black T-E 135 dating from about 1986 is made of. By the weight it could be either, as it is about halfway between what I would guess the weight of a brass or aluminium lens might be. The finish looks more like paint than anodising. Wilson Interesting, I don't know this answer! Lars? There are also some Italians among us who might know. I did find one thread which suggests that black paint lenses are usually brass: Leica and Rangefinders Forum: Black paint lenses - photo.net Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted January 6, 2008 Share #77 Posted January 6, 2008 Thanks Wilson. Am I right in thinking black paint lenses are brass also? M Murray the black paint 50 ASPH you will be getting with your MP3 in a couple of months is definitely brass, it has the same weight and the same product number as the silver version. I have the silver version and it looks a bit odd on my black MP3. I may try to trade it for a black version. Not sure if other BP lenses are brass though... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mauribix Posted January 6, 2008 Share #78 Posted January 6, 2008 There are also some Italians among us who might know....[/url] uh?! :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phovsho Posted January 6, 2008 Share #79 Posted January 6, 2008 Thanks Peter I think my 35/2A BP is brass. Just feels that way. Time will tell once the black wears. Out of interest, how do you find the ergonomics of the 50 lux A which comes with the MP-3 kit? I have the standard black (non-paint version) at present, so will face a dilema once the MP3 kit is in my hands. M PS Sorry for hijacking the thread. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted January 6, 2008 Share #80 Posted January 6, 2008 Murray I'll send you a PM so that we don't hijack the thread! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.