jamesk8752 Posted February 14, 2011 Share #1 Posted February 14, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) My new 'Lux 50 ASPH arrived on Saturday and I quickly put it through my usual battery of photo tests on my M8.2. Mechanically it is superb - smooth focusing and crisp aperture ring detents. It seems to focus properly on my "yardstick test" at about 4 feet, but shots at longer distances just don't seem quite as sharp as I expected. When I critically compare against shots of the same target taken with my older Summilux 50 pre-ASPH or my Summicron 50 I don't see the same razor sharpness from the new 'Lux. It's not bad, mind you - just a little less crisp. Of course, it's better in the corners than my old 'Lux 50, but having laid out all that cash for the newer version I expected more. I'm debating whether to send it back to my dealer for eventual replacement when he gets a new one in (and who knows when that will be?), sending it to Leica in New Jersey with a request to check and adjust if needed, or just accepting it as is. Any thoughts? Perhaps my expectations are too high... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Hi jamesk8752, Take a look here Summilux 50 ASPH sharpness. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
richfx Posted February 14, 2011 Share #2 Posted February 14, 2011 James: In light of the interminable waiting list for a new 50mm Lux, I'd recommend calling Leica in NJ. It may be a minor calibration adjustment, and you'd then have it back in a couple of weeks, give or take. It could well take months for another one to arrive at your dealer if you return it for another copy. BTW, mine is razor sharp at minimum FD and at infinity, wide open and stopped down, so I don't think your expectations are at all unrealistic. Good luck. Rich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 14, 2011 Share #3 Posted February 14, 2011 No your expectations are not too high. The lens should be razor sharp. Do a few tests from a tripod and if your suspicions are confirmed, take it up with your dealer. The lens is very complicated with floating elements to very exacting tolerances, so problems like these are not unknown. Personally I would prefer a lens that has been gone over by customer service to a new one, but that is obviously your call. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted February 14, 2011 Share #4 Posted February 14, 2011 You don't mention what aperture you are shooting at, but here are samples from a 50 1.4 ASPH on M8. Taken in 2007 before the IR filters became available, as evidenced by occasional purple clothing: First group - @ f/1.4 - three crops and the full image Second image reproduces one of the cropped areas, as shot at f/8 No sharpening added - possible artifacts due to jpg compression @ 80 to meet LUF file size limits. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/144056-summilux-50-asph-sharpness/?do=findComment&comment=1587164'>More sharing options...
jamesk8752 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted February 14, 2011 Rich, Jaap, and Andy- Thanks for your comments and suggestions. My test shots were all made using a tripod, at close, mid, and long subject distances. I made some shots with and some without filters, at apertures from f1.4 to f8, so I have a fairly high degree of confidence that my observations are real. I'll call my dealer (PopFlash) to discuss the issue tomorrow, but given the excellent mechanical performance of my lens I'm inclined to send it to Leica Customer Service for diagnosis and adjustment. Fortunately I have a number of excellent fast 50s in my collection so I won't be without a lens while it is away. Again, many thanks for taking the time to reply. Regards, Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted February 14, 2011 Share #6 Posted February 14, 2011 Jim, there's another factor to the equation. The rangefinder. I don't know what other lenses you own, but optics like the Summilux ASPH have re-defined the word "sharpness". This also means that such lenses do show up a minor misadjustment of the rangefinder more clearly than older lenses do. You should not test only for general definition, but for the location of the plane of best focus. Subjects that show that can easily be arranged on a tabletop. If the location of the plane of best focus is wrong, then it can be the lens optics, the lens rangefinder coupling, or the camera rangefinder itself that is at fault. The old man from the Age Before Sharpness Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted February 14, 2011 Share #7 Posted February 14, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Jim, there's another factor to the equation. The rangefinder. I don't know what other lenses you own, but optics like the Summilux ASPH have re-defined the word "sharpness". This also means that such lenses do show up a minor misadjustment of the rangefinder more clearly than older lenses do. You should not test only for general definition, but for the location of the plane of best focus. Subjects that show that can easily be arranged on a tabletop. If the location of the plane of best focus is wrong, then it can be the lens optics, the lens rangefinder coupling, or the camera rangefinder itself that is at fault. The old man from the Age Before Sharpness Hi Lars OP said a yardstick at 4 foot was ok with edges sharper than pre asph & cron as well, indicates some problem with distance tracking of lens or rfdr, and if other lenses are better at other distances, might (still) just be rfdr tracking but more likely lens... Needs to try a 3rd known good lens or 2nd known good body or send body back with lens... The only other possibility is veiling flare which some one noted in comparative tests. The late (multi coated) pre asph should be resonable for flare, it was its major selling point. Repeat tests without lower contrast sceane. It is an M8 he can have some 'fun'. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoppyman Posted February 14, 2011 Share #8 Posted February 14, 2011 Jim this is all conjecture and interpretation without seeing your results of course. Your new lens is certainly capable of yielding superb results. I cropped a sample for you at mid distance with some detail content. Nothing scientific Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/144056-summilux-50-asph-sharpness/?do=findComment&comment=1587318'>More sharing options...
jamesk8752 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted February 14, 2011 Hi Lars OP said a yardstick at 4 foot was ok with edges sharper than pre asph & cron as well, indicates some problem with distance tracking of lens or rfdr, and if other lenses are better at other distances, might (still) just be rfdr tracking but more likely lens... Needs to try a 3rd known good lens or 2nd known good body or send body back with lens... The only other possibility is veiling flare which some one noted in comparative tests. The late (multi coated) pre asph should be resonable for flare, it was its major selling point. Repeat tests without lower contrast sceane. It is an M8 he can have some 'fun'. Noel Thanks for sharing your ideas, Lars and Noel. I didn't mean to imply that my 'Lux ASPH was any sharper than my 'Lux per-ASPH or Summicron in the yardstick test, only that focusing accuracy at about 4 feet seemed OK. The distant focusing may indeed be slightly out, as when I focus on my usual "distance" test target (about 300 feet distant), the rangefinder is coincident at the infinity stop, while my other lenses are co-incident very slightly short of the infinity stop. Both of the other lenses have been adjusted by DAG so I think that they are likely to be good references. Also, I tried another test with the 'Lux ASPH at f1.4 where I backed the focus off slightly from infinity, and the image of the target was slightly sharper than when I shot at the infinity stop. Even so, the central image sharpness at f1.4 and f2 was not as good as my 'Lux pre-ASPH or Summicron. I doubt that veiling glare is the source of the problem, as I did all of my testing with the light behind me and used the lens hood. Also, I shot some test images with and without the ND8 and UV/IR cut filters I need with this lens at full aperture in daylight, and saw no difference in sharpness. However, we do have snow here so the scene contrast was high. I'll have to run additional tests in lower light to assess this factor. Regards, Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesk8752 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted February 14, 2011 Jim this is all conjecture and interpretation without seeing your results of course. Your new lens is certainly capable of yielding superb results. I cropped a sample for you at mid distance with some detail content. Nothing scientific[ATTACH]243840[/ATTACH] Geoff, your image shows superb sharpness indeed in the details, and is visibly better than I can achieve with my copy of the lens. Looks like a trip to Leica Service is in order... Regards, Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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