marknorton Posted March 2, 2011 Share #21 Posted March 2, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) The aperture blades are probably for production cost, lenses are built down to a cost. I don't think so, the aperture blades are the way they are to fit into the space available and perform the required function and my experience of lens repair costs is that the entire aperture assembly costs less than a single glass element. Increasing the diameter of the lens would allow Leica to use different shaped blades to form a circular (and more desirable IMHO) aperture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 2, 2011 Posted March 2, 2011 Hi marknorton, Take a look here 50mm Summilux ASPH aperture blades. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
hoppyman Posted March 2, 2011 Share #22 Posted March 2, 2011 Mark's idea that the diaphragm assembly design may be constrained by the barrel diameter sounds reasonable to me, although I am no expert on lens mechanics. Another theory might be that there were other priorites in the design. As a user and enthusiast for this lens (and the APO 75 has similar characteristics), I would just add that my personal preference is for the current lens volume (constrained by its M purpose of course) rather than a larger or heavier replacement. I wouldn't swap mine one for one for any of the Nocti variants personally. Maybe worth qualifying the discussion too that the appearance of these out of focus point highlights will vary of course with your content and composition decision. There are plenty of occasions where these form no part of the subject matter anyway of course and shooting wide open or nearly so makes a large difference too. Here's a smiling subject courtesy of the Summilux and nary a point highlight in sight ;-) Race Marshall Potsdam marathon photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted March 2, 2011 Share #23 Posted March 2, 2011 We've discussed similar issues regarding OOF highlights from the 35mm f1.4 ASPH in images I've posted in a previous thread. I assume it's a feature of most of the new ASPH lenses. This all demonstrates that there is no perfect lens and everything is a compromise...but I love my 50 Lux ASPH Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted March 2, 2011 Share #24 Posted March 2, 2011 ...Here's a smiling subject courtesy of the Summilux and nary a point highlight in sight ;-) Race Marshall Potsdam marathon photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com Geoff, I think that's that's the most unusual attire I've seen marathon contestants wearing! Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted March 2, 2011 Share #25 Posted March 2, 2011 As a user and enthusiast for this lens (and the Apo-Summicron-M 75 Asph has similar characteristics), I would just add that my personal preference is for the current lens volume (constrained by its M purpose of course) rather than a larger or heavier replacement. Well ... I would very much prefer a slightly thicker lens with healthily shaped aperture blades over a smaller lens with the weird, star-like aperture shape that we currently have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted March 2, 2011 Share #26 Posted March 2, 2011 Well ... I would very much prefer a slightly thicker lens with healthily shaped aperture blades over a smaller lens with the weird, star-like aperture shape that we currently have. We don't have them at all apertures fortunately. Here at f/1.4. 1st crop = asph, 2nd crop = pre-asph. 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/145320-50mm-summilux-asph-aperture-blades/?do=findComment&comment=1604240'>More sharing options...
ho_co Posted March 2, 2011 Share #27 Posted March 2, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Remember the aperture blades of the Contarex lenses? If anyone has a picture of them, it would be worth posting. Strange and wonderful shape, forward and reverse curves, something like 16 blades IIRC, and they formed almost a perfect circle at every aperture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted March 2, 2011 Share #28 Posted March 2, 2011 Last time i touched one was 40 years ago at least. But what a camera! I can still hear its shutter music. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted March 2, 2011 Share #29 Posted March 2, 2011 Last time i touched one was 40 years ago at least. But what a camera! I can still hear its shutter music. ...nostalgia it destroyed Zeiss as camera manufacturers Nikon made 700k Nikon F... how many SLR did Zeiss make? The ZM lenses have nice iris blades... But the non asph 5cm Lux which is small has nice blades too. I think you will find, if you put in more blades to make the iris more circular then the volume i.e. diameter needed is actually smaller, as the individual blades overlap more... Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted March 2, 2011 Share #30 Posted March 2, 2011 Circles of confusion? 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/145320-50mm-summilux-asph-aperture-blades/?do=findComment&comment=1604694'>More sharing options...
hoppyman Posted March 2, 2011 Share #31 Posted March 2, 2011 No surprise that we disagree again:rolleyes: However we are only speculating on reasons that Leica Camera made the design decisions that they did. This diaphragm design appears the same in every modern Leica M lens that I own (24, 28, 35, 50, 75). Leica Camera's designers and queued up customers appear to be content. Some other viewpoints would be that customers value the highest possible performance in the smallest possible volume and mass. Others are sensitive to how much the lens barrel intrudes into the viewfinder area. Others seldom stop their lens down or have different views/priorities on bo-ke But this is all entirely academic. At least I'm not aware of any plans to change the current design that is in so many successful lenses. Well ... I would very much prefer a slightly thicker lens with healthily shaped aperture blades over a smaller lens with the weird, star-like aperture shape that we currently have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfage Posted March 2, 2011 Share #32 Posted March 2, 2011 I think I might be looking for something a little different than others. I guess it's just because I'm not really in to photorealism. Anyway, I am very happy with the 1974 50 Cron on the Leicaflex SL2. But, as I said, everyone wants something different. It's all a matter of taste in art. Another example, same lens http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm317/sfage/?action=view¤t=bikerearfender.jpg&newest=1 and another http://www.flickr.com/photos/shane_fage/5480877825/ 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/145320-50mm-summilux-asph-aperture-blades/?do=findComment&comment=1604783'>More sharing options...
aesop Posted March 2, 2011 Share #33 Posted March 2, 2011 ...brilliant thread, folks. Absolutely brilliant. I own both lenses and tend to shoot at full bore - but things just got a little bit more interesting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted March 3, 2011 Share #34 Posted March 3, 2011 No surprise that we disagree again I guess that's life. I just wanted to avoid the general impression that everyone was happy with (or didn't care about) the current lenses' aperture shapes. Others are sensitive to how much the lens barrel intrudes into the viewfinder area. As long as the front parts of the barrels don't get any wider, one or two added millimeters of radius around the point where the aperture diapragms physically reside won't add annything to the viewfinder obstruction—with the possible exception of the very smallest lenses (like Summicron-M 35 Asph or Elmarit-M 28 Asph) ... but these hardly intrude into the viewfinder area anyway. By the way, that's another reason why I like the Summarit-M line of lenses so much. Among other things to love, they have normal-shaped apertures—and still they are not particularly fat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted March 3, 2011 Share #35 Posted March 3, 2011 ...one or two added millimeters of radius around the point where the aperture diapragms physically reside won't add annything to the viewfinder obstruction—with the possible exception of the very smallest lenses (like Summicron-M 35 Asph or Elmarit-M 28 Asph)... The Summilux 35 pre-asph's diaphragm has ten blades and is even smaller. 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/145320-50mm-summilux-asph-aperture-blades/?do=findComment&comment=1605039'>More sharing options...
01af Posted March 3, 2011 Share #36 Posted March 3, 2011 The Summilux 35 pre-asph's diaphragm has ten blades and is even smaller. ... and the aperture is star-shaped. Great Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted March 3, 2011 Share #37 Posted March 3, 2011 Show me round shaped diaphragm at f/2.8 on a f/1.4 lens my friend. Never seen this so far but i may learn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted March 3, 2011 Share #38 Posted March 3, 2011 Hi lct Probably the old f/1.5 Leitz or Zeiss lenses had lots of blades, even the Canon f/1.5, perhaps the type I lux 5cm, or type II lux E43 5cm. You need to think of it like the zinc top plates, they were cheap and look horrible when they corrode. I'll look at my CV lenses when I get home. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted March 3, 2011 Share #39 Posted March 3, 2011 Did not say the contrary Noel. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smkoush Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share #40 Posted March 3, 2011 Show me round shaped diaphragm at f/2.8 on a f/1.4 lens my friend. Never seen this so far but i may learn. LCT, Here is a picture of the E46 Summilux-M (latest pre-ASPH) at f/2.8. Looks very circular. From what I gather (based on the answers to the original question) the non-circular blades do NOT seem to induce distracting out-of-focus regions in images (for the most part), and given all the other advantages that come with this lens, it remains an excellent performer. Savvas 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/145320-50mm-summilux-asph-aperture-blades/?do=findComment&comment=1605284'>More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.