piblondin Posted April 20, 2012 Share #1  Posted April 20, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I just picked up this lens, but I'm not quite sure about the sharpness at 1.4 on my M8. I've attached a sample at ISO 160 in which I focused on the chalk sign. Keep in mind that I think I did not turn on lens coding and I don't yet have a proper UV/IR filter for this lens.  Here's the sample, converted from DNG: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/856708/35luxat1_4%20011.jpg  Can anyone let me know if this is to be expected or is something seems off? Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 20, 2012 Posted April 20, 2012 Hi piblondin, Take a look here Is this acceptable sharpness for 35 Summilux ASPH FLE on M8?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted April 20, 2012 Share #2 Â Posted April 20, 2012 Lens coding has nothing to do with sharpness... I think the focus is fine as far as can be judged from a subject that is not parallel to the sensor plane - the sign is tilted so which part of the sign did you focus on?- (look at the sharpness gradient on the pavement), but the image does not seem to have been taken from a tripod, as there is a bit of overall softness. If you want to do meaningful focus tests you must a. Use a sturdy tripod and cable release. b. Use a controlled setup. c. Have your viewfinder at the correct strength for your eye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
piblondin Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share #3 Â Posted April 20, 2012 Nope, no tripod, but it was also taken at 1/2000 second shutter speed. So far, I definitely feel like my 50mm Summicron is sharper. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 20, 2012 Share #4 Â Posted April 20, 2012 Sorry d. It is next to impossible to compare across different focal lengths. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
piblondin Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share #5 Â Posted April 21, 2012 Sorry d. It is next to impossible to compare across different focal lengths. Â Why would that be? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted April 21, 2012 Share #6 Â Posted April 21, 2012 If your goal is to present the pictures on the Web, then the lens is more than adequate, far more than you need. Â If your final goal is prints, then how large? Â . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
piblondin Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share #7  Posted April 21, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) If your goal is to present the pictures on the Web, then the lens is more than adequate, far more than you need. If your final goal is prints, then how large?  .  I would like to be able to print 18"24", which is part of the reason I went for such an expensive lens.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thighslapper Posted April 21, 2012 Share #8 Â Posted April 21, 2012 Not a clue what I'm looking at........ Â Need 100% crop and confirmation that focus is 100% accurate. Â All these exotic lenses have focussing issues wide open ..... camera and lens adjustment have to be spot on. Â Expecting exactly the same definition and contrast wide open as at 5.6 (say) is pushing things a bit. Â Leica have superlative wide aperture optics but even they cannot overcome all the inherent limitations imposed by the laws of physics...... Â The real question is: 'is this adequate for my needs? ' Â ps...... you couldn't have picked a worse subject........ low contrast and with inherently fuzzy writing (chalk) on a coloured background ..... more images needed ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertJRB Posted April 21, 2012 Share #9  Posted April 21, 2012 If your goal is to present the pictures on the Web, then the lens is more than adequate, far more than you need. If your final goal is prints, then how large?  . I don't really see what you mean. Off course when downsizing the picture a lot you won't be able to notice a little front or back focus. But the lens should be correct, no matter what you do with it. What if he intend to shoot an web picture, and it turns out to be an awesome shot he wants to print? I never go out taking pictures mainly for printing, I decide after with picture I use for printing.   As of the picture, as said before its hard to judge. However it seems to me there is frontfocus. The tiles in front look sharp.  Do yourself a favor and send the camera and your lenses in for calibration. I had the same sort of problems with multiple lenses and I waited a long time before calibration.  After I got the camera back its such a joy to use. You don't have to think about wrong focus, no more disappointment about sharpness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted April 21, 2012 Share #10 Â Posted April 21, 2012 Nope, no tripod, but it was also taken at 1/2000 second shutter speed. So far, I definitely feel like my 50mm Summicron is sharper. Â As both lenses are made by Leica, and both are top quality lenses, a Summicron at f/2 will be sharper than a Summilux at f/1.4. The widest aperture of any lens will not be the sharpest. So you should compare your Summilux with your Summicron only at common apertures which in this case start at f/2. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted April 21, 2012 Share #11 Â Posted April 21, 2012 Can you post another photo of something like trees and/or hair? Also what is your sharpen routine? I found my results were not up to snuff so started reading sharpening techniques from google searches and it made all the difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 21, 2012 Share #12 Â Posted April 21, 2012 You don't need google, there is the M 9 faq Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted April 21, 2012 Share #13 Â Posted April 21, 2012 Do yourself a favor and send the camera and your lenses in for calibration. I had the same sort of problems with multiple lenses and I waited a long time before calibration. Â I was under the impression that they only adjust the lens, and use a standard instead of the body - IOW, no need to send in the body. Am I wrong? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted April 21, 2012 Share #14 Â Posted April 21, 2012 I was under the impression that they only adjust the lens, and use a standard instead of the body - IOW, no need to send in the body. Am I wrong? Â Not wrong, in theory. However, how do we know whether it's the Summilux which needs adjustment or both the Summicron and the body? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
piblondin Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share #15 Â Posted April 21, 2012 I need to go some more tests. Something definitely seems off to me so far. My images get less sharp as I stop down the lens from 1.4 tp 5.6 at a distance of about 4-5 meters. But I thought the FLE was supposed to solve focus shift? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdriceman Posted April 21, 2012 Share #16 Â Posted April 21, 2012 I need to go some more tests. Something definitely seems off to me so far. My images get less sharp as I stop down the lens from 1.4 tp 5.6 at a distance of about 4-5 meters. But I thought the FLE was supposed to solve focus shift? Â Why send the camera and lens in if you dont need to? Set up a controlled environment with a tripod and sharp, high contrast objects to focus on in a field with some depth. I like to include a tape measure set at a 45 degree angle across the frame. That way you can tell if the object you focused on is actually sharp relative to things in front and in back and you can then calculate how much front/back focus there is. Change apertures and/or lenses and do the same exact shot at different apertures and with the other lens. Pull them into LR and select a side by side view and compare. Zoom in to 100% and peek away at the pixels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted April 21, 2012 Share #17 Â Posted April 21, 2012 My first M9 had the rangefinder way off. It arrived new like that. It was focusing about 3 inches off so the above is good advice with different lenses too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted April 21, 2012 Share #18 Â Posted April 21, 2012 ...Here's the sample, converted from DNG: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/856708/35luxat1_4%20011.jpg ... Your picture is very flat making it difficult to determine sharpness. Choose a similar subject but shoot at more of an oblique angle so that any error is readily seen. And position the target rather nearer to the lens to maximise assessment at full aperture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertJRB Posted April 21, 2012 Share #19 Â Posted April 21, 2012 I was under the impression that they only adjust the lens, and use a standard instead of the body - IOW, no need to send in the body. Am I wrong? Â When I got the camera back the receipt stated they checked both lenses and the body and only the body needed adjustment. Â Can be a fault of the lens only off course, but who knows. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted April 21, 2012 Share #20 Â Posted April 21, 2012 When contrast goes down like the chalkboard, the sharpness goes down. All lenses do this. l The balloons appear very sharp. Â Do make sure you properly sharpen for the web including capture sharpening , downsizing to web size, and a final sharpening at that size. All are important steps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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