Color tint in old lenses vs new lenses

[charby57]

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Hello,

 

I have noticed when I process my files in a raw converter such as Lightroom 4, a somewhat greener rendering on the photos taken with my older lenses; a 1980 28mm Elmarit and a 1967 90mm Summicron, as opposed to a more neutral rendering with my modern lenses such as 2009 Super Elmar 18mm, a 2007 35mm Summicron Asph as a 50mm of the same vintage.

 

Does a lens age in time and get such a tint? Or it does come from improvements in lens design?

 

Pierre

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[IWC Doppel]

My understanding is the older Mandler era had a greener tint, later perhaps a little 'pinker' and warmer. I was quite surprised at the tint differences between a MkIV 35mm Summicron and a later asph. I am not sure why they have all chased colour accuracy. It's a result of design and glass not an age thing as I understand

[adan]

If you notice the greener bias of the Mandler lenses, you have a good eye!

 

It depends on how you define "improvements" - I mostly use those 1980-era lenses exactly because of their green/cyan bias. I used to desperately wish for a faint green filter (05 G or so) on my oh-so-pink Nikkors and Zeisses with oh-so-pink Provia and Velvia. I found the Mandler Canadian Leica lenes instead...

 

If you go to Leica's site and open the "all downloads" for many of the lenses, there is a pdf book by Erwin Puts named "Leica M-Lenses - Their Soul and Secrets." It is an interesting read anyway - but on page 18 (19 by the pdf numbering) there is a little chart that shows the color rendering of a variety of M lenses.

 

I noticed early on that the lenses I most preferred all had a green value (middle column) at least twice as high as their red value (last column): 21 non-ASPH, 28 "previous (your 1980 28)," 35, 50 and 75 Summiluxes non-ASPH.

 

Leica Camera AG - Downloads

[charby57]

Thank you Mr. Piper,

 

for your input. Since, I have read Erwin Putt's essay, How interesting! I was unaware of all this, despite my 30 years of use of Leica lenses... Hey, we learn every day.

 

Actually, I discovered these (slight) casts as I was shooting with a lot of white surface with my various lenses. It was during an assignment for a client looking for how their new company logo (a black and white sign) does look on the exterior walls of their building of the plant.

 

I have corrected the different cast from the lenses easily with the raw processing software.

 

Pierre