Elmars comparison (4 images)

[earleygallery]

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Well, its not a great test but a start. I will do more comparisons later. These shots were taken with a Red Scale Elmar 5cm 3.5, a Black Scale version (coated) and a later 2.8 (at 3.5).

 

These are from a Snappy Snaps scan so I appreciate the limitations of what I'm doing, but wanted to see if there's any immediately obvious differences between the three lens versions.

 

At first very little, although the BS 3.5 has lower contrast and colour saturation. The image looks a tad softer partly due to the lower contrast, but fine details such as the roof tiles look sharper on the later versions.

 

On close inspection it appears to me that the RS 3.5 is ever so slightly sharper at the edges than the 2.8.

 

Applying a little contrast/saturation in photoshop to the BS Elmar (last shot) brings performance closer to that of the later lens.

 

I will attempt some B&W comparisons later.

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[wizard]

Thanks for posting these, James. Confirms my view on the red scale Elmar, it is a great lens. It was that very lens that got me started into buying new Leica equipment. I had inherited the lens from my father, and after it had been lying around for some years, I aquired the then new Bessa R to use it again with a modern camera having a built in lightmeter etc. When I received the first roll of slides taken on Provia 100F, I was stunned at how good this lens is. And then I thought, if a lens from the 1950s is THAT good, I do want to try some of their new stuff...

 

Regards,

 

Andy