18mm f/3.8 SEM ASPH

[Peter Branch]

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I have very recently acquired an 18mm SEM lens to use for a project with which I'm involved.

 

I've not yet had the chance to do much testing but the results so far using it on an M240 are leaving me somewhat underwhelmed. Compared with my other Leica lenses it is noticeably less sharp.

 

Admittedly the standard set by the other lenses is very high and only a few years ago I would have thought the 18mm a very good lens, and yet, and yet.........

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

[wattsy]

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

Not with that specific lens but, after using my current version 35 Summilux for the last three years (for most of what I do), I found the sharpness of my 28 Summicron a little underwhelming. I also recently tested a 24 Elmarit (a lens I owned previously and wished I hadn't sold) and was a little ambivalent about the results of that (especially with regard to sharpness in the corners). That said, the 18 SEM is a more recent design and, without any prior experience, I'd expect it to be impressively sharp.

 

If you have the time, it might be worth a trip to the Leica shop in Bruton Street in order to borrow their 18 SEM for a short while to make comparisons. I did that with my 28 Summicron and discovered that mine was, on balance, probably a tiny bit sharper than the shop example.

[jaapv]

It is a problem I do not recognize, I concur to trying a second example:

 

 

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[jcraf]

Naturally, there's a lot of subjectivity in these discussions, but I've never felt that my 18 SEM lacks anything in its performance, to my eyes at least.

 

Whilst it's not a regular in my bag, I've always been impressed with it overall. I'd echo the advice to try another example if you can.

 

Regards

[efreed2754]

Hi Peter. Got great images on M 9P and M 240 too. Jaap's images are consistent with mine (okay his composition may be better).. Puts gave the lens glowing remarks suggesting possible issue with yours.

 

Agree it should be tested. Let us know what happens.

 

Ed

[algrove]

Peter

 

Did you acquire this lens new?

[gpwhite]

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Peter, I have found my SEM 18 to be outstanding on all my M's. For me, it nearly equals the Elmar 24, which is my benchmark for WA. The lower right corner of images from my lens is smeared a bit, and you may read that Lloyd Chambers found his lens' upper left corner is similarly deficient... so the extreme corners can be sub optimal for architectural work. (Perhaps the optical design of the 18 SEM demands tolerances beyond Leica's production criteria?)

 

I have learned that very, very steady shooting is required to get full crispness in images from the 18 SEM. With each pixel covering so much ground (very wide FOV), any vibration at all takes the edge off. I shoot my 18mm at speeds like it is a 90mm.

 

As Lou suggests, it might be that your piece needs a bit of alignment.

 

This is hand held, but still crispy in a big print.

 

Peter

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[Peter Branch]

Peter

 

Did you acquire this lens new?

 

I got it S/H but "unused - mint" from Red Dot Cameras.

 

I clearly need to do some further trials. It's not obviously faulty it's just lacking the "bite" of my 28mm f/2 Summicron - M ASPH and the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux - M ASPH FLE.

 

I'm concerned that pictures taken with it may not compare favourably with those taken with these other lenses especially as this morning it became clear that the final prints are likely to be required in A2 rather than the A3 size previous talked about.

[Luke_Miller]

My widest Leica lens is the 24 Elmarit-M, and I have no experience with the 18 SEM. But perhaps my Nikon experience will be useful. When I first went wider than 24mm with my Nikon glass I was initially disappointed. The shots lacked the bite I was used to and I thought the lens soft. What I came to realize was that I was testing the lens using the same subjects and at the same distance as my 24-28mm lenses and that the larger image area (and accordingly smaller subject) was masking the details I was used to seeing. Once I moved in closer to approximate the same subject size from my 24-28mm lenses I found the detail was still there.

[jrp]

I find the MTF charts are accurate and find the 18mm a superb lens.

 

By contrast, I find it hard to get sharp pics out of the 28mm f2. Reason unknown.

[Peter Branch]

I heeded the advice I have been given and took the lens into Leica Mayfair this morning.

 

Sufficient to say the tests they conducted demonstrate clearly that I was not wrong.

 

Their sample of the 18mm lens, possibly from the same batch, is demonstrably sharper and has the "Bite" that is the hallmark of my other Leica lenses.