Peter Branch Posted February 2, 2015 Share #41 Â Posted February 2, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Lloyd Chambers' made an observation in his review that despite being 'only' an Æ’/2 lens, the APO isolates subjects more dramatically to his eye than the others tested; he postulates that its higher native resolution WO, viewed against the OOF areas makes it so. He did an extensive 'shoot-out' against the Summilux, Noctilux, old Summicron and Zeiss Biogon; there is a resolution convergence at Æ’/5.6--where the non-APO cron really shines--stopped down further and the differences are subtle at best. Â I think this is one of the most important properties of the 50AA. At larger apertures the in focus part of the image does not deteriorate to the same extent as it would with the other lenses. Thus the contrast between the sharpness of the subject and the out of focus background is emphasised. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 Hi Peter Branch, Take a look here Very large box, very small lens, very high price!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jedi996sps Posted February 2, 2015 Share #42 Â Posted February 2, 2015 Lloyd Chambers' made an observation in his review that despite being 'only' an Æ’/2 lens, the APO isolates subjects more dramatically to his eye than the others tested; he postulates that its higher native resolution WO, viewed against the OOF areas makes it so. He did an extensive 'shoot-out' against the Summilux, Noctilux, old Summicron and Zeiss Biogon; there is a resolution convergence at Æ’/5.6--where the non-APO cron really shines--stopped down further and the differences are subtle at best. Â Yes, i believe i read excerpts from that too. Also, Ming Thiens review with some wonderfully sharp images, along with the odd one or two on this forum, helped me to part with the funds for the APO. I shoot mainly wide open most of the time and my understanding was the same ie that above f5.6 the difference becomes less noticeable, but is still there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedi996sps Posted February 2, 2015 Share #43 Â Posted February 2, 2015 Still...when someone is referring to a lens as "phenomenal" it would be nice to see some corroborative images posted here, even if only just for the love of a good image, don't you agree? Â I am surprised no one else has posted examples on here?... having just bought the APO, i am keen to see what others can achieve with theirs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hey You Posted February 2, 2015 Share #44  Posted February 2, 2015 Here are some samples : -  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/240363-very-large-box-very-small-lens-very-high-price/?do=findComment&comment=2758040'>More sharing options...
Jon Warwick Posted February 2, 2015 Share #45 Â Posted February 2, 2015 I think the improved sharpness from a 50mm APO (versus non-APO Summicron or Lux) might be harder to detect on an M240 .... compared to if they were tested side-by-side on a Monochrom? Â I presume the APO was partly launched at the same time as the Monochrom, given the latter (with its high resolution) was best placed to show off the brilliant capabilities of the APO. I think there is at least one test out there on the web too that would indicate the sharpness improvement of the APO is much more obvious on the Monochrom (compared to the M240). Â I'm kind of surprised that Leica doesn't just make a VERY high megapixel M camera (say, 40MP+), given its built potentially the finest 50mm lens out there -- and this lens' capabilities could be stretched a lot further (Leica could really differentiate it versus the competition) if it was bolted to a camera that wasn't only 24MP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timde Posted February 2, 2015 Share #46  Posted February 2, 2015 Leica could really differentiate it versus the competition  With the price and large box they have already differentiated it enough for me Its so crazy that an Alpa becomes a viable alternative ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted February 2, 2015 Share #47 Â Posted February 2, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm kind of surprised that Leica doesn't just make a VERY high megapixel M camera (say, 40MP+), given its built potentially the finest 50mm lens out there -- and this lens' capabilities could be stretched a lot further (Leica could really differentiate it versus the competition) if it was bolted to a camera that wasn't only 24MP. Â High MP sensors have their own bags of worms. Smaller pixel pitch, greater sensitivity to vibration, earlier visible diffraction requiring ever-faster shutter speeds to accommodate wider apertures. At 18 & 24MP w/o an AA filter, many will argue that a 'sweet spot' has already been found for most applications. Landscape photographers will justifiably differ. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffry Abt Posted February 2, 2015 Share #48  Posted February 2, 2015 As far as I am concerned the 50mm APO captures clean images with remarkably little chromatic aberration, even in difficult circumstances. 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/240363-very-large-box-very-small-lens-very-high-price/?do=findComment&comment=2758166'>More sharing options...
BerndReini Posted February 3, 2015 Share #49 Â Posted February 3, 2015 Now this last photograph is impressive and the window panes really show off the lack of chromatic aberrations. This is the kind of example that really proves a point rather than the endless talk about how sharp the 50Apo is because so is the lux. Â I have also seen the special quality of the 50Apo wide open. The contrast between tack sharp in focus and nicely rendered out of focus areas seems to create some magic. Once you stop down, a 50 Emar collapsible would probably give similar results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted February 3, 2015 Share #50 Â Posted February 3, 2015 Chromatic aberration is easy to correct in post-processing though. Could easily also be corrected in camera. No? Â Of course, I love my APO lenses that require almost no correction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted February 3, 2015 Share #51 Â Posted February 3, 2015 Yes, i believe i read excerpts from that too. Also, Ming Thiens review with some wonderfully sharp images, along with the odd one or two on this forum, helped me to part with the funds for the APO. I shoot mainly wide open most of the time and my understanding was the same ie that above f5.6 the difference becomes less noticeable, but is still there. Â Ming Thien's review also compared the 2.0/50 APO-Summicron to the extraordinarily performance of the humble $850 2.0/50 ZM Planar. Although somewhat different in character it's performance was really not far behind that of the 2.0/50 APO-Summicron. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted February 3, 2015 Share #52 Â Posted February 3, 2015 Ming Thien's review also compared the 2.0/50 APO-Summicron to the extraordinarily performance of the humble $850 2.0/50 ZM Planar. Although somewhat different in character it's performance was really not far behind that of the 2.0/50 APO-Summicron. Â Yes, I read that and it has, frankly, helped me see that my interest in the 50 APO stems largely from Leica GAS and the siren call of the APO lens being widely available at a discount to RRP. If I really needed clinical sharpness from the 50mm focal length I could get the Planar. The fact that the Zeiss lens is only of marginal interest to me suggests that I don't actually want or need that kind of sharpness so I clearly don't need the 50 APO (for ten times the price) either. The 50 APO does still interest me but I know it does so because of what it is not what it can do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted February 3, 2015 Share #53 Â Posted February 3, 2015 Yes, I read that and it has, frankly, helped me see that my interest in the 50 APO stems largely from Leica GAS and the siren call of the APO lens being widely available at a discount to RRP. If I really needed clinical sharpness from the 50mm focal length I could get the Planar. The fact that the Zeiss lens is only of marginal interest to me suggests that I don't actually want or need that kind of sharpness so I clearly don't need the 50 APO (for ten times the price) either. The 50 APO does still interest me but I know it does so because of what it is not what it can do. Â I fully understand. I too have no interest in the 50 Planar but I thought it was a very interesting comparison. I'm tempted by the 50 APO-Summicron but have held fast so far . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedi996sps Posted February 3, 2015 Share #54  Posted February 3, 2015 Not clinical in any sense, and probably not the best subject matter, it certainly brought a smile to my face, as it shows just how good the lux is, which we already knew. Both shot at f2 and both with same LR processing, oh, and no lens correction. I certainly can 'just' tell one from the other. The 1st one is the APO... to save you guessing 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/240363-very-large-box-very-small-lens-very-high-price/?do=findComment&comment=2758449'>More sharing options...
BerndReini Posted February 3, 2015 Share #55 Â Posted February 3, 2015 I could tell that the bottom picture is the lux. It is in line with my findings that the 50lux draws a little more "airy" and the Apo Cron more "solid". What I mean with that is that the highlights and mid tones seem closer together than with the lux, which gives the image a slightly darker mood even though exposure is the same. It also seems that the Apo cron vignettes more than the lux. Vignetting is one of those things that lens manufacturers try to correct for to get even test charts, and then photographers add vignettes in post because they look pleasing to the eye. Â Chromatic aberration is easy to correct in post-processing though. Â Not really. You can get rid of the color fringing, but you end up with a "thick line" where the colors separated. This is one of the reasons why the 50 Apo matches up particularly well with the MM. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffry Abt Posted February 3, 2015 Share #56  Posted February 3, 2015 Chromatic aberration is easy to correct in post-processing  I have always found chromatic aberration difficult to correct in post-processing without losing image quality in other aspects in the image. There is so much about photoshop I do not know. I'm to lazy too get off the beaten path of "the familiar" to learn more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireCat Posted February 3, 2015 Share #57 Â Posted February 3, 2015 Chromatic aberration is easy to correct in post-processing though. Â There are two basic kinds of CA, lateral and longitudinal. Â Lateral is easier to correct algorithmically. Â The longitudinal kind is more a matter of color matching and desaturation, due to its tridimensional nature. So this may require human postprocessing for the best results. Â In any case, an APO lens will not only save postprocessing time but also render a higher quality image, even in the point of focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffry Abt Posted February 5, 2015 Share #58 Â Posted February 5, 2015 ....pictorially they are all the same. Any advantage of the AA is sadly photographic poo poo. Â I'm not so sure about that assertion. But I like the new acronym... PPP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted February 5, 2015 Share #59 Â Posted February 5, 2015 Â This is interesting and quite true I think, and not just by comparison to the lux. I have noticed this "mood altering" thing happening with black and white images from the APO 50 as compared to my other lenses, I have just never actually articulated it! Good observation!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted February 6, 2015 Share #60 Â Posted February 6, 2015 I'm not sure I get the concept here; is it that the tonal range captured is narrower or more constricted on the APO? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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