Lenses - poor design/build quality or characterful?

[SilentShutter]

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Lenses and wine have some similarity here: the more expensive wine might not taste better than a cheaper one. It all depends on the personal taste and characteristics of the wine. Same with lenses - matter of taste if a more expensive one really is better than a cheaper one. For one a specific characteristic of a cheaper lens might make it more valuable than the more expensive counterpart - and it goes the other way around for somebody else, too. I personally prefer in some cases much cheaper CV lenses over Leica M lenses, in others I prefer clearly the Leica lens. 

 

Coming back to whisky - here always smoky Scotch stands out for me, so I am all in for Lagavulin!

 

After the second bottle the hangover is always the same.......but true it´s more fun to get it from a expensive one !  

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[Martin B]

I would have said pretty well the opposite, proof that bokeh is a matter of tastes if any. Depends on lenses also so i would avoid generalizations. Now current Leica lenses tend to be sharper at full aperture than their CV counterparts and sample variation is less of a problem with Leica. Leica lenses have less focus shift issues as well but all CV lenses are not faulty there by far. Fact is when comparing similar lenses side by side i generally prefer Leica's over ZM and CV lenses but this is not true for my favorite CV 21/4, ZM 35/2.8 and ZM 50/1.5 for mainly subjective but also objective reasons. 

 

They all have their character, and as you said it is often a matter of personal preference. I most often use my 35/2 Summicron version IV lens which is also light and small and ideal for travel. But in low light and when reflections come in play, I prefer using the more bulky CV 35/1.2 II instead. Bokeh is a subjective thing, I am personally not a big fan of Leica M wide angle lens bokehs. I have now four CV lenses, including the 12/5.6, 21/1.8, and 28/2. I am more of a wide angle shooter than a tele length shooter, so I really benefit of these lenses which are IMO excellent ones. 

[earleygallery]

Funny you should say that - Saturday - modern lens! De-centred. Not Leica fit though.

 

I don't think faults are relevant to the discussion. A faulty lens is a faulty lens. Is the APO Summicron 50 considered a 'bad' lens because someone once had a faulty copy?

[Ko.Fe.]

Blended Supermarket whisky anyone?

 

From UK? Sure. It is still whisky. I was buying it before going back, instead of overpaying in Tax Free. Where I'm they call whisky something strange a.k.a. Canadian whisky. Well, it is still better comparing to American corn moonshine.

[Chuck Albertson]

An interesting comment. So are all designs acceptable I wonder? And why then do we obsess over lenses as much as we do?

Because they cost so friggin' much!