Thambar arrived!

[farnz]

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Does it perhaps fit into a category alongside a fish-eye lens that gets used a lot after it's been bought but gathers dust soon after as the user tires of 'outlier' pictures that have a similar look?

 

If I owned one I suspect I would use it to produce pictures with a special look for particular occasions unless I embarked upon a deliberate project, for example, to shoot portraits with a 'signature' Thambar look.

 

Pete.

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[LocalHero1953]

Any style of photograph gets boring by repetition: picture postcard landscapes of the same scene, perfectly lit and sharp studio portraits of a beautiful and beautifully made up anonymous model, a street photo of a homeless guy. Avoiding cliches is the challenge for photographers (and other artists), and most of us fail miserably. The Thambar is no different  - it is a tool that can produce boring or interesting images, depending on the person behind it. And it has the same value for money as a M10 (and any other Leica product today); by which I mean nobody needs it, one can achieve similar outcomes with other tools and other brands, but the value of it is in the photographer's head.

[michaelwj]

The official statement about M8 is :

 

"Use with the Leica M8 models is not recommended since the optical properties do not suit for smaller formats than 35 mm (24 x 36 mm)"

 

So there seems to be something beyond the question of lens recognition... ... I'm not interested in buying the new Thambar, but have the old one... used it on M240 but, iirc, never on M8...at least, haven't even "test pics" in my archives...time to make some in these vacation days... ; I wonder if Leica statement is related to :

A)Usage of UVIR filter (btw,Thambar is E49, UVIR filter available, in itself); the Thambar design "plays" on the "un-correction" of some abherrations.. what about chroma... ? or:

B)Dimension of the center spot ... related by design to sensor/film dimension...? or :

C)Combination of usage of spot filter with UVIR filter... ?

 

Pity that I can't make a complete test with old Thambar on my M8.. have not an UVIR filter for it (and surely won't buy one just for this purpose...)

D) if you have the spare cash for a new Thambar, Leica expect you to be using at least an M9

 

The size of the centre spot filter relative to the sensor size is irrelevant. The middle of the full frame senso is not black.

[luigi bertolotti]

D) if you have the spare cash for a new Thambar, Leica expect you to be using at least an M9

 

The size of the centre spot filter relative to the sensor size is irrelevant. The middle of the full frame senso is not black.

D)

Indeed, about the cenre spot filter, my tests proves that isn't an important matter, even if in my tests (don't attach other boring results...)  I see that with filter on / filter off - wide open, there is some appreciable difference ... maybe the effect of "scattering"... but nothing dramatic.... (and there are many other factors... CCD vs. CMOS... UVIR effect... i remember that it's significant on foliage....)

Edited December 24, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[tsleica]

Fantasy lens..in the right hands..could be..a money lens..