35 lux FLE, unrealistic expectations ?

[lm28469]

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6 minutes ago, Photoworks said:

not really

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What's the resolution of your screen ? 100% won't look the same on a 1080 or 8k screen.

Either way, 100% or 800%, two of the lenses don't reach infinity, their peak focus is closer to 30 or 50m

Edited July 6, 2023 by lm28469

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[Photoworks]

1 minute ago, lm28469 said:

What's the resolution of your screen ? 100% won't look the same on a 1080 or 8k screen

I just showed you that both images at 100% and the comparison image is blown up at 100%

100% means 1 pixel is displayed to 1 pixel of the screen. nothing more nothing less.

[lm28469]

9 minutes ago, Photoworks said:

I just showed you that both images at 100% and the comparison image is blown up at 100%

100% means 1 pixel is displayed to 1 pixel of the screen. nothing more nothing less.

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

And here is a 100% screenshot on my system, which as you can see doesn't look like yours at all

And another one on another machine, different OS, different software, straight from the dng:

Edited July 6, 2023 by lm28469

[Photoworks]

what you are missing is that the sampler image with the labels you put together is incorrect if you increase the size from 100%.

 

[lct]

On 7/5/2023 at 4:47 PM, pedaes said:

The 35mm FLE is an exceptional lens (which is why it costs what it does not withstanding the Leica premium) and has many happy users, including me. If you are seriously interested in this lens I would try another example [...]

+1

[Susie]

Which part of the scene did you focus on?  Or did you set the focus to 'infinity', stop the lens down, and then expect everything to be in focus?

[Susie]

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The reason I asked the above question is that older lenses, like your 50mm Summicron, have a far longer and smoother transition from the plane of focus to the out of focus areas when compared to lenses designed within the last 20 to 25 years.  These lenses, being more highly corrected, are able to detect and record the image degradation of the out-of-focus areas of the image which the older ones cannot.  This steeper transition from in-focus to out-of-focus is a property of the newer lenses.  If it not to your liking, then stick to the older lenses, as many other people do.  In answer to your question in the title, if you want the look of older lenses, then yes, you do have unrealistic expectations of the newer breed.

You mention that a lens should be in focus at infinity when stopped down to f/8.  I am sure your lenses are - but only at infinity if that is how you have focussed your lens.  There is only one plane that is in focus at any setting of the lens helix - all the other planes only appear to be in focus depending on the  f/ stop and image magnifcation.

[lm28469]

12 hours ago, Susie said:

The reason I asked the above question is that older lenses, like your 50mm Summicron, have a far longer and smoother transition from the plane of focus to the out of focus areas when compared to lenses designed within the last 20 to 25 years.  These lenses, being more highly corrected, are able to detect and record the image degradation of the out-of-focus areas of the image which the older ones cannot.  This steeper transition from in-focus to out-of-focus is a property of the newer lenses.  If it not to your liking, then stick to the older lenses, as many other people do.  In answer to your question in the title, if you want the look of older lenses, then yes, you do have unrealistic expectations of the newer breed.

You mention that a lens should be in focus at infinity when stopped down to f/8.  I am sure your lenses are - but only at infinity if that is how you have focussed your lens.  There is only one plane that is in focus at any setting of the lens helix - all the other planes only appear to be in focus depending on the  f/ stop and image magnifcation.

The problem is: no setting on the lens gave sharp results past 30 meters, the plane of focus at "infinity" is clearly closer to me than to even the end of the street. I'm sure plenty of people aren't that picky but for me it's not acceptable, my money will probably go to voigtlander or zeiss, which is a shame, I really liked the idea of a lux fle. I found plenty of posts/comment of people with 35 FLE issues on this forum so I conclude it's regular sample variation. Example: 

And I don't feel like trying my luck with a new one given this thread:
 

 

 

[lct]

3 hours ago, lm28469 said:

I'm sure plenty of people aren't that picky but for me it's not acceptable, my money will probably go to voigtlander or zeiss, which is a shame [...]

CV and ZM lenses are very good actually and i don't feel ashamed to use them in any way but for the best performance in a compact package, i had no choice but the 35/1.4 FLE that i bought new ten years ago. Superb lens indeed, worked flawlessly with no significant focus shift since then. As far as sharpness is concerned, no 35/1.4 M lens i'm aware of can compete at full aperture with a good 50mm lens at f/5.6 though. Now, you found soft results with FLE lenses at f/5.6 in my understanding. Not sure i would rely on second-hand lenses for critical testing but as far as your pictures are concerned, the new FLE looks sharper than the Summicron. For critical testing, at pixel peep level, i would use an EVF with focus magnification. Just a snap to show the sharpness of this lens at f/5.6 below (details in exif data).

M11, 35/1.4 FLE v1:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Diverse/n-QFBj4/Leica-M11-Leica-3514-FLE/i-sFDRpFF/0/68680632/X4/M1004116_f56_sips-X4.jpg

Crop of same:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Diverse/n-QFBj4/Leica-M11-Leica-3514-FLE/i-vW8pbcL/0/773c1110/X4/M1004116_f56_crop3-X4.jpg

 

Edited July 7, 2023 by lct