APOs for B&W

[setuporg]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Saw some folks here using a Lanthar on a Monochrom, and generally wonder why would you use an APO for B&W?  Especially would anyone ever get the 35mm APO for that?

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[SiggiGun]

Just optical physics! APO doesn’t mean “good for color”. It means that the optical design try to align the different light frequencies (= color) in the same field. This means better sharpness for all frequencies, especially for b&w sensors

[Olaf_ZG]

To me, i use a nokton 35/1.4sc, sonnar 50 and a nokton 75/1.5 for portraits. No much pp needed.

However, for landscapes or architecture I use a lux50, would like to have the leica 90 apo and either the 35 lanthar or 35 distagon. For this kind of photography, sharpness is important, no matter if it is color or b/w. 

[hdmesa]

1 hour ago, setuporg said:

Saw some folks here using a Lanthar on a Monochrom, and generally wonder why would you use an APO for B&W?  Especially would anyone ever get the 35mm APO for that?

APO on Monochrom helps deliver that hyper-real look of large format black and white photography, primarily landscape. Both 35 and 50 CV APOs are outstanding if you find the 35mm and 50mm angle of view works for you. 

That said, I prefer to shoot the Monochrom for character and leave the hyper-real look to the small medium format cameras from Fujifilm and Hasselblad with the 4:3 image ratio.

[Drmat]

I have the 50 and 35 APO on the M10M.  The tonal separation is better, the contrast fall-off from the plane of focus is smoother, and they both capture fine details better than any of the other lenses I have tried.  The 75 noctilux and the 28 summilux are also strong in those characteristics.  They do not make better photos (I do have another 35 and 50 that are lower contrast and softer, and produce excellent images).  I would go as far to say that the APO lenses are even better on monochrom, but then I do not own a colour camera anymore, so maybe i am biased!

[T25UFO]

The first 50mm M APO lens was announced around the same time as the first M Monohrom camera - mid 2012.  I remember reading something at the time that this lens and camera combination were designed for each other.  Maybe it was marketing hype, but I bought the camera and then went on the waiting list for the lens.  It was (still is) a stunning combination.

[algrove]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Agree, it still works very well with the M11 Mono. For Mono shots where I want sharp perfection I use the APO 50 and APO 35 M lenses.

[HeavyEd]

On 11/1/2023 at 7:56 AM, Drmat said:

I have the 50 and 35 APO on the M10M.  The tonal separation is better, the contrast fall-off from the plane of focus is smoother, and they both capture fine details better than any of the other lenses I have tried.  The 75 noctilux and the 28 summilux are also strong in those characteristics.  They do not make better photos (I do have another 35 and 50 that are lower contrast and softer, and produce excellent images).  I would go as far to say that the APO lenses are even better on monochrom, but then I do not own a colour camera anymore, so maybe i am biased!

As a mono shooter too.....this helps immensely. I've wanted to invest in apo lenses for my M11M, but just wasn't sure if it was worth it.

[Stephen.s1]

Very interesting.  I'll give 'em a shot on my 10M

[BradS]

On 10/31/2023 at 10:43 AM, setuporg said:

... why would you use an APO for B&W?

...because the light entering the lens is in color.

[Robert Blanko]

Maybe using APO lenses on monochrome cameras is even more important than on color sensors: Non-APO lenses may lead to edges that show color fringes. Software such as LR or C1 may comparatively easily remove said color fringes. However, if used on a monochrome camera, you will just see smeared edges in different shades of grey and I doubt that any software could easily correct this.

[oldwino]

The more interesting question is - is an APO lens worth it for black and white film.

[UliWer]

I wished we could once and for all stop promoting any ideas that some sorts of lenses only „work“ with some sort of medium to store the light rays: be it black and white or color film, be it a high resolving sensor or one with less MP.

Any lens does what it can and will not do what it cannot when the light goes through it. If the lens is not corrected against chromatic aberration you will notice the effect - if you look hard enough. It’s not just a blague if one reminds to the fact that light always comes in color. If a lens has different focal planes for different colors this will result in loss of detail contrast - commonly called unsharpness. May be you notice this unsharpness better with color film than with black and white but the effect is also there on black and white. The storing medium or the post-processing may conceal the optical faults, but they are not able to correct them. The results of these faults are irrevocably present when the light leaves the optical system and hits the storing medium. 

So any lens which is better corrected than another one - call it „Apo“ or not - will reduce the optical faults. And this reduction of faults will work on any storing medium. Whether you need the expense of a better corrected lens for your photos is a completely different question. Many - perhaps most - of the best photos were taken with badly corrected lenses on inefficient storing media. There is no reason not to use an uncoated 5cm Elmar if one likes the results. There is also no reason not to use a much better corrected lens - usually it only costs more. 

Edited March 5 by UliWer

[Sharpdressed]

1 hour ago, oldwino said:

The more interesting question is - is an APO lens worth it for black and white film.

Basically, reducing chromatic aberrations gives you more perceived sharpness even in black and white.

How much is worth it is up to your wallet.