[Leica] Nokton on an M8 - now some lenses better on digital

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

At 5:39 PM +0000 12/8/08, grduprey@mchsi.com wrote:
>Steve,
>
>I also have seen that my 35 Summilux pre-asph does seem to perform 
>much better with my M8.  I cannot explain it, but that has been my 
>experience.
>
>Gene
>
>-------------- Original message ----------------------
>From: Nathan Wajsman <photo@frozenlight.eu>
>>
>>  Steve, in the context of other lenses and systems, I have seen
>>  statements on the Olympus and Canon fora to the effect that some
>>  lenses exhibit quite different characteristics depending on the
>>  capture medium. Why that would be the case I have no idea, but I have
>>  seen enough comments to that effect to consider it valid.
>>
>>  Cheers,
>>  Nathan
>>
>>  Nathan Wajsman


I've also noticed that some lenses seem to perform relatively better 
on digital than film. I have a thin 90 Tele-Elmarit which I always 
liked in the sense that I enjoyed the handling and made a lot of 
images with that I was happy with. They were often not as good 
technically (from a lens point of view) as pictures I made with 
'better' lenses, but they were successful. Now, on the M8, even the 
technical quality is really quite good and I'm very happy that I 
didn't get rid of it.

On the other hand, the 90 AA that I bought when it came out and sold 
last year, which able to make outstandingly sharp and contrasty 
images with really no discernable faults, in the end got sold because 
I was not able to make many images with it that I liked. So my fast 
'longer' lens remains the 75 Summilux, and when speed isn't needed 
da-di-da, it's the 90 T-E for me.

I think this has to to with the MTF performance relative to the 
sensor pitch. If the performance of the lens is such that the shape 
of the transfer function corresponds quite closely to what the 
specific sensor would like to see with an optimum anti-alias filter 
in place, the performance will be seen as very good, even though with 
a finer pitch sensor or film the performance will not be as good as a 
lens that can produce the same contrast at a higher frequency.

As far as 'bokeh' is concerned, and that was Nathan's question, I 
don't find the difference in performance between digital and film 
that great. The main difference is that caused by the angle of view 
and the effect that has on the relative size of out-of-focus blobs 
etc at a given distance. In that respect the Nokton is still 
extremely unappealing.

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    *            Henning J. Wulff
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