Re: ASPH vs Aspheric

[Michael Reichmann <michaelr@interlog.com>]

At 01:10 PM 01/06/96 -0500, you wrote:
>It is not often that I feel compelled to stop what I'm doing and reply 
>to a thread here. 
>
>But the apparent desperate desire to own the biggest and best at any 
>cost and with scant regard for an end use does bother me a bit. I am not 
>referring to the current 35mm ASPH question but to the APO nonsense and 
>some of the other esoteric questions of late. 
>snip....


Fred,

I'm going to respond to your posting, even though I know you wern't
specifically directly it to me.

Photography is many things to many people.  Some people shoot, some people
view, some collect images and some collect equipment.

Your point is well made, but ultimately it doesn't take into account the
varying needs and interests of different people.  For example, I am an
ex-photojournalist (about 20 years ago), who now works as an executive in
the telecommunications industry.  I'm very passionate about photography.

I am fortunate in that I can afford to support my passion.  I buy prints,
Clinton Smith, David Cary, Volkerdink, Franz Lanting, Gaelin Rowell....
among others.  I travel to interesting places in pursuit of good images.  I
own and use various high quality equipment, Nikon F4, Leica M6, Mamiya 645
Pro....among others.  I've been printing Ciba since it was introduced, and
regularly print 11X14s and 16X20s for exhibition.  I probably spend 20 hours
a week involved in some aspect of this avocation.

I use my medium format gear for nature and landscape, Leica for
international travel, and the Nikon for everything else.

My interest in the 35mm ASPH comes from a desire to possibly own a lens that
could give me greater image quality.  When I travel (as I will next week to
Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore), I do street shooting, sometimes at dawn and
dusk.  If I can see the difference in a 11X14 Ciba shot wide open at f/1.4,
over my regular Summilux, why not be interested in getting it?  No, the
images are not destined for publication (years ago when I did shoot for
publication I was MUCH less concerned with untimate image quality than I am
now), but wanting and getting the utmost from a lens is important to me.

I'm sure that others who contemplater, desire or are luckly enough to own
such items as the ASPH or APO lenses, do so out of passions that may have
different roots.  For some it may the pursuit of that last nth degree of
clarity, for others the pleasure in owning and using a precision or rare
product, and for some the ego trip of it all.  So what?

Again, I take no offence at your posting, but on behalf of folks here who
enjoy talking about, reading about and using high-end gear in pursuit of our
hobbies, art or profession, I ask -- Why Not?

Cheers,

Michael


ps:  People feel much the same about high end audio equipment, cars, wines,
boats, etc.  It's part of what makes life fun.