Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/06

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Subject: RE: 35-70mm. R f4.0 ASPH Zoom
From: Richard Clompus <rclompus@voicenet.com>
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 14:24:16 -0400

N.S.Ng wrote:

<snip>I am thinking of buying either of the above zoom lens to use with my
R8. Would anyone with experience in using these lenses care to comment on
their performance? 
<snip>

I have been using the "new" 35-70/4 Leica R zoom for the past 6 months with
an R8.  It is a zoom lens designed by Leica Solms and made by Kyocera in
Japan.  It has an aspheric element and at least two high index elements
with anomalous dispersion characteristics.  When used for general
photography, it is a very useful lens.  It comes with a limited macro
capability and comes close to being a "universal" lens for general
photography.  It is slow at f4 but the advantage is the light weight for a
zoom lens.  I like the lens very much.  I have not compared it directly to
the older 35-70/3.5 Leica R zoom lens.  The viewfinder of the R8 is so
bright that it seems more like a 2.8 aperture lens than an f4.  

I also use the 60/2.8 macro, 100/2.8 apo macro, 70-200/4 R zoom and the 2x
apo entender with the R8.  I will say that the 100 apo is in a class by
itself.  The 60mm doubles as a "standard lens" and the 80-200 zoom is also
surprisingly good.  Not as good as the 70-180 apo zoom but a lot smaller
and lighter than the apo zoom lens.  At 5.6 apertures and smaller, the new
80-200 zoom is a fine performer.  Even the Leica literature says its
performance is close to the apo zoom with some of the lenses optimum
apertures.

I think the 35-70/4 is a sleeper.  Leica doesn't seem anxious to promote it
maybe because "real photographers" use single focal length lenses.  But I
find it very useful, very sharp and very comfortable on the R8.  I
sometimes wonder what Leica left off to get it to be so light.  The rear
lens mount seems to be solid brass with a thick chrome finish.    

Happy shooting,

Richard
- ---------------------
Richard Clompus, OD