Erwin Puts on 'bokeh'

[use_reply-to@address.com]

Erwin:

On Thu, 20 Nov 97 20:00:21 -0800, you wrote:

>Older lenses have a smoother
>gradient, not because of any special characteristics  of the
>unsharpness rendition, but simply because the in-focus-sharpness was
>not as well corrected as it is today.

I seem to recall the story that Leitz, in the early days, was
deliberately aiming at a very steep gradient in order to make the
sharp area appear more sharp than it really was compared to the
(Zeiss?) competition. Does your analysis imply that this is pure
mysticism as well? Or do you think it is indeed true, and the very
origin of the different approach of Japanese lens designers and Solms?
If the latter is true, Leitz must have been quite successful, in spite
of subsequent improvements.


Leo Verwoerd <leover@knoware.nl>