Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 50mm Optical Question
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 10:48:32 -0500

At 10:04 AM 3/29/98 -0500, Jim Bielecki wrote:
>Does anyone know if Leitz (or Leica) have ever used the "Sonnar" optical
>design for any of its 50mm lenses?  Or have they pretty much stuck with the
>"Tessar" design or the "Gauss" design?  Does the "Sonnar" type design have a
>"look" (I hesitate to say bokeh) that is distinct from the others?  

The short answer is a resounding "NO!".  The Sonnar formula is a rather
severely modified triplet and is an exceedingly expensive lens to produce;
some of the early Berek formulae are also modified triplets (such as the
Hektor, Thambar, and the first Elmarit), but only distantly related to the
Sonnar.

Most of the later Leitz and Leica lenses have been modified unsymmetrical
Double-Gauss derivations of one sort or the other.

Zeiss has always aimed at the maximum performance on all optical axes, so
their lenses avoid the distinctive flavour of early Leitz glass.

Marc


msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
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