Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]My objective was not to offend, and not to flame. Your opinion is that I did not answer. Mine is I did answer. Are newer lenses sharper. YES! Why? Glass improves, production improves, design is computerized and optimized and improves. Hence, lenses have a tendency to be better. Example, Aspheric lenses (new) are far sharper than older non aspheric lenses. You obviously own an R system and I offended you by telling you that the older R lenses, eve though they say Leica are really Minolta. Sorry. But please realize that a design does not necessarily have to stick with a focal length. There are various focal length Summicrons, Zeiss Biogon designs, and many more that fall over a range of focal lengths. In my experience, and I own a lot of old and new equipment. Newer lenses are produced with far better Quality Control, and when a design changes due to a possible change in glass or new use of aspheric elements, the design can be optimized for that glass far better than ever before. Also, coatings improve, further adding to the lens quality. Minolta is no slouch, they make excellent lenses and have very good QC which is why Leica partnered with starting in 1971. This was the year that Leitz officials visited the Minolta factory in Japan. They were impressed with the operation which led Leitz to seek and established an agreement with Minolta that same year. At the time, Leitz was having trouble finding skilled workers, and the tight job market in Germany had escalated labor costs. Enjoy your R, I'll enjoy my M and let's take some great photos. Peter K.