Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]- --============_-1285402630==_ma============ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Part 2. The Vario-Apo-Elmarit-R 1:2,8/70-180 is a very good example of the optical progress of the last ten years and living proof of the capabilities of the optical team in Solms. Some time ago Leica stated with some bravado that zoomlenses would never reach the high level of their prime lenses. At the same time Zeiss was producing zoomlenses with excellent imagery. In the photographic world men dominate as well as in the industrial companies, It is fine twist in history that the VAE is indeed better than most prime lenses which focal length it covers and has been designed by a female optical designer. (the Summicron-ASPH 2/35 is also designed by her). At 70mm, 90m and 110mm the lens reaches its optimum at f/4,0, while at f/8.0 the performance already starts to drop a bit. At 135 and 180 the pattern of improvement of performance must be looked at from two angles. At these focal lengths the performance in the field (outer areas) at full aperture was lower than on axis and in comparison to the wider field angles (70 to 110). Stopping down to f/4,0 improves the image to its on axis optimum. That is over a circular image area with a aradius of 15mm. If there is a need to get impeccable quality till the far out corners one should stop down to 5,6 and 8.0. The overall performance (crispness of outline delineations and very fine texturaldetails) will drop slightly. Vignetting at full aperture is very slight and only visible in the extreme corners. (Quite often whn masking a transparancy it might be covered by the mask). The niceties of online reporting is a direct feedback from users. Eric and Pascal noted that the180 focal length is relatively flare prone when strong light sources just outside the image shine obliquely into the lens. This is a very difficult situation to cope with for every lens. The 180 position, while a bit sensitive to veiling glare in this situation, copes very well with another type of flare. When shooting directly into the sun or into the sun partially covered behind a tree or roof of a building the internal reflections are very well suppressed and the black parts just adjacent to the sun spilling over the border are still black and the details are preserved with good contrast. How does this lens compare with the prime lenses? The R-1,4/80 stopped down to 2,8 is visibly behind the performance of the VAE at the 70 position. Equal in overall contrast the VAE has a higer recording capability for the extremely fine details that are rendered with more crispness. The wide aperture of 1,4 also introduces some residual aberrations that stay in effect when stopped down. So the outlines of fine detail exhibit softer edges than the VAE does, giving the overall image a softer look. The R 2,8/90 at 2,8 is as crisp as the VAE at the 90 position. The VAE is capable of rendering exceedingly fine detail with hogher crsipness than does the 2,8/90. The R-2,8/100 is the reference lens in the R-line and here we may say that the VAE equals this lens at 2.8. The R-2,8/135 at 2,8 is very visible behind the performance of the VAE in the 135 position. With lower overall contrast and less recording power for the very fine details, the fixed length 135 produces a smooth (but not crisp) rendering of the details of the scene. The image quality of the 135 however is equal on axis and into the very far corners. The image area is very homogeneous in quality, but of a lower order. The new Apo-Elmarit-R 2,8/180 is (with the 2m8/100) the only lens in the R-line that can beat the VAE at its own game. I could not stand the tempation to bring the Apo-Telyt-M 3,4/135 into the ring. Well it is a draw. At 4.0 the AT and the VAE at 135 are for all intents and purposes equal, (with a marginally crisper image for the VAE) and at 5,6 are indeed optically equal. Part 3 is the conclusion Erwin - --============_-1285402630==_ma============ Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii" <fontfamily><param>Times</param>Part 2. The Vario-Apo-Elmarit-R 1:2,8/70-180 is a very good example of the optical progress of the last ten years and living proof of the capabilities of the optical team in Solms. Some time ago Leica stated with some bravado that zoomlenses would never reach the high level of their prime lenses. At the same time Zeiss was producing zoomlenses with excellent imagery. In the photographic world men dominate as well as in the industrial companies, It is fine twist in history that the VAE is indeed better than most prime lenses which focal length it covers and has been designed by a female optical designer. (the Summicron-ASPH 2/35 is also designed by her). At 70mm, 90m and 110mm the lens reaches its optimum at f/4,0, while at f/8.0 the performance already starts to drop a bit. At 135 and 180 the pattern of improvement of performance must be looked at from two angles. At these focal lengths the performance in the field (outer areas) at full aperture was lower than on axis and in comparison to the wider field angles (70 to 110). Stopping down to f/4,0 improves the image to its on axis optimum. That is over a circular image area with a aradius of 15mm. If there is a need to get impeccable quality till the far out corners one should stop down to 5,6 and 8.0. The overall performance (crispness of outline delineations and very fine texturaldetails) will drop slightly. Vignetting at full aperture is very slight and only visible in the extreme corners. (Quite often whn masking a transparancy it might be covered by the mask). The niceties of online reporting is a direct feedback from users. Eric and Pascal noted that the180 focal length is relatively flare prone when strong light sources just outside the image shine obliquely into the lens. This is a very difficult situation to cope with for every lens. The 180 position, while a bit sensitive to veiling glare in this situation, copes very well with another type of flare. When shooting directly into the sun or into the sun partially covered behind a tree or roof of a building the internal reflections are very well suppressed and the black parts just adjacent to the sun spilling over the border are still black and the details are preserved with good contrast. How does this lens compare with the prime lenses? The R-1,4/80 stopped down to 2,8 is visibly behind the performance of the VAE at the 70 position. Equal in overall contrast the VAE has a higer recording capability for the extremely fine details that are rendered with more crispness. The wide aperture of 1,4 also introduces some residual aberrations that stay in effect when stopped down. So the outlines of fine detail exhibit softer edges than the VAE does, giving the overall image a softer look. The R 2,8/90 at 2,8 is as crisp as the VAE at the 90 position. The VAE is capable of rendering exceedingly fine detail with hogher crsipness than does the 2,8/90. The R-2,8/100 is the reference lens in the R-line and here we may say that the VAE equals this lens at 2.8. The R-2,8/135 at 2,8 is very visible behind the performance of the VAE in the 135 position. With lower overall contrast and less recording power for the very fine details, the fixed length 135 produces a smooth (but not crisp) rendering of the details of the scene. The image quality of the 135 however is equal on axis and into the very far corners. The image area is very homogeneous in quality, but of a lower order. The new Apo-Elmarit-R 2,8/180 is (with the 2m8/100) the only lens in the R-line that can beat the VAE at its own game. I could not stand the tempation to bring the Apo-Telyt-M 3,4/135 into the ring. Well it is a draw. At 4.0 the AT and the VAE at 135 are for all intents and purposes equal, (with a marginally crisper image for the VAE) and at 5,6 are indeed optically equal. Part 3 is the conclusion Erwin </fontfamily> - --============_-1285402630==_ma============--