Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/04

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Subject: RE: [Leica] 21mm w/ goggles?
From: "Stewart, Alistair" <AStewart@gigaweb.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 16:33:10 -0400

Greg,

for low light wide open, and concerned about quality, you probably will be
most happy with the current 21/2.8 ASPH. The SA 3.4 is the 3rd in technical
quality (I've had several over the years), the 21/4.0 is botttom of the
heap. The old 21/2.8 non-asph is 2nd to top.

That's all well and good if you're using them wide open with very slow film
on a tripod with massive enlargements and fine details at the edges. Me? In
low light, I use tri-x @ 1600 or even faster, sometimes neopan 1600,
sometimes Kodak 2475 recording film. Never had anybody reject an image on
technical quality from any lens, by any manufacturer. Had plenty of rejects
because of composition, focus and exposure tho'.

Apologies to several attrapes for the on-topic post,

Alistair

- -----Original Message-----
From: Greg Locke [mailto:locke@straylight.ca]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 1999 2:13 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: RE: [Leica] 21mm w/ goggles?


At 03:28 PM 04/10/99 -0400, you wrote:

>I had it done to a 21/2.8 non-asph elmarit. I love it, although it is a
>little dark, and framing is inexact. It is still better than dropping,
>breaking and losing V/F's. FYI, the focus link to the R/F is inaccurate
>after gogglization - but with the immense DOF of the lens, I leave mine set
>to 1m and don't worry about it. IF it gets critiacl close up wide open in
>poor light, you might want to focus using another lens/body combo, and
>transfer the distance setting.


hmmmmm... I tend to work in low light and wide open. Maybe I should opt for
an SA lens.  I would have no problem dedicating a body to this lens.

I have lots of experience with Nikkor 20mm and very happy with it.... sharp,
no light fall off... Would anyone like to make a comparison.

From some of the tech notes I've seen on the net, I get the impression that
the 21's are not that good. Surely, this is not the case.

thanks,
Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>                               
St. John's, Newfoundland. 
http://www.straylight.ca/locke
- ----------------------------------
TOUCHED BY FIRE: doctors without borders in a third world crisis.
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