The priest the professor and the engineer was RE: [Leica] Mike's new religion

["Jonathan Borden" <jborden@mediaone.net>]

>
> Gosh,
>
> A lens to lens flamethrowing war....
>
> Isn't the image important to anyone anymore?  I mean, except for the
> LUGgites who invest more cash than most to buy Leica gear, who
> really cares
> what the image was taken with?  Most people just want a great image.  Buy
> and use the camera you like!  The fact that one lens is better than the
> other is irrelevant, except of course to us. ;-)
>
> Peter K
>

	This is a good question. If you already own, use, and enjoy a lens then who
really cares. But what if you are considering purchasing a camera outfit, or
new lens? There is a bewildering array of lenses cameras prices etc. How to
choose? Ought you go to a museum and see (perhaps) what famous photographers
use, and use this brand? Ought you read a magazine review in a magazine
supported by advertising dollars? The idea behind science is not to prove
right or wrong (that is for the field of religion). The idea behind science
is to *predict* the outcome of future events and circumstances based upon
experiments.

	The science behind the development of the MTF allows a lens designer (or
suitably educated consumer for that matter) to predict the behavior of a
lens under a set of circumstances. The more accurately the measurements are
taken, the better they predict "real world" behavior. Unfortunately the math
involved is quite complex and the measurement techniques costly and
difficult, so you end up taking the word of an expert. The difference
between the priest and the professor is that the priest asks you to take
his/her word because is it True, the professor teaches you how to understand
these truths for yourself and the engineer you believe because (s)he has
been right in the past and if you are driving your kids over a bridge, you
want them to get safely to the other side.

Jonathan Borden