Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/09/04

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Did Kodak at one time beat Leica in terms of lensquality???
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2001 15:57:52 -0400
References: <3.0.2.32.20010904154151.00754140@roanoke.infi.net>

Marc- NOT to start anything, but how do those Kodak lenses, which are
found in a slew of still operation cameras, standup by today's optical
standards. Not necessarilly when compared to the latest generation of
Leica lenses, but when compared to the average lens in their focal
length?

B. D.

Marc James Small wrote:
> 
> At 02:58 PM 9/4/01 -0400, Wang, Albert wrote:
> >So guys, what do you think about the relative comparison between the
> >Americans' ability vs. the German's ability to produce the highest quality
> >optical lens during the 1940's? I am not technically proficient so I can't
> >comment about lens tests this guy claims to have performed. Is it believable
> >that Kodak could have done a much better optical job than Leica did?
> 
> Most Leitz lenses were on the mediocre side into the 1950's -- the 3.5/5cm
> Elmar, 2/5cm Summitar and 4/9cm Elmar are really the only truly competitive
> lenses produced by Leitz prior to the introduction of the 2/5cm Summicron
> in 1954.  After that, there are a slew of fine designs which just go on
> getting better thereafter.
> 
> But, in 1939 or 1946, yes, Kodak made outstanding lenses which often
> outshone Leitz' products.
> 
> Marc
> 
> msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
> Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir!

In reply to: Message from Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net> (Re: [Leica] Did Kodak at one time beat Leica in terms of lens quality???)