Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]As far as I recall the reference books the Elcan 2/50 was designed to be inferior to the Summicron, because the customer wanted it to be cheaper and did not need the Summicron's optical performance. Possibly there were some cost cuttings on the body as well. After all I don't have the greatest respect for military procurement which is a bureaucratic exercise. It has to be, because the are spending tax money. Determining specs, tendering and testing is time consumung so that sometimes the equipment is outdated at the time of purchase. Specs are sky-high above comparable consumer grade products and the military wants tomorrow's technology today in order to compete with the enemy. But buying one super expensive up-to-date system blocks the budget for years. So once the equipment is purchased, it must remain in service for decades, long after civilian users have phased-out comparable gear from that generation. Very unfortunately specs emphasise durability and in the absence of war, there is only little wear and tear or losses. Despite the policy to buy only the best and latest, on average military equipment is older than in civilian industry. Hans-Peter - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html