Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/27

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Subject: [Leica]Lens speed complainers...
From: "Dan States" <dstate1@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 00:45:08 +0000

Regarding the carping on this list about the new wide angle zoom only being 
a 3.5-4.0 design...I don't see the point.

Clearly if image quality were not an issue, Leica would have cranked out one 
of these years ago.  Want F2.8...You got it!  How about F2.5! Hell, they 
just have to buy a Sigma and stick on the red dots!

The real point is that while you can make a lens with just about any 
aperture you want, getting the kind of optical quality Leica demands is 
another story.  If the performance of the 17-35 Nikon at full aperture is 
good enough for you, and you can take the distortion, go for it.  I for one 
would sacrifice a paltry half stop to get the kind of quality that would 
make the lens an everyday user.  Provia 400f is so good that a stop loss is 
this case is not as crucial as distortion control and contrast.

On a visit to Leica last year I enquired about a superwide zoom.  The answer 
was "Every lens we make and every image they make is a statement of what we 
accept as Leica quality.  We will make a lens of this specification when we 
feel we can represent ourselves properly".

Finally, are we all really using our Nikon and Canon zooms in low light at 
full aperture?  If so than I would say that optical quality is not one of 
our main beefs (this is not a dig, many great pictures are not technically 
perfect) and that we should not waste our money on expensive Leica lenses 
that will not change the quality of our images.

I think we need to give this new product a break.  Let's actually USE it 
before we condemn it to the bargin bin.

Best wishes
Dan States
Madison WI


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Replies: Reply from "Eric" <ericm@pobox.com> ([Leica] Re: Lens speed complainers...)