Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/04/06

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Subject: [Leica] 35f1.4Asph, Nik28f1.4, 35f1.4non-Asph
From: bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)
Date: Tue Apr 6 06:43:47 2004

That Nikon is a terrific lens - Very sharp, contrasty, great for
low-light work. But it is VERY big. That doesn't bother me, as I am not
one who worries about lens size and weight. But compared to Leica
lenses, it's an entire lens kit in bulk.:-)

Frankly, if I had to get rid of all my Leica gear other than one lens
and one body, the body would be the .58 M6TTL, and the lens would be
either the 35 Summilux ASPH or the 28 Summicron ASPH - both of which
are, I believe - in terms of real world use and results - the two best
lenses of their speed and focal length available. When all is said and
done, I might well go for the 28 - but of course you can usually back
off with the 35 and get that '28' shot, but you can't open the 28 to 1.4
when the light disappears - so it's a tough call. 

B. D.

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Dante Stella
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 10:02 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] 35f1.4Asph, Nik28f1.4, 35f1.4non-Asph 


The size is not a big deal - I have a 28/1.4 Nikkor, a 35/1.4 Summilux 
ASPH, and a 35/2 LTM Hexanon.  I am trying to figure out whether I 
really need both 35mm lenses for my Hexar RF with something like the 28 
on a Nikon as the "other" setup.

The 28 fits my Nikon F4 and Kodak 14n.  On the F4, at least, the lens 
is bright enough that the finder is about equal brightness to what you 
are looking at through it.  It also focuses extremely quickly with no 
fuss, even with the F4's primitive (relatively) but accurate AF setup.  
It is also interesting because I can use it with the D screen I built 
for the camera.   On the 14n, the 28 does not make the finder much 
brighter, but it really seems to be extending the range of what I can 
do at a comfortable 160 ISO.  It's also nice and wide on a full frame 
chip.  The 28 is fantastically sharp wide-open, and it can deliver that 
to digital as well.

On the Hexar RF, I have been taking the Summilux ASPH on trips - it is 
small and light, but as someone said, it does have a hardass aspect to 
it.  For most of what I do, I could probably get away with using the 
35/2.  The Hexanon makes very pretty images, well-tamed and well 
balanced (essentially, it's a screwmount version of the 4th Summicron - 
only prettier).  But that Summilux ASPH is soooo good.... my precious!

Cheers
Dante

On Apr 5, 2004, at 9:35 AM, B. D. Colen wrote:

> Sorry, Tom - I've owned the 28 1.4 Nikon lens, and while it is an 
> excellent lens, it's about the size of a Maxwell House Coffee can - it

> makes the 35 1.4 asph look like a jewled miniature.
>
> As to table top photography - How would one do table-top photography 
> with a wide angle lens that only focuses to about 28 inches? That's 
> not what the lens is for....And as for the bokeh issue. Yes, the bokeh

> is softer with the pre-asph M 35 1.4 than it is with the ASPH...but so

> is the entire image. :-) And I can honestly say I've never shot an 
> image with the ASPH whose bokeh fits your description of the bokeh.
>
> B. D.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf 
> Of Thomas Pastorello
> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 4:02 PM
> To: lug@leica-users.org
> Subject: [Leica] 35f1.4Asph, Nik28f1.4, 35f1.4non-Asph
>
>
>    If I may, I'll respond to two email issues at the
> same time.
>    Leica 35mm f1.4 ASPH vs. Nikkor 28mm f1.4:
> I agree to a large degree with Mark's comparison, but
> there is one area of use in which the Nikkor 28 is
> superior and unsurpassed -- close-up work, esp. table
> top or museum display.  Wide-open and close up, the 35
> 1.4 ASPH has such poor bokeh that the out of focus
> image area actually shatters!  Its harshness ruins
> this type of photography for me.  The Nikkor 28
> renders wide-open close-up images beautifully.  (I
> also don't see the 28 as so big and noisy.  The Nikkor
> 14 f2.8 or 17-35 f2.8 -- now those are big and noisy.)
>    Leica 35mm f1.4 ASPH vs. non-ASPH:
> Ditto!  The non-ASPH offers beautiful wide-open
> close-up images.  The only limitation I see of this
> all-time best Leica classic is that it does not get as
> close as the ASPH and certainly not as close as the
> Nikkor 28.
>    Tom
>
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____________
Dante Stella
http://www.dantestella.com

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Replies: Reply from phong at doan-ltd.com (Phong) ([Leica] 35f1.4Asph, Nik28f1.4, 35f1.4non-Asph)
In reply to: Message from dante at umich.edu (Dante Stella) ([Leica] 35f1.4Asph, Nik28f1.4, 35f1.4non-Asph)