[Leica] New Leica M Stuff

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Mark Rabiner OFFERED:
Subject: Re: [Leica] New Leica M Stuff


Its sad.
A brand new cutting edge Leica 21 3.4 comes out harking back to Schneider
Super Angulon shooting and the lug first reaction is that  it as an affront
or threat to their Cosina Voigtl?nder 21 they got for a couple of hundred
bucks with Germanic typography on the front ring. I do think that if we had
a windfall or otherwise had the cash on hand and we shot a lot in that focal
though or could and we were making more than screen shot jpegs out of the
results it would be a lens we would  be excited about. And certainly find to
be good news and not a threat to our delicate el cheapo sensibilities.

The CV 21 was a compact 21 with no compact alterative from Leica other than
trying to use an old SA or using a heavy large expensive Elmarit or
Summilux. Well you now have that option.
Mark William Rabiner<<<<<<<<
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Hi Mark,
I have worked with both the Leica 21 SA, had it for years and of course it 
always cut images like a razor blade.

Unfortunately I had to sell off a number of bits and pieces some time ago 
and a chap made an excellent offer for the SA so I jumped for it.

But as always stated by most folks who sell any Leica lens you kick yourself 
shortly thereafter because a bunch of situations come up that you need that 
21 again a dozen times a day.

I purchased the CV f1.2 35mm lens and it completely blew me away with it's 
cutting edge quality both on film and a kicker of a lens on my M8.  I've 
looked at some old negs & slides with a Leica 35 1.4 summilux and I'd take 
the CV over it any day after seeing the results! Yeah I know blasphemy 
again. But it's an unbelievably sharp ass cutting lens. I don't know about 
other folks but anyone I've talked or e-mailed with say the same thing...... 
The f1.2 CV 35mm lens is a killer for quality. I match mine with the 
Noctilux when using two M cameras side by each. To use under the lighting 
conditions in hospitals I was shooting in.

Now the CV 21? I bought it because of the results of the 35mm CV. And I 
haven't been disappointed one iota. Maybe the God's were smiling on me the 
day I got mine, but I'll put it up against any Leica 21 I've seen to date. 
Maybe this new Leica 21 might be a different story. But I bet it would be a 
tough call with the human eye to see any difference between the CV 21 & the 
Leica 21?.

And for me that is the qualifier...... "what one see's with the human eye 
and not whatever on a test bench see's and is reported!"

I know there are folks who go on about how great a lens is only because 
they've read the spec sheets and or seen a print by the lens.  But put two 
prints side by each taken using what is supposed to be the better of the two 
and in many cases the human eye can not see the difference one over the 
other. Both prints look great as does the content!

However on the test bench!!!!!!!! WOW!! big time difference.... Leica will 
probably be smashing!!  But we and our clients don't examine our prints 
using test bench technology to look at the print. Therefore in many cases 
the Leica lens for multi thousands of dollars compared to the $8 or $9 
hundred dollar lens shows no difference. Besides our clients are usually 
very pleased with the content in any case, rather than looking at the lens 
quality. This of course considering the difference between a CV and  Leica 
of the same focal length.

Sure I'd go back to all Leica glass and a couple of M9's tomorrow if I were 
working on the type of assignments I could do when I was younger and 
certainly earning the income I did in those good old days of yore! But for 
the moment? CV's are far more than adequate because my clients I shoot for 
still love what they get and see and still pay me!! And that my friend, as 
you well know, is the bottom line to any equipment discussion.... "Happy 
clients and getting paid!" ;-)

I can honestly say I have never had a client ask what kind of equipment I 
use or have they ever asked that I use a Leica or Hassleblad, Speed Graphic, 
or whatever type of equipment to shoot their assignment! ... WHY? Well you 
know very well 99.9% of clients don't give a flying hoop what gear you use! 
They just want smashing great photographs because that's what they're paying 
us for.
cheers,
ted