Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mike, I have a couple of the latest 50 Elmar 2,8's. Both in black. Optically they are better than the old version, the coating is much improved and contrast is very good. Wide open the Summicron is better than the Elmar, but once you hit 5,6 and 8 it is difficult to tell the difference. The barrel on the black lenses are chrome too, you do not have to worry about the "paint" wearing off. I used one of these 50's in Poland this summer and have pulled 11X14 black/whites from the negs with no problem and judging from these prints I can go to 16x20 with no fear ( TRI-X in D76 and Dektol). The fact that the lens is a parallell mount makes it usable. The older version had a aperture ring that rotated when you focussed , a design feature that drove me nuts. Everytime you touched the aperture ring it shifted the focus. The new 50/2,8 also has the cutest lenshood I have ever seen on a Leica. All in all it is a good alternative to the 50/2, particularly matched with a 35/2 and a 90/2,8. This is probably the ultimate travelkit. Tom A