Re: [Leica] Is an M6 with 50mm the right tool for me?

["Roland Smith" <roland@dnai.com>]

Hello Matt:

I suggest that you look at the collapsable 90mm for a second or third lens
if physical length and weight are a concern.   I traveled with mine for the
first time this last summer and found the convenience of its fitting in the
case when collapsed was a great help.

I recently acquired a resolution chart from Edmund Optical for lens testing.
It measures 2' by 3' with all manner of parallel lines.

I tested the 90mm collapsable, 90mm Elmarit f2.8 and the 85mm Jupiter.  The
were very close in 8" X 10" enlargements.  I was enlarging the  full chart
and had a problem with uneven lighting.   Accordingly, my tests were not
fully reliable.

I plan to conduct the tests again with better lighting and enlarge edge
sections to a much greater degree.

Here is my initial ranking at various openings:

Collapsable                            90mm
85mm
                                   f-stop
Elmar                              Elmarit
Jupiter
                                     4.0
1                           not tested
2
                                     5.6
3                                     1
2
                                     8.0
2                                     3
1
                                   11.0
3                                     1
2

Due to the uneven lighting and the fact that I did not enlarge portions of
the negative, I feel that my test was not adequate to distinguish between
the lenses with reliability.   Even though I judged and ranked them, they
were so close that I would select either of the three with confidence that
I would achieve good results.

I will use my collapsable when I travel or want the lens within a closed
case.

Roland Smith





- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Matt_Shimao@3com.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 8:15 PM
Subject: [Leica] Is an M6 with 50mm the right tool for me?


>
>
> Hello,
>
> I am considering the purchase of an M6 and a 50mm lens.  My current
equipment is
> fine, except for the weight and bulk.  I am looking to the M6 as a camera
that I
> can carry with me almost all the time.  One of my cameras is a 6x7 and I
enjoy
> using this camera for landscape photos.  I would use the M6 as my
first-choice
> camera for people photos.  I want to carry just the camera with one lens
> attached.  Quickly, I eliminated the 75mm and 90mm lenses, as these are
too long
> to make for a truly portable package.  Why a 50mm instead of a 35mm?  I'll
be
> able to use the 50mm for head-and-shoulders portraits; the 35mm is too
wide for
> this purpose.
>
> I do think the M6 will do a great job.  Really, I suppose I am looking for
more
> information about the 50mm Summilux and Summicron lenses (the current ones
as
> well as the previous versions).  I have dutifully searched the archives
and have
> learned that the current versions of both are very sharp.  However, I'm
really
> not that concerned about sharpness.  I am more interested in the elusive
> qualities of bokeh.  On another mailing list, a prominent member recently
wrote
> that most 50mm lenses have poor bokeh.  In the archives, there is much
mention
> of the good bokeh of the pre-asph 35mm Summicron.  Regarding the bokeh of
the
> 50mm lenses, there are not many posts--I've read that the current Summilux
is
> good, the current Summicron is not as good as the previous version, and
that the
> current Summicron is not very good because of the new design which has
more flat
> surfaces.  However, because my search turned up just a few posts, I don't
feel
> that there is a strong consensus, and so I am looking for more user
opinions.
>
> I understand that the qualities of bokeh are hard to quantify.  However,
if
> there are any users of the 50mm Summilux or Summicron who have opinions on
this
> topic, I would be grateful to hear them.
>
> Originally in writing this, I titled this post, "50mm M lenses".  However,
I
> changed the title because I think maybe my motive here is to convince
myself to
> buy an M6.  That is why the bokeh question is really important to me--if
one of
> the 50mm has great bokeh, that would justify the cost for me.  Otherwise,
much
> less-expensive alternatives will probably meet my needs equally well.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Matt
>
>
>