NickTrop
Veteran
Ok, my nick is LeicaForever but dont get me wrong I am not a high profile Leica fan but I do think that Leica and Zeiss are specialty products and they know somethings others dont know
Totally disagree. Primes use the same optical designs going back 100 years. Innovation has occurred in electronics (vibration reduction, autofocus), coating, use of cheaper plastic aspherical elements etc. But they're largely the same. Certainly, Nikon has more money to pump into R&D than either Leica or Zeiss (many of their lenses, my understanding is, are made by Cosina -- which is fine...)
I think Leica and Zeiss are economic Veblen goods, by and large, and don't subscribe to the "special sauce" theory especially when it comes to primes. There is a price differential, however, Nikon excels at mass producing lenses (though they do crank out some specialty glass at times). The price differential has to do with two things in the main:
1. A Toyota Corolla costs -- oh, I dunno, $20 -- US? It's cranked out on an assembly line. But if I made the same Corolla in a garage with 5 guys, hand-made? How much would that cost to build? Small production runs simply cost more. Zeiss and Leica are pert much boutique items.
2. And I hate to say this, but one of the biggest grifts and oldest grifts are wine cheats who pour "Two Buck Chuck" (or similar) into expensive bottles. One guy Netflix did a doc on got away with it for years, made millions, until Interpol finally caught up with him. There has also been psychological testing on this where people perceive a wine to actually taste better based on packaging and cost...
... same applies in certain instances with other Veblen goods. ... like camera lenses. If there is a -real- difference it would likely have more to do with the rear element of a rangefinder lens not having to clear a mirror and being closer to the film plane with rangefinders... To what degree that impacts IQ, if at all, is a matter for debate at another time. However, like wines, I think much of the perceived difference in IQ between high-end and competent mass-produced is perceptual and literally influenced by price paid and good "status". Not a judgement -- just part of the human condtion. Or -- whatever floats your boat. If you think they have special sauce, and you have the means, by all means...