Makten
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I've tried to use the old Summicron-C for Leica CL on my M8, but it doesn't seem to be very useful. Many here claim it to be very sharp and perfectly compatible with Leica M cameras. I beg to differ, or my sample is garbage.
So, what's wrong then? First of all, it focuses too close at all distances. If I stop it down it's not too bad since DOF will make up for it. But it's still wrong enough to throw the subject slightly out of focus at f/4 and two meters distance. Not acceptable.
Second; the corners are soooo unsharp, even at f/8. Even the borders, and this is on a cropped sensor!
Third; it doesn't quite reach infinity at the infinity stop of the lens.
Focusing and infinity should be possible to fix by grinding off a bit on the bayonet flange. But the corners must be something else. The funny thing is that my (now sold) CV 35/1.4 did exactly the same! Focusing was off, it didn't reach infinity and the corners were crap.
Because of this, I first expected the sensor or the bayonet of the camera to be out of alignment. But then my CV 28/2 is sharp to the corners at f/2 and reaches infinity. 😕 What the heck is this? If it was the bayonet or sensor, I should be able to see the tilted image field, but there is no sharpness anywhere towards the corners at any distances with the 40/2.
An explanation could be severe curvature of field, which in combination with bad calibration of focus would throw the corners out of the image plane. I'd not be surprised if this was the case with the faster 35/1.4, but the Summicron shouldn't do this on a small sensor.
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The CV 28/2 shifts focus when stopped down, so I'm about to sell it and get a Zeiss 28/2.8 Biogon instead. But I don't know if I dare. What if I'd get the same terrible problems with that? You can't get the lens here, and I don't want to buy one before trying now.
Any advice is welcome.
So, what's wrong then? First of all, it focuses too close at all distances. If I stop it down it's not too bad since DOF will make up for it. But it's still wrong enough to throw the subject slightly out of focus at f/4 and two meters distance. Not acceptable.
Second; the corners are soooo unsharp, even at f/8. Even the borders, and this is on a cropped sensor!
Third; it doesn't quite reach infinity at the infinity stop of the lens.
Focusing and infinity should be possible to fix by grinding off a bit on the bayonet flange. But the corners must be something else. The funny thing is that my (now sold) CV 35/1.4 did exactly the same! Focusing was off, it didn't reach infinity and the corners were crap.
Because of this, I first expected the sensor or the bayonet of the camera to be out of alignment. But then my CV 28/2 is sharp to the corners at f/2 and reaches infinity. 😕 What the heck is this? If it was the bayonet or sensor, I should be able to see the tilted image field, but there is no sharpness anywhere towards the corners at any distances with the 40/2.
An explanation could be severe curvature of field, which in combination with bad calibration of focus would throw the corners out of the image plane. I'd not be surprised if this was the case with the faster 35/1.4, but the Summicron shouldn't do this on a small sensor.
-------------------------
The CV 28/2 shifts focus when stopped down, so I'm about to sell it and get a Zeiss 28/2.8 Biogon instead. But I don't know if I dare. What if I'd get the same terrible problems with that? You can't get the lens here, and I don't want to buy one before trying now.
Any advice is welcome.
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