airds
Well-known
There seems to be a shoot out/test of Zeiss M-mount v Leica lenses, in this week's (23rd May) Amateur Photographer magazine in the U.K
Zeiss v Leica lens - A.P. mag (U.K.)
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back alley
IMAGES
we only have the april edition here right now.
they must row it across the atlantic...
they must row it across the atlantic...
Graham Line
Well-known
My subscription copy almost always turns up here in the Pacific Northwet within 10 to 15 days of the cover date. But I'd much rather have something special from Oban . . .
It will be interesting to see what AP says. Have to read those reviews line by line to get the full flavor, and I'm still puzzling out some aspects of the lens test charts.
It will be interesting to see what AP says. Have to read those reviews line by line to get the full flavor, and I'm still puzzling out some aspects of the lens test charts.
Flinor
Well-known
I get every issue but in Phoenix they show up at random intervals and frequently out of date order. But their reviews are definitely not of the "I never met a camera that I didn't like." variety. The most recent issue I have they tore up the Mamiya ZD.
wintoid
Back to film
I was excited about this review because it's Geoffrey Crawley reviewing. I find AP reviews vary greatly depending on which writer does the review. Unfortunately, whilst the cover of the magazine is quite sensationalist in asking the question "are zeiss lenses better than leica", Crawley is somewhat more sedate and that question is never answered. Oh well.
Silva Lining
CanoHasseLeica
To paraphrase for those who haven't got their copy...
The Zeiss lenses are sharp and show good colour and contrast across the range, spherical abberations are low but there was a surprising amount of vignetting.
Crawley says that the lens are undoubtably of very high quality but questions their interest to anyone other than those interested in highly specialised equipment (I think he means RFF-ers!) and says that for the money other lenses provide better value.
The Zeiss lenses are sharp and show good colour and contrast across the range, spherical abberations are low but there was a surprising amount of vignetting.
Crawley says that the lens are undoubtably of very high quality but questions their interest to anyone other than those interested in highly specialised equipment (I think he means RFF-ers!) and says that for the money other lenses provide better value.
Andrew3511
Established
The oddity in the review was the 50mm Planar performing slightly worse than the 35mm Biogon both in MTF and distortion. I thought the take-home message was they are good lenses but they do not shift the goalposts as the recent Leica Summilux designs have albeit at much less cost. I'm not going to replace my 1960's Summicron on the strength of it even assuming I had the cash to put down.
markinlondon
Elmar user
wintoid said:
That's AP all over. Their reviews often fall into the category of "shootouts" or "upgrade options", hence the cover line. I was glad to see Geoffrey Crawley not playing that game and instead giving a detailed review of the lenses themselves. Surely if we're offered a new range of M-mount lenses we should see them as a complement to those that exist already. Since when was lens choice some sort of competition?
Whatever happened to that "which one's sharper?" guy? 🙂
Mark
pvdhaar
Peter
Last seen comparing different brands of butcher's knives.. 😉markinlondon said:
airds
Well-known
Ap
Ap
It's a weekly Joe, - don't know why, it hardly varies and is full of adverts - so you seem to be missing a few copies🙂
Ap
back alley said:
It's a weekly Joe, - don't know why, it hardly varies and is full of adverts - so you seem to be missing a few copies🙂
back alley
IMAGES
i should have said, one of the april copies.
it comes in plastic wrap that is full of print and i could not make out the date.
joe
it comes in plastic wrap that is full of print and i could not make out the date.
joe
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Last week's issue (dated 5/20) is now at my local Borders. That is worth picking up for a very good review by Ivor Matanle of Konica through the years. The next article by him will cover Minolta. I'm nostalgic already....
(It also had an in-depth review of the Zeiss Ikon camera, which I think has been commented on in RFF already. Bottom line, the reviewer, Angela Nicholson, thought the shutter speed display shouldn't be disappearing in bright light. Also, and more troubling to me, is that one of their samples exhibited frame overlap.)
Geoffery Crawley's articles are always worth reading, as are Matanle's, so I'll be sure to get the next issue and read about the Zeiss lenses.
Overall, I find AP a very consistently good magazine. If one can quibble that there isn't a lot of editorial content, well, for a weekly it compares quite favorably with certain monthlies I can name!
(It also had an in-depth review of the Zeiss Ikon camera, which I think has been commented on in RFF already. Bottom line, the reviewer, Angela Nicholson, thought the shutter speed display shouldn't be disappearing in bright light. Also, and more troubling to me, is that one of their samples exhibited frame overlap.)
Geoffery Crawley's articles are always worth reading, as are Matanle's, so I'll be sure to get the next issue and read about the Zeiss lenses.
Overall, I find AP a very consistently good magazine. If one can quibble that there isn't a lot of editorial content, well, for a weekly it compares quite favorably with certain monthlies I can name!
raid
Dad Photographer
Send me two new lenses and I will gladly make a thorough test of the lenses. Maybe someone from Zeiss and someone from Leitz sees my request and I will get my wish come true! :bang: sure.
airds
Well-known
Slainte Mhath
Slainte Mhath
Assume you mean some Oban malt JoeB?
(You may have to enter via the front page at http://www.malts.com )
That photo at the top of 'Oban Malt' front page looks very similar in style to this image I've just uploaded in my 6x7 gallery .....
Slainte Mhath!
Slainte Mhath
Joe Brugger said:
Assume you mean some Oban malt JoeB?
(You may have to enter via the front page at http://www.malts.com )
That photo at the top of 'Oban Malt' front page looks very similar in style to this image I've just uploaded in my 6x7 gallery .....
Slainte Mhath!
Attachments
boilerdoc2
Well-known
Check out Sean Reids 'real world' reviews of the Zeiss versus Leica @www.reidreviews.com.
mihai
><
airds said:
the 14 years old is spectacular
cheers
sunsworth
Well-known
Personally I thought Crawley's review was pretty poor. I don't know if he had no interest in the lenses, or if it was rushed, but there was a 3 page article, most of which was discussing the history of Zeiss - interesting in itself, but belonging to a different article - and just a couple of paragraphs at the end about the lenses themselves.
Steve
Steve
wintoid
Back to film
Steve,
That's exactly how I felt, although I hold Crawley in high regard.
That's exactly how I felt, although I hold Crawley in high regard.
Bertram2
Gone elsewhere
sunsworth said:
I read the article, and I agree. This has been exactly my perception too, not too much about the lenses themselves. And so at the end the harsh criticism concerning the vignetting stood alone somehow. At this point a Leica or CV pic would have helped to get a relation.
bertram
John Robertson
Well-known
Although Crawley is a revered guru in photo circles, I find his lens tests far far less informative than those of the late lamented Dr Stewart Bell. As you say Steve he "pads out" his reports with things like the history of the company, interesting though it may be, but which can be read in other places. I still have Dr Bells tests of some of the CV lenses, which have more information in one page than Mr Crawley has in four!!!
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