>
> For a few days, I have tried a Takumar 1.8/55mm instead of the Leica-R
> 2.8/28 that I use most of the time. I was amazed at the improved focusing
> using the longer lens, even on the E-510 viewfinder. I think both the
> shallower DOF and the increased max aperture both come into play here. I
> have been trying to decide whether or not to spend the money for a used
> Leica-R Summicron 2.0/50. For a lot of the photos that I take, it would
> work
> fine. I realize that there are OM lenses that would probably do as well,
> but
> I grew up using Leica glass and have an appreciation of it that is hard to
> break.
>
What seems like ancient history now, but years ago we discovered that the
2-series focus screens in the OM bodies had the disturbing characteristic of
not really being focusable on the GG (ground glass) portion of the screen
for lenses specifically in the 35mm focal length but for some other
wide-angle lenses too. The 1-series screen with a 35mm lens was glorious to
focus, but the 2-series screen didn't have a true ground-glass but that
portion of the screen is actually an expanse of very very tiny microprisms.
For some reason, those microprisms would not react properly to some
wide-angle lenses. You can crank focus from one extreme to the other and the
image changes very little.
The focus screens in the E-series bodies use essentially 2-series screens
and suffer a similar fate.
Nikon and Minolta film cameras had a similar screen technology, but then to
make them more properly show bokeh and more focusable with wide-angle lenses
they deformed the surface of the microprisms to create enough random texture
to make them more usable.
No need to apologize for your appreciation of Leica lenses. In a similar
vein, I have an appreciation of certain Zuikos. It's not that any one is
"better" than the other, but that they are "different" than each other.
Sure, when you do a proper comparative lens test (like DPR's) they'll match
or even a lowly aftermarket Sigma may even beat a given favorite. But it's
through usage that the characteristics (flaws) create a look which
differentiates one from another.
AG
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