Jacob D wrote:
Derek, I do enjoy the rendering of the Luxes wide open and/or close to. The OOF is so very Leica-ish
me too, it's quite a unique look that i've always been fond of.
i'm still getting a handle on how the lens performs – it seems to have very little change in exposure or dof stopping down from f/1.4 to f/2, rather the glow just changes a bit. it does have significant focus shift at medium distances. i've been surprised to find out that it's actually pretty sharp wide open at infinity across the frame with none of the field curvature issues that the 40 cron has (at least on aps-c ). at near and medium distances sharpness seems to drop off a cliff outside the central third. at some point i'll have to compare it to the 40 cron and c/y 35/1.4 but my initial impression is that it has a very different draw than both. the lux stronger SA that doesn't go away until the lens is stopped down considerably more than the other two would need to be. it also never seems as bleedingly sharp as the other two centrally though that may be more of a contrast thing than a resolution thing. on the other hand it seems much better behaved across the frame than either of the other two and is thus probably the best landscape lens of the group.
anyway, here is the same shot i posted earlier except at f/1.4 instead of f/8: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8460211390_83c65d9b76_o.jpg
you can barely see that it is there at web size but there is a speed limit sign on the far right of the image that is actually readable at full size.
ulrikft2 wrote:
Oh where, oh where did you find that soft release?
eBay search "LS-SB2". Lim's Rainbow soft release. Remember, the NEX-7 favors an asymmetrical placement of the soft release, more towards the back and right of the camera, otherwise the shutter button will depress unevenly. At least this is the case on my 7.
Phillip - I also really enjoy what you're doing with the CV15. The last indoor image has a great feel to it too!
Jacob D wrote:
Derek, I do enjoy the rendering of the Luxes wide open and/or close to. The OOF is so very Leica-ish
sebboh wrote:
me too, it's quite a unique look that i've always been fond of.
i'm still getting a handle on how the lens performs – it seems to have very little change in exposure or dof stopping down from f/1.4 to f/2, rather the glow just changes a bit. it does have significant focus shift at medium distances. i've been surprised to find out that it's actually pretty sharp wide open at infinity across the frame with none of the field curvature issues that the 40 cron has (at least on aps-c ). at near and medium distances sharpness seems to drop off a cliff outside the central third. at some point i'll have to compare it to the 40 cron and c/y 35/1.4 but my initial impression is that it has a very different draw than both. the lux stronger SA that doesn't go away until the lens is stopped down considerably more than the other two would need to be. it also never seems as bleedingly sharp as the other two centrally though that may be more of a contrast thing than a resolution thing. on the other hand it seems much better behaved across the frame than either of the other two and is thus probably the best landscape lens of the group....Show more →
Derek: interesting observations. I also like the look you're getting from it. Maybe there is something to that supposed Leica-glow after all?
My only Summilux experience is with the newer ASPH lenses but there seems to be some consistency to them as well. Infinity performance, even wide open, seems to be quite good for the class. I've read that many of these lenses are infinity optimized. I also find they're 'dual personality' lenses. Wide open character tends to be sharp but somewhat gentle, while stopped down resolution/contrast is extremely good. The 50 Lux ASPH, for example, also exhibits a fair amount of SA at 70cm, despite being a floating element design. I've found the CV50/1.5 and ZM50/2 outperform it at this distance. It could be some non-ASPH Summiluxes share similar traits, but perhaps more extreme. It might also be a matter of design to match imaging technology of the era - film stocks, printing and reproduction techniques, etc. Not sure if you follow discussions about the Leica Monochrom, but it seems many are finding older lenses offer a gentler image quality that allows for a lot more flexibility in post compared to modern, very high contrast lenses...
On another tangent, here's an image with the NEX-7 and 90 Summarit. Toronto Union Station.
Finally, a few B&W from Columbus near Broadway in SFO. The first is City Lights Bookstore, which I'm sure anyone familiar with the Beat writers or with an interest in poetry knows well. For those who don't, City Lights fostered many of the Beat writers not only in promotion but also as publishers. Ginsberg's infamous "Howl" was originally published under City Lights' own imprint as the fourth in their series of pocket poetry books. The first run was seized by US Customs for violations of obscenity laws. City Lights had subsequent runs printed in the US to get around Customs. Though much of the neighborhood has changed around them, neither the store nor the publishing efforts have lapsed into nostalgia. While they continue to be a vital resource to the Beat scholars, they continue to stock their shelves with challenging, thought-provoking material that isn't likely to hit the NYT bestseller list or pop up on an Amazon recommendation. It really is a must-see if you're going to the city.
The last two are of a copper-faced building down the street. I haven't learned anything about the building yet, but here's an interesting bit of trivia. The cafe (Zoetrope) on the bottom floor is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. He uses it to push his wine which, as I understand it, runs from decent to awful with a lot of mediocre in the middle, according to my wine-loving buddy. Personally, I've never tasted a wine that didn't make me reach for my water glass, so I'm in no position to judge. The Roman-style pizza, though, is excellent.
Great shots, sebboh! Maybe i´ll try something like that with the Zeiss Sonnar 1.5. But now, things look very different here in bavaria
Or it is only my very special point of view...
Thomas
