Such as the Leica Lenny Kravitz 'Correspondent' edition M-P.
Far be it from me to yuck someone else's yum but I find fake pre-worn gear, both in the photographic and musical instrument world to be the ultimate form of poor taste.
Mystik wrote:
I think this is typical with LLL's black paint lenses. Paint probably doesn't hold up as well.
It's funny in the guitar world, people pay a premium for nitro finished guitars that will relic much more easily than most modern stuff, which is coated in polyeurathane...which can take a bunch of abuse. People like banged up gear for vintage vibes or a badge of honor owning something that looks like it's actually been played in the field vs sitting at home. New guitars that come pre-relic'd is actually a thing.
Anyway, you now have a premium relic'd 35 APO. You've earned that gash by wearing it on a camera sling ...Show more →
thrice wrote:
Such as the Leica Lenny Kravitz 'Correspondent' edition M-P.
Far be it from me to yuck someone else's yum but I find fake pre-worn gear, both in the photographic and musical instrument world to be the ultimate form of poor taste.
Fake relicing is tacky. Lenny Kravitz obviously borrowed from trends in guitar world.
Real relicing that is earned is pretty cool. I have a nitro finished telecaster that will scuff from holding it funny
Brassed black M bodies are a badge of honor. I just wish in camera world it didn't always turn into a massive depreciation in used price.
The irony is that most people think artificially relicing a guitar is tacky, yet Leica's Lenny Kravitz edition, scratched and brassed from the factory on purpose, sold out in one day. To be fair, Leica made only a small number of them.
That's the irony. Many of us love the look of a naturally brassed M, but we're told that a camera that gets naturally beat up loses resale value (and it does). Meanwhile, collectors will happily pay a premium for artificial wear because a rock star put his name on it.
Speaking of things that will relic, I went ahead an pulled the trigger on the black paint LLL 35 APO. I have some work and personal travel coming up and just general holiday shooting ramping up. Plus I prefer stealthy all black gear when travelling.
For what is clearly a highly corrected lens, I really dig the rendering as there is a richness to subject rendering and the backgrounds are really smooth. No clinical rendering here. I've gotten used to out of focus highlights not being great on M mount lenses but backgrounds here are very pleasing despite being only F2. Lack of CA around the subject when you've got dynamic outdoor lighting strengthens the subject isolation too. That said, there is still some CA in the out of focus areas...particularly in the corners where either the lens itself vignettes or the hood causes it. It's not egregious and honestly not a deal killer given the whole package, but stands out to me for a lens that's supposed to be apochromatic. But maybe I'm being too critical. The lack of CA in the focus plane is really special given outdoor lighting.
