[LRflex] Re: Images
- From: David Young <telyt@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:25:31 -0700
Keith Longmore asked:
David, et al: the 80-200 V-E: is this a Japanese made lens, Leica
badged, as per the original 80-200, or a genuine Leitz product?
The 80~200/f4 Vario-Elmar was 100% designed by Leica, but made by
Kyocera (Contax), in Japan, under contract.
It is the baby brother to the 70~180 APO Vario, and was contracted
out, because of the complexity of the innards, and the need keep the
cost lower than the 70~180/f2.8 APO. If German built, it would
have been so close, in price, to the 70~180 that nobody would have bought it.
As it is, everybody seems to sneer at this Japanese built lens,
equating it to the earlier, Minolta designed/built Varios.
However, the 70~180 APO is often regarded as the finest zoom lens
ever built - equal, in sharpness, contrast and freedom from
distortion to the finest prime lenses, made anywhere, by anybody.
The contrast in the 80~200/4 is equal to that of the APO, while
offering about 98% of the sharpness and freedom from distortion, in a
lighter, smaller aperture version, and less costly. It outperforms
all but the very best primes. It easily blows away the 180 Elmar, I
replaced with it!
Certainly, in fit, finish and smoothness of operation, it is equal to
Leica's finest.
One of the finest image cutters I have ever seen .. and my principal
lens for just about everything!
With Kyocera having left the camera making business (now specializing
in cel-phone cameras, only) I suspect that any current stock Leica
may have will be all that will be available, other than on the used market.
Is it a "Genuine" Leica product? I'd say so!
Cheers!
---
David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA
Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/
Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt
Stock Photography at: http://tinyurl.com/2amll4
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