Doug - I don't think it matters. That's why I said I think the unncoated Sonnar 50/1.5 is a great lens with great character... I am generally not a technical shooters that looks for very high contrast and minute detail... I am much more oriented toward atmosphere and composition and interest... I like the look of classic lenses... But the lens designers in the 20s and 30's had their work cut out for them in trying to make a fast 50 with good contrast... the Sonnar is based on the triplet and has numerous complex cemented surfaces to minimize the number of air-to-glass interfaces. The f/2 version seems to be substantially better corrected, which would make sense as it is almost a stop slower... Eric Goldstein -- On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 9:17 PM, Douglas Nygren <dnygr@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Eric, > Given that we burn the corners in, does it really matter that the lens isn't > sharp in the corners. All this corner sharpness is great hype from the lens > companies, but in the darkroom we show them who is boss and burn the > corners. I couldn't care less about the corners. However, your point that > wide open the lens isn't sharp strikes a nerve. What's happening where > things are important seems more vital than all unneeded concern about the > corners. > > Doug > > > On Dec 11, 2009, at 8:59 PM, Eric Goldstein wrote: > >> The uncoated Sonnar 50/1/5 is a great lens with great character, but >> it is far from sharp wide open and away from the center. >> >> >> Eric Goldstein >> >> >> >> On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 8:49 PM, CarlosMFreaza <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: >>> >>> 2009/12/11 Stephen Attaway > >>> To quote from Ivor Matanle: "The portrait of Mr Robert Cox was taken in >>> 1974 >>>> >>>> to mark his fifty years of service to his company ... with a 50mm f1.5 >>>> uncoated Zeiss Sonnar, and shows perfectly the curious characteristic of >>>> defined yet slightly unsharp detail that makes the optical quality of >>>> classic lenses so attractive." >>> >>> I tend to disagree with Ivor Matanle, the uncoated Zeiss Sonnar 1.5/50 >>> was designed to be a very sharp lens, in general lens designers look >>> for lenses to produce an image as close to the real image as possible, >>> it means aberrations free, sharp and the best micro-contrast, except >>> lenses for special purposes. It's true some old lenses produce >>> pleasant images thanks to some no well corrected aberrations (I think >>> about portraits specially), but they couldn't be the standard to >>> obtain a good image. >>> >>> This is a sample about a snapshot "portrait" taken with the uncoated >>> Contax II Sonnar 1.5/50 _wide open_ f1.5 and 1/1250 sec shutter speed >>> , I think the in focus areas show very good detail for a 71 years old >>> uncoated lens despite a scanner not so good for 35mm : >>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/itarfoto/3199809044/ >>> >>> Carlos >>> --- >>> Rollei List >>> >>> - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> >>> - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' >>> in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org >>> >>> - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with >>> 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org >>> >>> - Online, searchable archives are available at >>> //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list >>> >>> >> --- >> Rollei List >> >> - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> >> - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' >> in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org >> >> - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with >> 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org >> >> - Online, searchable archives are available at >> //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list >> >> > > --- > Rollei List > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' in the > subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the > subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Online, searchable archives are available at > //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > > --- Rollei List - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Online, searchable archives are available at //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list