Eric, I am in agreement with you completely. Frank On 12 Dec, 2009, at 02:52, Eric Goldstein wrote: > 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 > --- 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