Was wondering....which are the highest resolution (current) Leica M lenses at the moment? I read on a previous post that the 50mm f2.8 Elmar actually resolves more than 100 lines per.... in tests. Is this true?

-- Emile de Leon (Knightpeople@msn.com), April 25, 2002

Answers

Probably is true. But, you'll be hard pressed to get it. Only with the finest technique is it attainable. No, I can't.

-- Brian E. Harvey (bharvey423@yahoo.com), April 25, 2002.

Erwin Puts states in his Leica Lens Compendium that the 4.0/280 Apo- Telyt-R has a breathtaking resolution limit of 500 lp/mm (1000 lines per mm) wide open.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), April 25, 2002.

Mr. Puts has also written that he's able to get about 90 lp/mm from a good lens on Tech Pan. Perhaps you mean that 500 lp/mm was obtained as an aerial resolution, rather than on film--or at least on any conventional film.

-- Brian Walsh (brian.walsh@sbcglobal.net), April 25, 2002.

Erwin didn't say how he arrived at that conclusion but it's obvious it wasn't with film.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), April 25, 2002.

I have gotten 100LPMM on a resolution chart with only a few lenses, including an old 50mm f1.5 Zeiss Sonnar (center) and 55mm f3.5 Micro Nikkor. You need a sharp, fine grain film, perfect focus, no vibration, and a microscope to read the chart on the neg or slide at that resolution. Most of my Leica lenses hit 80 to 90 LPMM and 60 to 70 wide open. Funny how others have done tests that put the Summicron over the Elmar at all F-stops on MTF results, including the french magazine that was posted here recently. All in all, I trust my own results more than someone else's test.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), April 25, 2002.

Short version: Leica sez the sharpest M lenses are 28 'cron followed by 90 APO 'cron. Even they don't mention the 50 f/2.8. Caveat: which lenses does Leica most want to sell? By happy coincidence - the 28 'cron and the 90 APO 'cron.....=8^o

Important safety tip:

resolution and MTF are not perfectly identical - a high-resolution/ low-contrast lens may have a lower MTF than a high- (but slightly lower) resolution/high-contrast lens.

viz. the Summicron DR, which CAN resolve over 100 lpm but has lower contrast than the successors, which produce sharper-LOOKING pictures.

The 50 Elmar has a 40 lpm contrast that is lower than the Summicron at all apertures, which is as close as an MTF test/chart comes to showing 'sharpness'.

But at 100 lpm the Elmar may be showing low-contrast detail while the 'cron is showing a high-contrast blur - and the MTF standards won't tell us one way or the other; it's outside their range.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), April 25, 2002.

Sounds like the 50mm Elmar deserves some thought...esp. for lovers of high resolution lenses. I've always been keen on the high resolution of the DR summi. I think leica has generally gone overboard with the high contrast look as it is harsh, esp outside in bright conditions.

-- Emile de Leon (knightpeople@msn.com), April 26, 2002.