How good does a lens has to be?

[belgiumreporter]

Recently i took my leica's out for a walk, used some different lenses and saw what came out of it. I can't say i was disappointed, but rather felt restricted by the lenses i've got for both my leica rangefinder and slr cameras.

While i was surfing the net i more than once came across people raving about the leica noctilux 50 f0.95, wich if i am not mistaking costs at the moment around 12.000€. Now when using the f1.2 i found it to be a bit to extreme in blurring the background, the light gathering capabilities are great but with digital cameras these days bumping up the ISO in bad lighting conditions isn't the problem it used to be.

So, do you really need to fork out that much money to "get the shot"? I don't think so, as to prove my point i took out the sigma 28 1.8 to make a self portrait of me at my worst, this rather cheap lens gave me exactly what i was looking for. So i guess that any lens will do as long as it gives you the image you're looking for, a (very) expensive lens isn't a fail proof recepy for getting the kind of images you had in mind. If you really want an expensive lens it may in some cases be a good idea to rent it and see if it lives up to your personal expectations and not solely on what others say about it. (if money is no object just go out and buy the noctilux, i'm sure it's a great lens :-) )

[paulhofseth]

Lenses as fashion acessories do not have to function at all.

An essential ability of expensive lenses is the boost to ones own imagined abilities.The actueal results may not be discernible without some training in evaluating outcomes, and if the lens is visibly rare and expensive one does not need to use it for anything but showing off . On leicas this may save film costs.

Lenses to be used, such as the Summicrons, deliver whatever is needed but others do as well -depending on purpose and final format.

p.

[paulhofseth]

How good a lens has to be is obviouslyn not a theme that gains much attentiom.

As an exersize in lens evalatuation I brought out a TenaxII with the sonnar 40mmf2 from 1939.and discovered that its 24x24mm negqatives were suffficiently sharp and contrasty to be entirely usable for film. No adapter exists to use it on my digital equipment.

p.