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Old Leica lenses vs. the new digital ones - a real difference in feel
I spent last weekend working on a 1950s Leica M3 that had dry shutter gears. The owner also brought in his newer Leica M10 for a sensor cleaning. Getting those old brass gears moving again reminded me how solid those older lenses are. Modern glass is sharper but the focus ring on that 50mm Summicron from 1956 felt like butter compared to the stiff electronic coupling on the new one. Makes me wonder if we traded smoothness for sharpness somewhere along the line. Has anyone else noticed this when swapping parts between old and new gear?
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sean_torres718h ago
And that 50s Summicron on a digital body, you're right about the feel, but you're also seeing the color shift. The old glass has a coating that gives a warmer, lower contrast look. The new lenses are more neutral and clinical. It's not really a soul thing, it's just different physics. The M10's sensor picks up stuff the M3's film never would. So you're not getting the same image at all, just one that happens to fit on the same mount.
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mary_martin2211h ago
Is it weird that I used to think the old lens thing was just nostalgia, but after trying a 50s Summicron on my digital body I totally get it now? The feel is just different, like the metal and glass have a soul the new ones don't.
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jake_torres689h ago
That 1956 Summicron is a fine piece of brass and glass, but I've seen too many of those old lenses with frozen helicoids or balsam separation to buy into the soul thing. Newer lenses might trade some buttery feel for electronics, but they don't fall apart in your hands after 60 years of regular use.
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