Leica 180mm f/3.4 APO-Elmar-S — Asymmetry problem
LensRentals.com rented me a virgin (brand-new) Leica 180mm f/3.4 APO-Elmar-S, which I promptly put to use.
Proving that Brand-new Blur is not unique to Nikon and Canon, the Leica 180/3.4 made a great example for my new page in my Leica S2 review in DAP: coverage in depth of the issue in Leica 180mm f/3.5 APO-Elmar-S — Asymmetry.
Note the blurred right side. Not only that, the brand-new 180/3.4 ruined some comparisons I made: the aperture blades were sticky, refusing to stop down the lens, and making f/8 exposures brighter than f/5.6 or f/4 at times. Using the DOF preview lever 50 times or so loosened them up enough to work with, so it seems. For US$6500, I expect perfection.
Left and right edges at f/3.4
Leica S2 + Leica 180mm f/3.5 APO-Elmar-S
Leica S2 + Leica 180mm f/3.5 APO-Elmar-S
