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Focusing the Leica 90mm f/2.2 Thambar-M (with examples)
Focusing the Leica 90mm f/2.2 Thambar-M is exceptionally difficult—this is not a lens that will ever snap into focus. That is ironic because the raison d^etre of the Thambar 90/2.2 is the combination of some sharpness with what I’ll just call a “haze effect” (caused by many optical aberrations and high veiling flare). So getting focus right is critical, or the whole image becomes an unfocused blurry blob.
Focusing is difficult to be sure of, regardless of subject matter. Here is Leica’s claim, at least in terms of determining focus:
Today, the ability to adjust images in the camera’s Live View monitor makes it even easier to achieve the desired results with this truly exceptional lens.
The fact is that best focus is exceedingly hard to determine even in magnified Live View. That said, perhaps Leica means instead the ability to assess the amount of veiling haze effect and/or to focus more precisely to account for focus shift for stopped down shooting.
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Diglloyd Guide to LEICA contains in-depth coverage of Leica M system cameras and lenses, with additional coverage of Leica M Monochrom, Leica Q.
Special emphasis is placed on Leica M lenses and certain Zeiss ZM lenses.
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- Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
- Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
- Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.
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LEICA M (Typ 240) + Leica Thambar 90mm f/2.2
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