The best lens manufacture

what lens manufacture would you regard the best for image quality

  • Canon

    Votes: 16 18.8%

  • Leica

    Votes: 11 12.9%

  • Nikon

    Votes: 29 34.1%

  • Olympus

    Votes: 6 7.1%

  • Pentax

    Votes: 7 8.2%

  • Sigma

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Sony

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Tamron

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Tokina

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Carl Zeiss

    Votes: 15 17.6%

  • Schneider

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Total voters
    85
  • Poll closed .
C

CrippledSandwich

Messages
615
Name
Chris
Edit My Images
No
in everyone's opinion what lens manufacture would you regard the best in image quality from the following?

Canon
Leica
Nikon
Olympus
Pentax
Sigma
Sony
Tamron
Tokina
carl zeiss
schneider
 
This is a imposable question to answer. Each manufacturers has it's strengths and weakness in different areas. Nikon has some very nice telephotos but Pentax has some very nice pancake lenses, for example.
 
Plus, it depends on the focal length. Leica's 35mm summilux is a peerless lens, as is the Nikon 14-24, or the Canon 85 1.2, or the Zeiss 100..

The thing is, every manufacturer makes some superbly built lenses - Sigma and Tamron especially, don't believe the haters... and some lenses happen to have garnered a reputation for quality results.

Of all the usual suspects, the lens manufacturer with the quality throughout the range for me is Leica. I've handled a summilux, and it oozed quality. Shame about the prices..
 
danbroad said:
Plus, it depends on the focal length. Leica's 35mm summilux is a peerless lens, as is the Nikon 14-24, or the Canon 85 1.2, or the Zeiss 100..
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If the decision is based on all the manufacturer's lenses you also have to factor in that whilst Zeiss and Leica make some legendary glass, they also lend their name to other lower-priced optics found in compacts...
 
As previous commons have highlighted, each has their good and bad examples, and they make a vast array of different lenses, you can't really say if one's better than the other unless your more specific about a focal length, or type of zoom etc
 
Just because you all voted for Conikon I've voted Pentex. Some of there prime glass is epic to the extreme.
 
Dom said:
Just because you all voted for Conikon I've voted Pentex. Some of there prime glass is epic to the extreme.
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very much agreed. i remember trying a pentax 43mm pancake (not parrticulaly regarded as a killer lens) but imho it put most canon/nikon 50mms available at the time to shame (in film days!)

however ive had zeiss/olympus etc etc lenses that have been fantastic.

being a 8 year nikon fan, im more than impressed with some of the moden nikon (14-24, 24-70, 200mm etc) lenses!
 
Mike.P said:
Even Canikon users in the know would take the Pentax LTD range over their similar length lenses.
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Or buy an A-series f/1.4 85mm as an investment.
 
It's an interesting thought, Flash - and, if you look at the larger scheme of things, Leica's range is fairly limited - 18 to 90mm give or take. I will say, however, that although Leica lend their name to some lower end compacts, the lens in my Dlux is a little gem.

So, I'll limit my 'best lens manufacture' to Lleitz-Leica GmBH, Germany, makers of rangefinder glass. Does that count?
 
I'm a canon user, but i would say Nikon. Only due to the fact that they've been about a lot longer, and also they don't just do optics for photography/filmography, but also for other high power optics.
 
Leica did do a 1600mm lens, but I think it was about $2 million! The Rangefinder brigade would have a fit at the results of this poll :D
 
Do they use Hoya glass? :shrug:
 
Nikon in the lead with Leica in third, you have to be kidding me...
 
I think best is a subjective word, I shoot canon and for what I shoot I think canon offers me the best lenses.:D
 
I've only used 3 brands.
Out of those I'd have to say Nikon but it wouldn't be fair for me to rate Nikon above Canon, Zeiss, Oly, Pentax or any of the others I have no experience of.
In fact I can only make 1 direct comparison as I try not to buy the same lens twice.
 
I think it a shame that Contax have folded - the Carl Zeiss lenses on the old 35mm kit is lovely glass. Gets my vote.

My Ricoh GR1 lens is a pretty astonishing bit of glass too.
 
I voted Carl Zeiss.
It doesnt make much sense to have such a broad questions to this broad audience. :shrug:
Nikon best lenses? Sorry but your having a laugh...
I voted Carl Zeiss because its great glass thats available to more people. Leica glass is for leica...
If I were to choose best glass I'd actually buy though, that's probably be the Pentax's Limiteds *** I use Pentax. The really great current Zeiss primes are priced of the chart.

My 1p.
 
Ivoted canon, because AF works with my camera:)
 
cyclone said:
I've only used 3 brands.
Out of those I'd have to say Nikon but it wouldn't be fair for me to rate Nikon above Canon, Zeiss, Oly, Pentax or any of the others I have no experience of.
In fact I can only make 1 direct comparison as I try not to buy the same lens twice.
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well, the question does say "what do you regard", ie it doesn't say that you have to know from personal experience.. or even any experience. it's just what you think.

I have no experience of leica lenses, but all I've heard says that they (and I guess I'm talking of the rangefinder lenses here) are supposed to be very good. how they compare to modern nikon's and canon's I've no idea, but I'd still like to try them (on an appropriate camera of course)

dave
 
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