In article <42ncgj$6nf@steel.interlog.com>, michaelr@interlog.comö says... (various deletions)
>In article <60.21293.3272.0N1F328A@canrem.com>,
> martin.tai@canrem.com (Martin Tai) wrote:
>> Can you describe the difference of image quality between the
>>Nikon optics which you used for many years and the Leica optics
>>you acquired recently ? Is it more sharp or more colorful etc.
>The main difference is not sharpness but tonality. (....)
>It's somewhat like the difference between IC and tube amplifiers in >audio systems. If you have a keen ear, they simply sound sweeter. >Leica M lenses in that way are like tubes. (Sorry for the porr >analogy).

Being an audiomaniac in addition to being a lens-nut, I think your
analogy is excellent! A well-designed transistor amplifier will be
considerably more accurate (lower in distortion) than a well-designed
tube amplifier, but the residual distortions left by tube designs
are generally euphonic, making for a smoothed-out, richer, though
less accurate, sound. I think similarly the Leitz lenses are often
not well corrected at wide apertures, but by mid apertures people
like the aperture corrected aberrations. Personally, I prefer
"sharp-cutting" Nikkors (with contrasty out-of-focus areas), but
each to his own....
Hope this helps.