How much more advanced are the blue ring LS lenses then there no ring predecessors?
If I picked up an used 55mm LS and 110mm LS without a blue ring, is there any difference?
Joe - here's information on Blue Line Lenses I posted elsewhere (forgive the copy/paste).
Differences include the build quality, additional communication to the camera/back, enhanced quality control (less chance of a mediocre copy).
In my testing so far, I have yet to find a Blue Ring Lens that exceeds a quality copy of the same lens in non Blue Ring. This isn't definitive, just my experience so far (others may experience different results). I do feel that purchasing a Blue Ring lens reduces the possibility that you'll pull a lemon card when it comes to lens variations (all lenses from every mainstream manufacturer has lens variations, some more than others).
If you have a dealer who individually tests lenses, then you have the ability to purchase a non Blue Ring and be confident of getting a good copy.
Blue Ring scorecard:
* Schneider 35mm/3.5 Blue Line LS - completely new optic
* Schneider 45mm/2.8 Blue Line LS - completely new optic
* Schneider150mm/2.8 Blue Line LS - completely new optic
* Schneider 55mm/2.8 Blue Line LS - (same optic as previous LS version)
* Schneider 80mm/2.8 Blue Line LS - (same optic as previous LS version)
* Schneider 110mm/2.8 Blue Line LS - same optic as previous LS version)
* Schneider 120mm/4 Blue Line LS - (probably same optic as previous AF version, I find the 2 lenses perform very similarly)
* Schneider 150mm/3.5 Blue Line LS - (same optic as previous LS version)
* Schneider 240mm/4.5 Blue Line LS - (same optic as previous LS version)
* Schneider 40mm-80mm/4.0-5.6 Blue Line LS - (same optic as previous LS version)
* Schneider 75mm-150mm/4.0-5.6 Blue Line LS - (same optic as previous LS version)
I agree with Drake and I do have some concern that future features may emerge that are Blue Ring - specific, due to the additional communication. No way of knowing at this point.
Steve Hendrix/CI