Hi,
I have made a little comparison by NEX-5N of Leica WATE@18mm versus the kit zoom E 18-55/3,5-5,6.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Unfair comparison. But I wanted to see how big a difference the Leica glass makes.
Please feel free to ignore, or read more on:
http://flyalf.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/is-a-usd-600-camera-worthy-of-a-usd-5400-lens-resolution-nex-5n-with-leica-glass-versus-kit-zoom/This small comparison has confirmed me of the value of using money on lenses. The Leica WATE on 18mm is surprisingly much sharper than the inexpensive Sone E kit zoom at same focal length. Actually the Leica is better at edge sharpness fully open (f/4.0) than the Sony at its optimum (around f/8), and have approximately the same sharpness of the least resolution part of Leica as the highest resolution of the Sony (edge sharpness at Leica/4.0 = centre sharpness of Sony/8.0).
Please also remember that this comparison is resolution only, and that bokeh, distortion, flare and ghost have not been compared. Yet.