Originally Posted by
Murdy
Had any more thoughts about the new ED vs. the F-ED. Is the primary difference the magnesium body and the products weight? (which is, of course, a legitimate consideration).
I agree with you that "The problem with labeling models ED/HD/etc. is that a lot of that is based in marketing and nothing else - two types of ED glass can have very different performance." I'm wondering if this change in nomenclature translates into a change in performance. Great product though.
I think the primary differences are aesthetic and body weight related, yes. Perhaps it was just time to give the model a facelift.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the glass used in the M2 isn't nearly identical to that used in the F-ED. There's only so much optical improvement to be had before the price grows another zero.
Optical performance is one of those things that will always remain heavily subjective, simply because no two people will see that performance identically. That being said, I've seen a lot of non-ED glass that has impressed me, and some glass labeled ED that has failed to blow me away. The consensus however, is that glass quality is much easier to get at prices that were previously unheard of, and I don't think the presence (or omission) of ED or HD is the same indicator of quality it once was.