  We introduce an optimized data vector of cosmic shear measures (N). This data
vector has high information content, is not sensitive against B-mode
contamination and only shows small correlation between data points of different
angular scales. We show that a data vector of the two-point correlation
function (2PCF) in general contains more information on cosmological parameters
compared to a data vector of the aperture mass dispersion. Reason for this is
the fact that <M_ap^2> lacks the information of the convergence power spectrum
(P_\kappa) on large angular scales, which is contained in the 2PCF data vector.
Therefore we create a combined data vector N, which retains the advantages of
<M_ap^2> and in addition is also sensitive to the large-scale information of
P_\kappa. We compare the information content of the three data vectors by
performing a detailed likelihood analysis and use ray-tracing simulations to
derive the covariance matrices. In the last part of the paper we contaminate
all data vectors with B-modes on small angular scales and examine their
robustness against this contamination.The combined data vector strongly
improves constraints on cosmological parameters compared to <M_ap^2>. Although,
in case of a pure E-mode signal the information content of the 2PCF is higher,
in the more realistic case where B-modes are present the 2PCF data vector is
strongly contaminated and yields biased cosmological parameter estimates. N
shows to be robust against this contamination. Furthermore the individual data
points of N show a much smaller correlation compared to the 2PCF leading to an
almost diagonal covariance matrix.
