wda Posted September 25, 2006 Share #1 Posted September 25, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Seldom has one seen, in modern times, such a wide-ranging launch of new Leica products, as those announced at Photokina 2006. There is much to appeal to a wide new audience as well as seasoned Leica enthusiasts. Yet, in one way, I am disappointed. What has happened to the outstanding lens, the 28-90mm Vario-Summicron, (VS) designed for and fitted to the superb Digilux 1 and 2? Leica lenses usually enjoy long lives. Speaking from my own experience, the extra fast maximum aperture (F/2) of the Vario-Summicron has often been the difference between capturing a magical moment or not. In low light situations its performance has been remarkable. Surely the design costs have long since been amortised? Perhaps changes in digital sensor size is the reason for its demise. If so, I wish Leica would think again before the VS becomes a famed milestone in Leica history. I shall continue to treasure my D2 for all of those photographic tasks for which it is still highly capable. David Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 25, 2006 Posted September 25, 2006 Hi wda, Take a look here Whither the Digilux Vario-Summicron?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
albertwang Posted September 25, 2006 Share #2 Posted September 25, 2006 most likely it would be cost and size of lens? I would suspect that the vario-summicron on a 4/3 standard would have a 86mm filter size! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_r_smith Posted September 26, 2006 Share #3 Posted September 26, 2006 David the 7mm to 22.5mm Vario Summicron (or 28mm to 90mm as we know it better, if inaccurately) is indeed a superb lens, not least for its cunning design where all the focusing and zooming is done internally, with no change in its physical length. The snag is, it will only work on a 2/3 size sensor. And since Panasonic and Leica no longer have such a sensor in their range, that is the end of the lens. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted September 26, 2006 Share #4 Posted September 26, 2006 So no remix for 4/3 chip size at all? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted September 26, 2006 Share #5 Posted September 26, 2006 Doesn't seem likely, so we must wait and see what the 4/3 equivalent on the D3 (14-50 OIS Vario Summicron) actually produces quality-wise. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted September 26, 2006 Author Share #6 Posted September 26, 2006 Yes, as I thought, it is tied to the 2/3 sensor. However, I would have thought that with computer-aided design it would not have been prohibitively expensive to rework the design to be compatible with the replacement sensor. David Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted September 26, 2006 Share #7 Posted September 26, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) CAD design doesn't matter. For example, Leica can't even develop a reasonably priced 35-70 f2.8 zoom which is a standard zoom at an affordable price so I doubt that Leica could do the 4/3 version of the Vario-Summicron. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atournas Posted September 26, 2006 Share #8 Posted September 26, 2006 David, You've made a very good point with your post. By the way, has anyone seen MTF charts for the Digilux Vario-Summicron? Best, Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted September 26, 2006 Share #9 Posted September 26, 2006 CAD design doesn't matter. For example, Leica can't even develop a reasonably priced 35-70 f2.8 zoom which is a standard zoom at an affordable price so I doubt that Leica could do the 4/3 version of the Vario-Summicron. Alfie Of course they can develop a reasonably priced (in so much as any Leica lens is "reasonably priced") 35-70/2.8. Things have moved on in lens design since their original very expensive example, and Leica have moved on with it. Whether or not they choose to do so is a marketing decision. My feeling is that people want a wider zoom range than 35-70 (witness the new 28-90, and the reason that is not of constant aperture is probably because of considerations of size and weight in a zoom, as well as cost). As a matter of interest, Leica were using a computer package to speed up ray-tracing calculations even back in the steam-age days of discrete component mainframe dinosaurs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted September 27, 2006 Share #10 Posted September 27, 2006 Message here is clear - if you have a Digilux 2, hang on to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted September 28, 2006 Author Share #11 Posted September 28, 2006 Message here is clear - if you have a Digilux 2, hang on to it. Mark, you are so right! I shall certainly be using mine for a long time to come. David Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted September 28, 2006 Share #12 Posted September 28, 2006 Alfie Of course they can develop a reasonably priced (in so much as any Leica lens is "reasonably priced") 35-70/2.8. Things have moved on in lens design since their original very expensive example, and Leica have moved on with it. Whether or not they choose to do so is a marketing decision. My feeling is that people want a wider zoom range than 35-70 (witness the new 28-90, and the reason that is not of constant aperture is probably because of considerations of size and weight in a zoom, as well as cost). . Yes but Leica needs to have a good fixed aperture zoom. Shooting at 90mm f4.5 is not the same as 70mm f2.8! Their marketing decision needs to hone in on that fact that they can do a good 35-70mm that is cheaper than the collector's item that they have on the shelf now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruiespanhol Posted September 30, 2006 Share #13 Posted September 30, 2006 The 28-90 is one lenses I would like to keep but you price is so much high then is not possible to me buy one. Maybe more Leica users are the same problem like me. So why Leica not try to made the lenses more cheaper? This 28-90 sell more if they cost -25% or more like -35% of the actual price for me overpriced! It was not the quality ore the high tech. of the lenses in cause that the relation quality/price. If Leica want´s to be more competitive they nead to slow down the price of some products because if not only the colectors whit to much money in the bag can buy one. And in my opinion Leica is not for colect is for USE!| Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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