Jump to content

What is dual aspherical ?


Catatac

Recommended Posts

I saw this today in a camera shop and was wondering what is dual aspherical ? Its the $9,988 1.4/35mm lense

 

 

This is version 1 of the aspherical 35/1.4 'lux, which had two ground aspherical surfaces instead of the single one of the current lens. It is highly collectible, around 2000 or so made. It dates from one of the "brilliant" management phases of Leica--the lens allegedly cost more to produce than for which it sold.

Link to post
Share on other sites

A picture of this item has been posted few days ago ... "aspherical", not "asph" as in the current model with a single aspherical element... :), and a fantastic MP body, too...

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-collectors-historica/81288-your-rarest-pieces-2.html#post854611

 

I was quite lucky with that find. From what I've heard - the aspherical elements were hand ground on this version of the 35/1.4. I've heard various numbers on the production runs from 1- 2,000.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The two aspherical surfaces, one in the front and one in the rear half of the lens, are said to have been ground and polished on the very same manually controlled machine that was used in the production of the original 1.2 Noctilux. Today's ground aspherical surfaces are done on specially built CNC machines.

 

The lens had exactly the same lens layout as the present Summilux ASPH, which has one moulded aspherical surface immediately behind the diaphragm. The 'aspherical' was a publicity stunt: "Yes we can". And it paved the way for the current lens.

 

The elliptical old man from the Spherical Age

Link to post
Share on other sites

I seem to recall from another thread that there are two types of aspherical, the real aspherical lens grinding (shaping) process which is very, very expensive and the slightly cheaper use of additional coatings or polymer layers on the spherical surface that makes the lens aspherical. The lens discussed here seems to be of the first kind, but is that also the current state of affairs?

 

Can anyone throw some light on this?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I seem to recall from another thread that there are two types of aspherical, the real aspherical lens grinding (shaping) process which is very, very expensive and the slightly cheaper use of additional coatings or polymer layers on the spherical surface that makes the lens aspherical. The lens discussed here seems to be of the first kind, but is that also the current state of affairs?

 

Can anyone throw some light on this?

 

The original 35 aspherical had two aspherical surfaces, ground by hand. Very expensive and slow. The current 35 ASPH was the first to use an aspherical surface formed by pressing the element into a form. There are/were apparently some size restrictions associated with that process (couldn't make a lens element of more than 25mm diameter, as I recall), so the CNC-grinding process was further developed to churn out larger aspherical elements.

Link to post
Share on other sites

There is some other interesting stuff there as well... A 45-90 Agenieux, a black paint Summicron 35 asph, a chrome 90AA...

 

If the Angenieux has not a "1." before "450" is really a good price in Sigapore $... provided that it's in good conditions, of course...; the 90 f2 I'm not so sure it's an AA... for what I remember, chrome version was available also before the "AA" model... and the price seems to me more apt for this one.

Link to post
Share on other sites

If the Angenieux has not a "1." before "450" is really a good price in Sigapore $... provided that it's in good conditions, of course...; the 90 f2 I'm not so sure it's an AA... for what I remember, chrome version was available also before the "AA" model... and the price seems to me more apt for this one.

 

That is true. The pre-AA Summicron 90 was in chrome and I seem to remember, titanium as well. Or was that the 2.8?

Link to post
Share on other sites

That is true. The pre-AA Summicron 90 was in chrome and I seem to remember, titanium as well. Or was that the 2.8?

 

The 90 2,8 was "standard listed" in titanium finish... seems no more than 500 made, and the 90 f2 Apo Asph was also made in that (terrible, imho) finish, in 2001 (no idea on the number produced) : afaik, no 90 f2 un-asph in titanium finish, but I could be wrong... I don't like at all that finish and never took deep infos about... ;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...