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NEW: 35 cron and 50 lux available in BLACK CHROME


skinnfell

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Brass is king.

 

Yes, the black paint Summicron I foolishly sold a few years ago was the smoothest focussing, most well balanced Leica lens I've owned. So much so that I have been looking to buy another brass bodied 35 Summicron. This new edition is very good timing for me because I'd rather not get a silver chrome lens and I'm loth to pay the necessary premium on ebay for a black paint version.

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Either way this COULD also mean that Leica feels the 35 cron cannot be improved upon anytime soon.

 

Could be that but I'm a little suspicious that there are so many special edition versions of this lens out at the moment – Kravitz, Safari and now this. Recent special editions have tended to feature the 35 Summilux so it is odd that Leica are now choosing to promote the Summicron so strongly. I wouldn't be surprised if Leica have a newer version of the Summicron coming (announced alongside the new Monochrom in the early Summer?) and are trying to offload a large number of components in advance of that.

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I think I must be lucky, because my 2012 copy of the black 50mm Summilux ASPH had effortlessly smooth, knife through butter focussing, straight out of the box.

 

I must say that the new retro brass and black chrome 50mm Summilux ASPH looks absolutely gorgeous. I don't think it has a focussing tab, though, does it?

 

Doesn't seem to. And if it's the same as the lens on the Kravitz cam it's E43 rather than E46.

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I must say that the new retro brass and black chrome 50mm Summilux ASPH looks absolutely gorgeous.

 

Yes. Love the red lettering. Mouth-watering but there's a modest price premium as well as the extra weight to think about. My Summilux is the pre-asph in silver, and much as I love it, I do hate the weight of it!

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I wanted the 50 Lux and just preordered the black chrome. I'm on waiting lists but I can't actually pay for the lens to guarantee an allotment so I hope I get one. I don't like the focusing tab on the standard ones but I do wish they made a matte silver version or at least a normal silver version but with the retro styling and metal hood but its time I got my first non silver Leica lens. The wait beings...

 

On a sidenote B&H seems to really have gone downhill lately. I've had a few problems with them lately after buying all my gear from them for years. They wouldn't let me preorder the black chrome lens by splitting the payment between my paypal credit account and normal paypal account even though all the other places I called today had no problem with that plus I've had a few other issues so I guess it's time to take my business elsewhere.

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Is it only me or do these lenses look like Cosina Voigtländer (both, the color and the styling)?

 

Yes I agree. The form factor of the 50 ASPH Summilux also looks different, shorter and fatter, a bit like its predecessor, the Summilux III.

 

I am slightly tempted by the black chrome 35 Summicron ASPH, as my 35 ASPH Chrome Summilux is a bit of a heavy beast for travel. My other travel single lens (as opposed to my MATE) is my tiny 40 Summicron-C. It is now adequately sharp after its rebuild and careful set up by Malcolm Taylor but it is still quite flare prone, which wrecks the contrast.

 

The thing that puts me off the black chrome Summicron is the rumour that there is a 35 APO Summicron on the way. However in order to keep Blackstone's profits at a healthy level, I am sure that will be eye-wateringly expensive. The new black chrome 35 Summicron is only very modestly more than the standard anodised one (about $200).

 

Wilson

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The new black chrome 35 Summicron is only very modestly more than the standard anodised one (about $200).

 

RRP, yes but you can get a new standard black one from an authorised dealer for around £1800 if you ask (I know because I have been in the market for another 35 Summicron). That makes the difference more like £700.

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RRP, yes but you can get a new standard black one from an authorised dealer for around £1800 if you ask (I know because I have been in the market for another 35 Summicron). That makes the difference more like £700.

 

Ian,

 

I agree - I just had a look on Fleabay. There are always surprisingly few 35 ASPH coded black Summicrons for sale second hand, which says to me how satisfactory the owners find them, so hold on to them rather than selling. I can't be bothered getting a non-coded lens, apart from the fact that it means they are pre November 2006, due to the hassle of having to send it off to Malcolm for weeks to get it coded.

 

Wilson

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And keep in mind that Leica charges €285 for the 6-bit mount part alone (excluding labour). This has to be factored in the total cost of buying a second hand Summicron if you intend to use it for digital.

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Malcolm Taylor charges quite a bit less than that for his usual impeccable if not super rapid job. He coded 5 lenses for me plus a total rebuild of a 40mm Summicron-C, all for £400 incl. P&P.

 

Wilson

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I find the smaller form factor of the black chrome 50mm Summilux rather attractive...weight wise it will probably be similar to the silver one I currently have.

 

I had a chance to play with one of the black paint summilux (from the LHSA run) which is physically the same as this new black chrome one, and even though the length of the lens is the same as the standard offering, the decreased diameter at front does make it feel smaller, more so than I expected.

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Does anyone know if the black chrome ones use the heavier brass barrels rather than the light alloy. I assume that they do and would as the smkoush says above, weigh the same as the silver chrome models. Thus a black chrome model would be around 25 to 30% heavier than a black anodised model.

 

Wilson

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Has anyone a link to the specs including weight and dimensions of the new Black Chrome 50mm Summilux ASPH?

 

I would imagine it's heavier than the standard version and it certainly looks longer.

 

EDIT: Found.

 

http://leicastoremiami.com/collections/leica-m-system-m-system-lenses/products/leica-summilux-m-50mm-f-1-4-asph-black-chrome-finish

 

According to this link the external dimensions and weight are identical. Could it be they've just copied and pasted the standard version's specs?

Edited by KeithL
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From the Leica Blog…

 

Up to now both lenses were available only in black anodised and silver chrome versions. The new black chrome lenses also offer new design features. For example, the Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. revisits the classic design of its predecessor from 1959. In addition, the focusing scale in feet is picked out in red. The new version also includes a larger scope of delivery: Round lens hood and a lens cap – both made from metal.

(emphasis mine)

 

The similar verbiage directly from the Leica site omits the statement in bold. What do the words mean, if not longer and/or wider…perhaps just with hood mounted?

 

Jeff

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I am slightly tempted by the black chrome 35 Summicron ASPH, as my 35 ASPH Chrome Summilux is a bit of a heavy beast for travel. My other travel single lens (as opposed to my MATE) is my tiny 40 Summicron-C. It is now adequately sharp after its rebuild and careful set up by Malcolm Taylor but it is still quite flare prone, which wrecks the contrast.

 

The thing that puts me off the black chrome Summicron is the rumour that there is a 35 APO Summicron on the way.

 

Wilson

 

+1

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