NEW: 35 cron and 50 lux available in BLACK CHROME

[wlaidlaw]

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Well, I passed, but I didn't realise there was anything wrong with the 50 'lux we swapped. I'm really sorry .

 

Jono,

 

It was just very stiff, which I thought was due to its being new but it never slackened off and on the M8 at least, very prone to purple fringing. I took it with me on a visit to Solms in 2008 and showed them both issues. They agreed that it was not right and something needed doing but when I got it back some three weeks later along with my 35 ASPH Summilux, which they had coded, it was totally unchanged. My guess was that it had sat in a drawer for three weeks with nothing being done to it.

 

I hope that my new 35 ASPH Summicron which has gone back to Wetzlar last week to have the focus corrected, will receive better treatment.

 

Wilson

[jonoslack]

Jono,

 

It was just very stiff, which I thought was due to its being new but it never slackened off and on the M8 at least, very prone to purple fringing. I took it with me on a visit to Solms in 2008 and showed them both issues. They agreed that it was not right and something needed doing but when I got it back some three weeks later along with my 35 ASPH Summilux, which they had coded, it was totally unchanged. My guess was that it had sat in a drawer for three weeks with nothing being done to it.

 

I hope that my new 35 ASPH Summicron which has gone back to Wetzlar last week to have the focus corrected, will receive better treatment.

 

Wilson

 

Well, I'm very sorry about that . . . I'd forgotten about that lens . . . I soon realised I couldn't do without it and bought a chrome one . . . . decided that was too heavy and traded it for a black one . . .which I used for a few years until my son wanted one . . and I fancied a chrome one again to go with my Chrome M-P so we did some ebay clearing out and resisting the temptation to get this limited edition - I got a standard chrome one again - loving it. (Smooth and focuses perfectly).

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[wlaidlaw]

Well, I'm very sorry about that . . . I'd forgotten about that lens . . . I soon realised I couldn't do without it and bought a chrome one . . . . decided that was too heavy and traded it for a black one . . .which I used for a few years until my son wanted one . . and I fancied a chrome one again to go with my Chrome M-P so we did some ebay clearing out and resisting the temptation to get this limited edition - I got a standard chrome one again - loving it. (Smooth and focuses perfectly).

 

We keep going back to lenses we like. I did the deal with you for my f1 Noctilux as I found it difficult to hold and uncomfortable to focus. The f1 Noctilux is also a bit of a "one trick pony" albeit a fantastic trick. I really missed the low light and shallow DOF, so eventually bought an f0.95 Noctilux, which with its longer form is easier to hold, even with its weight and certainly quicker to focus. It also does pretty much what a 50 Summilux does at smaller apertures, so that I don't feel the need for one of those.

 

Wilson

[keithlaban.co.uk]

Well, I'm very sorry about that . . . I'd forgotten about that lens . . . I soon realised I couldn't do without it and bought a chrome one . . . . decided that was too heavy and traded it for a black one . . .which I used for a few years until my son wanted one . . and I fancied a chrome one again to go with my Chrome M-P so we did some ebay clearing out and resisting the temptation to get this limited edition - I got a standard chrome one again - loving it. (Smooth and focuses perfectly).

 

As someone who came to the Leica M system comparatively late I see this as a warning never to sell my M lenses.

[wlaidlaw]

My new 35 ASPH Summicron came back from Wetzlar today. A 30 second check with M240 and EVF, showed all is well now on focus at infinity, mid distances and close up. This will be a great travel lens and I might as well ditch the smart grip as well to make the M240 lighter, since Leica have never got round to sorting out the firmware, as they promised a year ago (the GPS position auto-deletes after 5 minutes, which is usually less time than it takes to acquire a new lock).  

 

I really cannot understand why if I, as a non-expert lens maker, can do this as easily, the QC people at Leica cannot also do this check. I would have thought that 30 seconds was not too long to spend on checking a €2K lens before sending it out of the factory door. I have spoken to various people at Leica about these failings over the years at the factory and at Photokina but I get the impression I am either talking to the deaf or people who don't want to listen. 

 

Wilson

 

PS where has our blue "sad smiley" gone?

[NB23]

Let's face it: a bunch of incompetent employees.

Incompetent quality check.

Incompetent folks at the factory "listening" to the customers while thinking "what the eff does this guy want from me?"

Incompetent folks paid a minimum wage, at the photokina, having to smile at each and everyone while thinking " why do those prople ask me all those silly questions about a silly camera...?"

 

I've had my fair share of incomprehensible Leica problems which were clearly at the level, or below the level, of old russian cameras.

 

A shame.

Edited April 21, 2015 by NB23

[tobey bilek]

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I am wanting a 35 ASPH to replace my IV.    4 works great now that I thinned the Chinese mount to dimensions of the original uncoded one I removed.   

 

I have no easy to get to dealer where I can check them over

[gpwhite]

My understanding is that at least the 50 ASPH, pseudo-APO, MB will begin arriving in USA next week.

 

I am hoping to have mine quite soon...  black gas, matte not glossy 

 

BTW, because so many highly experienced M240 shooters have posted on this thread, may a divert for a quick question? Two days ago, for the first time, my M-P told me to "Check battery age," in red! Has anyone run into that before? It's meaning seems straightforward enough, but who cares? Perhaps Leica wants to maintain their battery annuity?

[Subject Focus]

Any news on these yet?

[gpwhite]

My 50mm lens is on UPS overnight. It will arrive tomorrow, April 30, so I can make some comment soon.

 

BTW, my dealer received a couple of them, so at least the 50 SX ASPH should be available in matte black in the US over the next couple of days.

[ola.fiske]

I really look forward to your comments on the 50 "black chrome"  Especially on how much it weighs and how the focus resistance feels. 

My lens will arrive at my dealer today, but unfortunately I am traveling at the moment and not home until next Friday.

[Guest]

Cool, this means that my 35mm Summicron will arrive at my dealer sometime next week.  Though I won't pick up the lens until my black chrome á la carte MP arrives so I can start using both at the same time :-D

Edited April 30, 2015 by Guest

[smkoush]

I was also notified that mine is on its way as well, so it seems they are starting to appear in the U.S. market. 

[enenrf]

My 50lux will be shipped to me today. No news on the 35cron

[gpwhite]

It weighs a ton...  467g with shade and lite cap, as you would have it in your bag. It feels like the mass of the APO 90 ASPH, but that lens is actually 507g in my black copy.

 

I state lite cap because the kit comes with a metal cap that puts my 50 APO Summicron front cap to shame. I am not sure when you would want to use the 50 SX black chrom metal cap on the lens, but perhaps Leica includes it for customers who live in a tornado belt  ?

 

The knurled focus ring is exceptional and, IMHO, should be the standard Leica design. I hate the tabs. Focus action is both effortless and completely linear. I had a 2004 50 Summilux APO for years, and the focus action chunked at the actuation of the FLE mechanism and felt kind of binding (actually worse after Leica NJ put the six bit on). On my 50 APO Summicron, I can also feel the FLE engage. Not on the 50 black chrom...  focus action is just perfect.

 

Finish is really superb to me. The hood reverses perfectly and accepts a nice plastic cap to cover things up.

 

Overall, the lens looks and feels like my 50 SX v3, which predated my 2004 50 Summilux APO. I never used the v2 without the built-in hood. Also, the description book for the black chrom lens mentions a couple of points that I do not remember from the 2004 copy. It says the lens has a fluorite-type element and one "whose origins can be traced back to the former Leitz glass laboratory."

 

I have not shot my new lens yet, as it is late and, although my MM might be up to it, I am not. Let's presume the black chrom renders exactly like every other 50 SX ASPH = fantastic! I think collector value, if the production is really limited, will be off the charts because the lens is so beautiful and the metal lens cap will knock the 50 APO Summicron cap off the Leica museum shelf. And it includes a truly functional lens shade, instead of that thing on the 50 SX APSH that always reminds me of a rear wing on a Mercedes or BMW sedan (functionally superfluous).

 

I feel lucky to have jumped at it, knowing too that I will love the performance of the lens (the reason to own and use it). I would not hesitate, unless you know that Leica will, in fact, keep making the black chrom until stock backs up!

Edited May 1, 2015 by gpwhite

[shootinglulu]

I appreciate the last post. The 50 Lux asph is my favourite Leica lens but I'm not a fan of focusing tabs and the smooth focusing will make me a very happy camper indeed. I pre ordered a while ago and really looking forward to using it. ;o)

[Guest]

Thanks for the detailed write-up!!  Sounds like a really nice lens and will only rise in value in years to come!  Too bad I'm not a 50mm user.

 

The whole tab vs. ring is a personal preference.  I think the focus tab is one of the most brilliant features of a rangefinder system, as it allows you to preset the focus by feel before/as you raise the camera to your eye.  Also can be used to scale focus quicker.  A focus ring forces you to have to look at the rangefinder focus patch to be able to focus properly, or look at the lens itself to read the focus scale.

 

Though I can see that focus tabs doesn't make sense on longer lenses, it's more practical on wider focal lengths.  It's up for debate wether or not a 50mm lens is considered a longer lens (I think so).  Also, when the diameter of the lens barrel gets too large, focus tabs wouldn't be as effective simply due to ergonomics/geometry.  Hense Leica omitted focus tabs on the 21mm and 24mm Summiluxes.

 

Voigtländer did a good thing by using tabs on their lenses, but they seem to be moving away from them again.  Then you've got Zeiss, which has a fusion of tab nub and ring.  Not my cup of tea.

[shootinglulu]

I'm conscious of a tab but not conscious of a ring when I focus a rangefinder and so the camera isn't an interuption between my mind and picture taking if I can just grab the barrel to focus.

[Simon Bee]

Just had an email from Clifton Cameras ( UK ) .... my pre-ordered 35mm 'cron black limited has arrived

 

The 50mm I also ordered should be with them soon.

 

Happy Days  .... hopefully

 

Kind regards,  Simon

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[jamriman]

Pictures of seen on the web look real nice.

Edited May 1, 2015 by jamriman