50mm APO Summercrome serial numbers

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

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A while back there was word/gossip that the first batch of 50mm APO Summercrome lenses had a issue.......cant remember what the problem was but apparently Leica recognized it and made some adjustments to the latest ones.

I have seen prices anywhere from $6200 to $9000 dollars for a new one and can only think that the lower end price is for maybe one of the original first batch lenses.

 

Does anyone know at what serial number the good batch started, in other words if I want to buy one of these lenses then I should only buy after serial # xxx12345

Any help would be much appreciated

[thighslapper]

Not gossip ...... fact ...... unacceptable flare and central fogging in certain situations ..... but oddly not all lenses were affected.

 

The number released into the wild before they halted production was fairly small .... production was at a fairly pitiful rate initially ..... and most of those affected have been recaptured and treated.

 

The likelihood of you buying a new lens that is affected is almost zero ..... unless it has been sitting on a Hong Kong speculators shelf for 2 years at an inflated price.

 

Ditto with 2nd hand ..... unless it has never been used and sitting in a box somewhere.

 

Leica batch numbering is notoriously misleading and hard to interpret.

 

However I got one of the first batch after production restarted and mine is 42351xx .....

Edited May 6, 2015 by thighslapper

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[DMJ]

The 'first batch' were simply converted to the new spec for free & the 'good batch' were then made as these. Replacement of reflective internal surfaces.  A 'first batch' that has been updated is identical to the 'good batch'.  I actually wonder if in time an uncoverted 'first batch' will be valued far higher?

[Jeff S]

I think Leica serial numbers have no logic for folks like us, but I bet if you call Leica they will be able to tell you if a particular lens is in or out of the affected batch(es), and whether it's been serviced due to the central veiling flare issue.  Others report having done this successfully.

 

Jeff

[algrove]

Just buy a new one with the production date on the outer box serial number sticker. If it is after March 2014 you are good to go. Keep in mind sometime during the last half of 2014 (I do believe) Leica began putting the production date on those serial number stickers.  In this case it sure helps.

[platypus]

The APO 50 I have is one of those produced in those early months prior to the "problem" manifesting,

though as it turned out my copy was not one of those affected, so it remains unconverted. I had placed

an order the week they were announced and then waited more than six months for it to arrive, they were

incredibly hard to get back then. Serial number:  4169xxx

[Jay B]

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My 50AA too was ordered the day of announcement, and rec'd 9 months later, in Feb. 2013.

It also is unaffected by any of the problems reported by others.

S/n 4204xxx

[enboe]

41535xx, and no issues.  Just had to post to see who had the earliest serial no.  

 

Eric

[Bill W]

Like Dee, mine was an early production and ironically it is 4169xxx as well. Mine for some strange reason sat in the supply room of a camera store till I came in and bought it. Someone had ordered it but decided to not buy it and they sort of forgot about putting it in stock. Mine has never exhibited the issues with central veiling/flare.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Bill W

[pedaes]

It is interesting that none of the members who have posted with early serial numbers have experienced the flare problem. How big an issue was it?

[lct]

Beware that some people claiming that their lens is not affected do not realise that they are mistaken actually because they don't shoot in the very conditions where the problem occurred i.e. at f/16 in backlight situations mainly, like in the pic below. I can't seem to recall its author sorry (Platypus?) but the link to the previous forum in now dead. Anyway, you are perfectly right in asking which serial numbers to look for IMHO. Problem is only Leica know it for sure actually and they will never tell the truth most probably. My advice FWIW: choose a late sample or an earlier one still guaranteed by Leica. Mine is from July 2014 (4296***) and is not affected.

 

 

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[Hey You]

I received my copy (serial number 4204363) in August 2013, after a wait of about one year.

It flared badly and after procrastinating for almost a year, I returned it for correction.

This took about two months.  Now it performs perfectly.

Even if you do get a bad copy, I am sure that Leica will correct it at their expense.

I find it inconceivable that they will deny responsibility.

[thighslapper]

...... and you have to remember that Leica probably had a large pile of already numbered parts and finished/part finished lenses when they called a halt to production.

 

after 6 months of experimentation they were confident they had the solution and presumably then rebuilt all the stockpile at hand to the new specs ...... so serial numbers will be very misleading. 

 

I am sure I was told by the manager at a main Leica dealership that one lens element was also changed ....... but probably just the coating rather than a different lens altogether. 

 

whatever they did it seems to have done the trick......

 

c'mon Neil ...... scratch that itch and get one ........ 

[jdlaing]

Beware that some people claiming that their lens is not affected do not realise that they are mistaken actually because they don't shoot in the very conditions where the problem occurred i.e. at f/16 in backlight situations mainly, like in the pic below. I can't seem to recall its author sorry (Platypus?) but the link to the previous forum in now dead. Anyway, you are perfectly right in asking which serial numbers to look for IMHO. Problem is only Leica know it for sure actually and they will never tell the truth most probably. My advice FWIW: choose a late sample or an earlier one still guaranteed by Leica. Mine is from July 2014 (4296***) and is not affected.

My mother told me 50 years ago rule #1 is not to do that. I have not forgotten and don't have these issues. 

[lct]

Did your mother work at Leica QC?

[jdlaing]

Did your mother work at Leica QC?

No sir. She said never shoot into the sun. At any angle. Ever. 

[lct]

Leica QC must have listen to her then, reason why they forgot to test the lens into the sun. Never listen to Texan Mamas folks !

[keenr]

Assuming no flare issues, would you still buy a new APO today with serial number in the 418xxxx range (probable 2013 production date)? Or would you hold out for a newer production date? Would this s/n impact resale value in a used market?

[jdlaing]

They didn't have to test it for shooting into the sun because they already knew you shouldn't do that.

 

Edited May 18, 2015 by jdlaing

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[lct]

Central veiling flare did occur mainly at f/16 in various backlight situations, not only when shooting into the sun.

http://tinyurl.com/qjogxdc

The problem has been acknowledged by Leica in September 2013 [http://tinyurl.com/pnddzg2] when Alfred Schopf stated that « after some problem solving we found 4 minor issues, and manufacturing was stopped for 3 weeks and will recommence next week » but it seems that production did not resume before February or March 2014 so i would not buy an earlier lens without making sure that it has been fixed or is still warrantied by Leica.

 

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