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28 Summaron redux?


Hayek

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Not long ago I expressed the opinion that I would definitely buy a super tiny, high quality 28mm lens that would indeed make a Leica M body with this lens pocketable (as in a jean back pocket) for an ultimate street kit.

 

The perars are a little fragile and the new lomo is perfectly sized but I fear it has bad optics.

 

I'm glad that Leica heard the need for such a lens.

 

Make the lens extra small, make it extra well built and solid and I'll use it everyday, everywhere.

Edited by NB23
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Older Leica lenses certainly give a rendering to the image, quite different to that of the current 'perfect' lenses from Leica. This is also the case with lenses from Voigtlander, Zeiss and others.

 

There is definitely a market for such 'retro' lenses in new condition, with built in adapters for M and T mounts. I think the recent statements from Leica, point to an impending launch of such a new family of retro lenses.

 

Success however depends of the ability of Leica to launch them at realistic price points, as today, older model Leica, Voigtlander lenses can be bought in the aftermarket, with some search, at a bargain.

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Older Leica lenses certainly give a rendering to the image, quite different to that of the current 'perfect' lenses from Leica. This is also the case with lenses from Voigtlander, Zeiss and others.

 

There is definitely a market for such 'retro' lenses in new condition, with built in adapters for M and T mounts. I think the recent statements from Leica, point to an impending launch of such a new family of retro lenses.

 

Success however depends of the ability of Leica to launch them at realistic price points, as today, older model Leica, Voigtlander lenses can be bought in the aftermarket, with some search, at a bargain.

I have been often wrong with predictions about what would make sense for new lenses from Leica, so I run a high chance that the following  will be falsified by the "gnomes" from Wetzlar soon:

 

When I look at some results from my old 1:5.6/28mm Summaron on the M9, I see some of the problems  older lens designs have with digital sensors: magenta/cyan drift in the edges, which is more evident with the Summaron at f 5.6 than with the Summicron Asph (1. Version) at f 2.0. With other sensors you get "smearing" in the edges.

 

The reason is that the  Summaron's exit pupil has a very small diameter. Leica recently did something for the existing 28mm Elmarit and Summicron to avoid these problems. With a "new" Summaron - having the same lens design as the historical one - they would exactly run into these problems again, so they would offer a "new" lens which is not really apt for digital usage.  

 

O.k.: they might give it a complete new optical design - but why f 1:5.6??? The modest opening of the Summaron was an indicator that Leitz during the  early 50s was not able to achieve a lens design for wide angle lenses with larger opening. The first 35mm Summicron and the first 28mm Elmarit came  later - and even they were not performing on the level Leitz had reached with longer focal designs.  60 years later those restrictions have been overcome.

 

So a "modest" 28mm lens would not have f 5.6 but f 2.8. They have such a lense already, newly modernized, very small, with excellent results and not too expensive compared to other Leica lenses.

 

Therefore I call the rumor about a new 1:5.6/28mm completely unrealistic. (I know that my "realism" is usually not shared by Leica...)    

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Therefore I call the rumor about a new 1:5.6/28mm completely unrealistic.   

 

 

The rumour website has a very good track record. I think you are also looking at this from totally the wrong perspective.

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The rumour website has a very good track record. I think you are also looking at this from totally the wrong perspective.

 

Perhaps I am also looking at the rumor website from the wrong perspective:

 

Their original announcement from May 10, which is linked in the original posting of this thread described a lens - which obviously is not the 1:5,6/28 Summaron. This lens was never released with M-mount, perhaps there is just a protoype with this mount, all others have screw mount. It certainly never had goggles to be used with the M3. The description - and the links to ebay - fit the 1:3.5/35mm Summaron. 

 

Only with an update from May 15, they describe and show the 28mm Summaron. So their rumor is developing at least.

 

Though as said I above, I know that I am usually wrong with predictions on Leica lenses. The most interesting news will be, whether they also make the original hood, since the old SOOBK is much rarer than the lens itself. This would help some owners of the SNOOX who are searching the hood. 

Edited by UliWer
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I'll add my subjective opinion: :p

  1. f/4 Elmar is more practical, and future proof.
  2. Leave the retro to special editions; for mass make it more towards 50AA to fit wider audiences.
  3. Make IQ surpass everything 28mm; don't think it would cannibalize existing larges aperture offerings, but attracts new customers and let most of us buying both.

1 cent.

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I have done a short review of the how the existing 2.8cm f5.6 LTM Summaron performs on the M240.

 

http://macfilos.com/photo/2016/5/20/leica-28mm-summaron-f56-little-old-guy-goes-modernperhaps

 

I was very pleased with the output but there are some issues to be dealt with for use on a modern digital camera. I am sure that Leica will deal with those issues if they decide to re-issue the lens. I would be very interested in a new version so that I can retire my existing lens as a 'collector's piece'.

 

William

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