Irek Posted February 6, 2010 Share #1 Posted February 6, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Tri-Elmar 28-35-50 mm is out of production. So where is its replacement? Maybe it will be Tri-Elmarit 28-35-50 mm or Tri-Summicron 28-35-50 mm. Or maybe Leica lost interest in such universal lens. Give your opinion. Irek Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Hi Irek, Take a look here Where is the new Tri-Elmar 28-35-50 mm. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
SJP Posted February 6, 2010 Share #2 Posted February 6, 2010 My guess nowhere. It is a great lens for daytime walking around use but was never very succesful in terms of sales and was (is) incredibly complicated. No market, no business model => no lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosuna Posted February 6, 2010 Share #3 Posted February 6, 2010 A Tri-Summarit would be more likely... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonoslack Posted February 7, 2010 Share #4 Posted February 7, 2010 Well I didn't know that it was a poor seller? Considering what a short time it was in production there seem to be a lot around, and the prices they sell for suggests that there really is a market. It wasn't much on the M8 but it's really come into it's own on the M9. I understood that they stopped making it because the design was too expensive; I'd guess thats changed now. (with the big sales of the new 'luxes) A summarit version which focused down to .7 would be great, especially if it were small. I would have thought it was very likely Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
haroldp Posted February 7, 2010 Share #5 Posted February 7, 2010 The MATE (ver 1 55mm) spends more time on my M9 than any other lens I have and I have a wide selection. A new one might be a true zoom design like the WATE. Regards ... H Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaiste Posted February 7, 2010 Share #6 Posted February 7, 2010 A new one might be a true zoom design like the WATE. That may be difficult. Remember that the MATE was going 35 - 50 - 28. Lucien Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Pope Posted February 7, 2010 Share #7 Posted February 7, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) The MATE (ver 1 55mm) spends more time on my M9 than any other lens I have and I have a wide selection. A new one might be a true zoom design like the WATE. Regards ... H I'm not sure that would be a good idea with the MATE. If it was a true zoom, how would the lens 'know' which framelines to bring up? I think the reason the WATE is a true 'zoom' is because there is no need for a mechanism to select framelines as it's necessary to use an accessory finder with it. You never know, perhaps Leica will re-introduce a MATE - an Elmarit or Summicron would be nice, but I would imagine it would obscure a large part of the viewfinder. I think f4 is probably a reasonable compromise in that regard. But then, I'm no optical or mechanical engineer. Leica have come up with quite a few surprises over the last year, so you never know what may turn up next. Cheers Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 7, 2010 Share #8 Posted February 7, 2010 Leica has a problem in that almost any new lens they introduce has the potential to steal sales from one of the others. A 28mm Summilux, for example, might take sales away from its close neighbours in focal length or speed - the 24 and 35 mm Summiluxes and the 28mm Summicron which begs the question where Leica can take the lens line other than filling in the gaps in the focal length/speed matrix and updating designs over time (with the 35mm Summilux rumoured to be the first in line). Alternatively, Leica could reinvent the Tri-Elmar variable focal length concept which I very much like. We'd certainly want them to couple the selected focal length to the camera and they'd need to do better than the puny 1.31 "zoom" ratio of the WATE. Two lenses would be great. A 28-50 Bi-Summicron and a 28-35-50-75-90 Penta-Elmarit. Say. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UliWer Posted February 7, 2010 Share #9 Posted February 7, 2010 ... Two lenses would be great. A 28-50 Bi-Summicron and a 28-35-50-75-90 Penta-Elmarit. Say. Cheap stuff! We need the 16 - 135 Deka-Noctilux! When will Leica listen? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted February 7, 2010 Share #10 Posted February 7, 2010 I really would like to see this lens back in production. I've had my eye on one for a good while. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
haroldp Posted February 8, 2010 Share #11 Posted February 8, 2010 That may be difficult. Remember that the MATE was going 35 - 50 - 28. Lucien They could make it 28-35-50 and click indent the lengths and selection cam as on the WATE. a good reason to do it this way is that the optical design parameters for parafocal zooms are well known and heavily tested. Regards ... H Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivar B Posted February 8, 2010 Share #12 Posted February 8, 2010 I recall Stefan Daniel saying they were not incredibly sorry when they had to discontinue the lens as Hoya could not supply the front lens element any longer and alterantive sources of supply did not exist. It was apparently a very expensive lens to build and they did not make much money from it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted February 8, 2010 Share #13 Posted February 8, 2010 I recall Stefan Daniel saying they were not incredibly sorry when they had to discontinue the lens as Hoya could not supply the front lens element any longer and alterantive sources of supply did not exist. It was apparently a very expensive lens to build and they did not make much money from it. I remember a manufacturer complaining that it cost him €5 to make and sold for €15 and he had to make a living on that 10% margin :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigSplash Posted February 8, 2010 Share #14 Posted February 8, 2010 Actually I understood from an interview that Stefan gave that there was interest for Leica to reintroduce the MATE as there was demand for it and there was a potential to redesign the lens using a different and available glass. He did not give a date but the impression was "not too distant future". I have the MATE and this is the lens I use most on my M8. In fact this is the lens that sits permanently on the camera as it is so versatile and the IQ is in my view superb. I am always suspicious about IQ on a zoom and therefore was skeptical about the MATE but the detail at very large enlargements are amasing. I hope that they do reintroduce. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted February 8, 2010 Share #15 Posted February 8, 2010 Frank, if you already have one you don't need one. So what is the point? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 9, 2010 Share #16 Posted February 9, 2010 Perhaps the man needs all the MATEs he can get... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 9, 2010 Share #17 Posted February 9, 2010 There can't be many lenses who share their name with a brand of condom Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigSplash Posted February 9, 2010 Share #18 Posted February 9, 2010 Frank, if you already have one you don't need one. So what is the point? The point is that I sincerely would like as many people as possible to buy and enjoy a comprehensive line up of Leica products. I believe that the MATE is a superb lens for travel and much more .....I hope that the company resumes production of it as suggested by Stefan D. recently. Frankly my hidden agenda is that hopefully Leica can move forward as a company by having an exciting wide product portfolio ....the MATE is just one such product building block. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 9, 2010 Share #19 Posted February 9, 2010 I'd master just one of the lenses you have now, if I were you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard Posted February 9, 2010 Share #20 Posted February 9, 2010 Bill, you want to be a Gentleman Amateur, don't you? Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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