new Summilux 35mm [ Merged ]

[Overgaard]

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It seem to sell fine without having been released.

 

In general the strategy of scarcity of Leica cameras and lenses seem to work fine. Quite a large percentage of the Leica public could buy any and all lenses they want to. Now, here is some things you can't buy. It spices up things like when you were a student and had to save up to get what you really wanted.

[hoppyman]

Well the question of whether there was any deliberate leaking is undetermined. My opinion is that Leica Camera did not want this to be public. My guess would be an announcement at Photokina? They will presumably like to have some new product announcements and this one ought to be well received. No idea on actual delivery of course. I offered to place a deposit here (Australia) but the distributor cannot discuss any product that has no official basis. That is fair enough. I still want one

 

A pre-production sample has been sighted in the wild some weeks back (in Europe). Again that tells nothing about release and availability of course, or even final design.

As was pointed out demand has greatly increased (since the M9 introduction) and supply of a number of models has been delayed, so it seems unlikely that any new lens would be available in any quantity immediately. That's a nice problem for Leica Camera to have. They just cannot make enough product to meet demand and this one seems likely to join that group.

 

By way of a minor contribution, if the leaked information is legitimate, the lens hood appears identical to the one on the Elmar 24 by comparison of the leaked picture and part number. I have that 24 and the screw on metal hood has both a tighter last section of the thread and a step at bottom centre so that it indexes perfectly (no O-ring). If so it is a minimum size hood rather than optimised for a 35, but it is sturdy and compact. Normal 46 threaded filters fit inside no problem.

Edited May 5, 2010 by hoppyman

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[rolu]

... They just cannot make enough product to meet demand and this one seems likely to join that group.

 

I visited the Leica manufacture last week and I can confirm that production seemed to be quite busy.

 

I have that 24 [Elmar] ...

Are you pleased with it? I'm thinking of buying one to combine it with the 21LuxA, which unfourtunaly seems to be quite prone to reflexes, when there is back- or sidelight. Ho does the Elmar24 fare in this respect?

[Rick]

It spices up things like when you were a student and had to save up to get what you really wanted.

 

Thorsten, when I was a student, what I really wanted, to spice things up, seems to be much different than what you wanted?

 

p.s. Call your buddy Chris Weeks up and I bet he might tell you that he shot it in LA with Tony and it has a metal screw mount hood just like the 24.

Edited May 5, 2010 by RickLeica

[hoppyman]

Rolu, just diverting briefly from the original Summilux topic to answer your questions.

Yes I am extremely happy with the Elmar 24 on my M9. I have not seen any instances of flare and internal reflections, if that is what you are referring to.

 

I have shot that superb new Summilux 21, courtesy of Leica Akademie. I found that is is just possible to provoke flare in extremely difficult light if you deliberately try to do so. But it is no problem for any reasonable application. Unsurprising given the size of the front element and the view angle naturally. It's larger than I would willingly carry, but if you need f/1.4 then....

 

One of the Elmar 24's attractions is that it performs just like the stellar Elmarit (although slower of course) but maintains sharpness even better into the corners. Another is that it is very compact in use and the 46mm filter thread allows me to use my M- Polariser when desired. In my view a perfect travel lens.

Beach scene photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com

Morning light photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com

[wparsonsgisnet]

...it would make sense for Leica to delay the launch of the lens until Photokina ...

 

Good. I'm broke.

[rolu]

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Rolu, just diverting briefly from the original Summilux topic to answer your questions. ...

Beach scene photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com

Morning light photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com

 

Thank you very much! Very helpful!

 

Great pictures !!!

[Xmas]

This is the end of a very long era. Sad day for everyone if they have compromised the use of the lens on most of their cameras. That's what's being implied here.

 

Last time similar statement circa '59-61 in Am Phot mag, about another lens being introduced in M mount only. the end of different era.

 

Optimisation for digital probably only means moving the rear nodal point further away from the film(sic sensor plane), and reducing any focus shift so it is less detectable.

 

The other example is the 28mm asph Elmarit which is best on an M8.

 

Lenses always shifted it is only since the web and Dig Ms that is has become a hot topic.

 

Hard if you have to send them back to Solms to be adjusted at your own expense. Should have stayed with a M2, oops did not means to say that, smack own wrist.

 

Noel

[Overgaard]

Thorsten, when I was a student, what I really wanted, to spice things up, seems to be much different than what you wanted?

 

p.s. Call your buddy Chris Weeks up and I bet he might tell you that he shot it in LA with Tony and it has a metal screw mount hood just like the 24.

 

I got that already in school, now I just want to be left alone with an 35/1.4

[biglouis]

As was pointed out demand has greatly increased (since the M9 introduction) and supply of a number of models has been delayed, so it seems unlikely that any new lens would be available in any quantity immediately. That's a nice problem for Leica Camera to have. They just cannot make enough product to meet demand and this one seems likely to join that group.

 

Not wishing to pick an argument with you but I disagree. It is a stupid problem for any company that wants to maximise profits to have. Failing to meet demand is the quickest way for a company to go bust. A reason is that consumers, being rational, will purchase close substitues instead. You may argue that there is no close substitute for the Leica system but a lot of would-be Leica owners who purchase Nikon or Canon systems would disagree with you.

 

Leica should concentrate on ramping up production of what it has and not creating smoke in mirrors by introducing new products which they have little or no hope of delivering for a very long period. The supply of M9s and X1s is an absolute joke by any commercial standard and unless it is fixed I doubt Leica in its current form will be in business in the future.

[Jager]

Not wishing to pick an argument with you but I disagree. It is a stupid problem for any company that wants to maximise profits to have. Failing to meet demand is the quickest way for a company to go bust. A reason is that consumers, being rational, will purchase close substitues instead. You may argue that there is no close substitute for the Leica system but a lot of would-be Leica owners who purchase Nikon or Canon systems would disagree with you.

 

Leica should concentrate on ramping up production of what it has and not creating smoke in mirrors by introducing new products which they have little or no hope of delivering for a very long period. The supply of M9s and X1s is an absolute joke by any commercial standard and unless it is fixed I doubt Leica in its current form will be in business in the future.

 

I'd have to disagree, BL. Many companies have profited from the scarcity of their products, whether it was a conscious strategy or simply because they were unable to meet demand. It is a well known human behavior that scarcity tends to increase our desire for an object. Harley Davidson was a genius at that for two decades - carefully managing output to maintain a consistent product backlog.

 

The goal is not simply to maximize profit. The goal is to maximize profit over time. Big difference.

 

I'd argue that if Leica ramped up production to meet current demand for the M9, S2, X1, and the recent spate of lenses that have everyone's attention - that would be a quick road to ruin.

[ho_co]

... Leica-guy: You can't order it yet....

 

...The rep will tell the dealer when he can. Could be next week. Could be next year....

I'm with Lars here, Andy. Can't speak for today, but when I worked for Leitz, the sales reps didn't hear of a product until it was almost ready. "You can't order it yet" means 'sit tight, it's just around the corner.'

 

And the "leaked" PDF did say it would be available from the end of March. though that was pre-Eyjafjoll, which seems disruptive still on Th afternoon: Iceland Volcano To Emit Large Ash Cloud After New Eruption -Meteorologists - WSJ.com.

[cheewai_m6]

I'd have to disagree, BL. Many companies have profited from the scarcity of their products, whether it was a conscious strategy or simply because they were unable to meet demand. It is a well known human behavior that scarcity tends to increase our desire for an object. Harley Davidson was a genius at that for two decades - carefully managing output to maintain a consistent product backlog.

 

i agree. in australia, not sure about other countries, if you buy a porsche gt3 for example, you'll have to wait over 24 months. even if you want to buy a triumph motorbike, you'll have over 6 months to wait. i know a guy who was on a waiting list for 18 months for a bmw m3. of course, these items cost a lot more than a camera or a lens.

 

if you're going to get into a leica system, something in your mind already knows a nikon or canon isn't the same.

[yst]

:)Why is the new Summilux 35mm creating so much hype?

 

Is the current Summilux 35 ASPH not able to produce good images? Or the new one will produce better images?

[hoppyman]

I think great interest might be a more accurate description rather than hype, since no-one officially has seen actual output as yet.

 

Yes of course the current Summilux ASPH. makes really good photographs and yes this new version should make even better photographs. The replacement is expected to add advantages from a more modern design.

One advantage of the new design is expected to be that focus shift has been addressed by the use of a floating element in the new design. Focus accuracy should benefit from the application of the more critical tolerances and design decisions for lenses optimised for the M sensors.

 

I expect that this new design will rank alongside the superb Summilux 50 ASPH. You only have to look at all of the recent high end designs, the Nocti and the two new Summilux wides to see that Leica Camera's design department is committed to updating the range with superb new state of the art designs.

 

Most importantly there is no official information that the lens is actually in production nor when we may see stock, so it's all guesses and estimates at this point.

Edited May 7, 2010 by hoppyman

[JWW]

Regardless of whether Leica should or shouldn't have built up a scarcity, it's nice to see the company have such a demand to create the scarcity in the first place. This shows that the products have hit some sort of sweet spot in demand. Much better than the vice versa situation. In my personal situation, I have sold my current 35 lux in and am waiting on a dealer list for the new 35 if and when it comes out.

[lct]

We know the look, the dimensions, the technical data and the code numbers of the new lens and its accessories but nothing official of course.

[JWW]

We know the look, the dimensions, the technical data and the code numbers of the new lens and its accessories but nothing official of course.

 

Deja vu with M9 release

[rolu]

:)Why is the new Summilux 35mm creating so much hype?

 

Is the current Summilux 35 ASPH not able to produce good images? Or the new one will produce better images?

 

"Better" is always a question, that cannot be answered. Every lens is a compromize how it handles the different optical errors, and therefore has a different character and can be used for different purposes. You have to decide, what you want.

 

If a new LuxA35 design has the priority to avoid focus shift, the character and rendering of the lens will be quite different. From what I understand, the reason for the focus shift is not fully corrected chromatic aberration. But this gives you that wonderful rendering, which will be lost. I prefer to learn how to handle the shift.

I don't want my pictures to be a copy of reality - as roguewave put it in a nutshell recently. Compare for example the old with the new Nocti; sure the new one is sharper, but ... Look yourself. For you to decide. The new 35 will not be for me.

What is so special about Leica is that you can choose different characters of lenses for the same focal length.

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[UliWer]

...

... But this gives you that wonderful rendering, which will be lost. ... Look yourself. For you to decide. The new 35 will not be for me.

....

 

Funny that we already know how a new lens exactly renders - when we havn't had yet any chance to see it's results nor to compare them with those from the previous model.

 

There is still the prejudice around that the pre-asph. 50-lux had a smoother bokeh than the asph. Here we have the chance to look and compare and to find out that the prejudice is not true. Perhaps we'll once be able to look closer at those prejudices from the results of different 35mm-lux asph. Perhaps.

 

Until then I think, that those people at the optical department of Leica know what they have to care for when they present a new lens.