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Looking for M9+ New leica 35mm f1.4 Images!


Fotomiguel

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I use my new 35mm Lux exclusively, cropping where necessary.

 

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I was looking at buying a copy of the new version and got this from the dealer today.

 

'I am e-mailing to inform you that the 35mm f/1.4 lens that you have on order with us has been discontinued from Leica. I have been in contact with Leica to check if they have any remaining stock and they don't seem able to supply us at all. I am sorry for inconvenience that this will undoubtedly cause you.

 

They have, however, informed us that they are in fact replacing the lens with an updated model which we should be getting stock of fairly soon, although they have not supplied any exact dates. The difference that they have made with this update is that they have added a new floating element behind the aperture blades in order to improve focusing at closer distances. They also supply this lens with a new, specially made, metal lens hood which is much smaller than it's predecessor to match the size and shape of the lens.I am e-mailing to inform you that the 35mm f/1.4 lens that you have on order with us has been discontinued from Leica. I have been in contact with Leica to check if they have any remaining stock and they don't seem able to supply us at all. I am sorry for inconvenience that this will undoubtedly cause you.

 

They have, however, informed us that they are in fact replacing the lens with an updated model which we should be getting stock of fairly soon, although they have not supplied any exact dates. The difference that they have made with this update is that they have added a new floating element behind the aperture blades in order to improve focusing at closer distances. They also supply this lens with a new, specially made, metal lens hood which is much smaller than it's predecessor to match the size and shape of the lens.

 

http://en.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/lenses/7263.html'

 

Is the the version III 35mm Summilux? I'm confused now.

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Superb set, Bo. I was amazed when I saw that you had shot those night shots at ISO 160. Any tricks up your sleeve with those? They are quite spectacular.

 

Thank you Proy and Mark.

 

Sorry, no real exciting tricks, mostly shoot wide open, let the shutterspeed drop to 1/15th or 1/30th - oh and hold the camera still, its not all the exposures which work, but now and then one stick. :D

 

.

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djdstone

 

Your dealer seems to be talking about version II (current version) of the 35mm Summilux. If you look at the diagram on Rockwell's site, the floating element of the the 35mm Summilux FLE is behind the aperture blades.

 

LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH (floating element)

 

It would be HIGHLY unlikely that Leica would replace a new lens that was only introduced in 2009! Furthmore, this lens already has a small metal hood which replaced the plastic hood of its predecessor.

 

Erik

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There was a rumour last year when supply dried up that there had been a recall but no evidence was ever supplied to support this. I think it was bollocks - supply of the lens resumed and the lens continues to be available (albeit in small numbers).

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It was announced in the Fall of 2009 (it's data sheet was created in September 2009), but 'introduction', 'availability' and ability to avail oneself of one are all quite different concepts with Leica.

 

Leica might look like a camera company but it is really a finely crafted luxury goods company somewhere in the continuum between Ferrari and Louis Vuitton. Much closer to Ferrari, where scarcity is maybe unavoidable but certainly also a powerful marketing tool.

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Much closer to Ferrari, where scarcity is maybe unavoidable but certainly also a powerful marketing tool.

 

I was chatting to a Leica dealer about this (one who deals with rich city types) and he strongly disagreed about this actually improving sales.

 

He drew a comparison to the high-end watch companies who have a waiting period, but it is a KNOWN period - he says it's a real turnoff to customers when they come in to order a M9-P and 35 Lux, and he can't actually tell them if he'll have them in six months, a year, or what.

 

Also, for it to be a marketing tool, I would expect Leica to be exploiting it - I've never seen any "built by hand in Gemany, perfection takes a little longer" etc type of marketing from Leica, at least in the time I've followed them (which is in fact only fairly recently).

 

I'll certainly agree though that we would all do a little better to view them as a luxury goods company, not a professional camera company - it would make sense of many of the decisions that can seem illogical at times.

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I was chatting to a Leica dealer about this (one who deals with rich city types) and he strongly disagreed about this actually improving sales.

 

He drew a comparison to the high-end watch companies who have a waiting period, but it is a KNOWN period - he says it's a real turnoff to customers when they come in to order a M9-P and 35 Lux, and he can't actually tell them if he'll have them in six months, a year, or what.

 

Also, for it to be a marketing tool, I would expect Leica to be exploiting it - I've never seen any "built by hand in Gemany, perfection takes a little longer" etc type of marketing from Leica, at least in the time I've followed them (which is in fact only fairly recently).

 

I'll certainly agree though that we would all do a little better to view them as a luxury goods company, not a professional camera company - it would make sense of many of the decisions that can seem illogical at times.

 

I would be curious to know what production constraints Leica really grapples with: labor, capital, organization, parts, lack of automation...?

 

From what I understand, the very high end watch market is mostly labor constrained: there is a severe shortage of skilled watch 'makers'. As with Leica I imagine production levels are too low for any significant level of automation.

 

'Hand-made' is a wonderful attribute for luxury marketing, less so for actual technology production, dare I say. My new 35mm Lux rattles noticeably. The Leica USA technician I spoke to knew exactly what the problem was and said it was easy to adjust away. It's loud enough that it would surely have been noticeable during testing and packaging. So much for hand-crafting a lens! (It doesn't seem to affect the performance so I never got around to returning it to Leica.)

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The 35 summilux is an incredible lens. I've had the opotunity to see the results very close. But anyway no enough money. This post is from last year. Now I'm the owner of a wonderful second hand 35mm sumicron f2. Like new! I'm really happy with it, even when is not the magic summilux.

I don't use the lens frecuently but when I use it, it's just perfect.

Here you have a selection of my favourite 35mm sumicron pictures

Zenfolio | Slideshow | Miguel Massanet Amer

 

Miguel, I enjoyed looking at your photographs which show a very keen eye for content, timing and light. The Summicron is a very fine lens, but which telephoto lens did you use in the second collection? Once or twice I yearned to see just a little more content in some of the tele shots. Not a criticism, just my impression after one viewing.

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Hey Miguel,

 

I think you should stop worrying about the kit you haven't bought yet and take a lot of photos.

 

Miguel started this thread a year ago....probably a lot of pics by now (from the Summicron...post #41).

 

Jeff

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