danlindberg Posted January 13, 2011 Share #1 Posted January 13, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have read in several places of some disappointment on "focusingfeel" of the latest 50 lux asph! Is this so for both the black and the silver version? I also understand that the silver version weighs more, is this a positive thing for focusingfeel? I would appreciate feedback from people that has focused with both black and silver versions. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Hi danlindberg, Take a look here 50 lux black or silver for smooth focusing. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Xmas Posted January 13, 2011 Share #2 Posted January 13, 2011 Hi Such things are subjective, dependent on size of hands, how you hold the camera, etc. For example both my ZM lenses have play in focus rings and some people wont lift the camera with one of the lenses fitted. It does not affect the pictures. Try before you buy if you possible can. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlindberg Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks for reply. And yes, I would love to be able to try for myself IF there is a difference between the black and silver, but there is none available and I must decide till next week for a black or a silver..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivar B Posted January 13, 2011 Share #4 Posted January 13, 2011 I actually owned both chrome and black at one point of time, and they can really not be compared at all. The chrome gives a feeling of smoothness and solidity which the black cannot match. You would be surprised to see how large the difference is. The chrome one adds a bit of weight (only exception is 2/28 as I recall) but on a 50mm this is not that important. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted January 13, 2011 Share #5 Posted January 13, 2011 Hi Dan, I guess this also depends on what you're used to. I have the chrome 50 Lux (haven't tried the black one, sorry). Compared to my other lenses, the focussing is as smooth, but noticeably slower than the chrome 35 & black 75 Crons, and about the same as the black 21 Lux. To a degree, I guess it depends on the size of the glass and what's happening inside with the FLE. I don't find the focussing an issue with my 50 Lux - it's smooth, and I'm well used to the focussing tabs. The chrome lenses certainly feel heavier than the black ones (the black 75 Cron and the chrome 50 Lux are pretty much the same size). All my lenses are Asph, so the comparison is reasonably valid. I like the weight, look and feel of the chrome 50 Lux with my Grey M9 - feels like they will go on forever and ever! It's the lens which lives on my camera the most. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted January 13, 2011 Share #6 Posted January 13, 2011 ... they can really not be compared at all. The chrome gives a feeling of smoothness and solidity which the black cannot match. You would be surprised to see how large the difference is. Frankly, I don't believe that. Or more precisely, I do believe you had two samples of the Summilux-M 50 mm Asph which felt differently when focusing ... but I doubt the reason for that difference was one being black, the other being chrome. Once I had two copies of the Apo-Summicron-M 75 mm Asph in my hands—one focus ring was a bit stiff but still perfectly smooth; the other was even stiffer and terribly jerky—not usable at all. Both were black. So two copies of the same lens can feel differently, no matter whether they're black or chrome. As a matter of fact, black lenses and chrome lenses have the very same focusing helicoids inside. The difference is in materials of the outer shells only—chromed brass vs. black-anodized aluminum—, and that doesn't have any influence on the smoothness (or lack thereof) of the focusing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager Posted January 14, 2011 Share #7 Posted January 14, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Chrome lenses are always heavier than their black (aluminum) counterparts. I'm one of those who always prefer the chrome version where it's available - but that's purely an aesthetic preference. I think one would be hard pressed to demonstrate any meaningful difference in focusing feel between chrome and black lenses - beyond the sample-to-sample variation that always will occur with what are essentially hand-assembled products. But it's clear to me that the newer generation of lenses that have floating elements (35 Summilux ASPH (ver II), 50 Summilux ASPH, 75 Summicron ASPH) have somewhat stiffer focusing actions than their non-floating-point predecessors. Even that is a fairly modest "worsening" relative to the stunning performance that this new generation of lenses provide. Frankly, Leica lenses of all types and generations have a consistent focusing feel excellence that few other modern lenses can approach. I'd make my purchase decision based on what you can get and what color looks prettier to you. You can hardly go wrong with either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted January 14, 2011 Share #8 Posted January 14, 2011 Chrome lenses are always heavier than their black (aluminum) counterparts. I think this is incorrect. The silver 28 Summicron Asph, I believe, is silver anodized, not brass, and is listed by Leica as the same weight as the black version. There might be other examples, including perhaps the silver 28 Elmarit for one of the special edition cameras. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlindberg Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted January 14, 2011 Excellent responses, thanks I am going for a silver/chrome....I think that looks awsome on a grey body! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
matlep Posted January 14, 2011 Share #10 Posted January 14, 2011 Excellent responses, thanks I am going for a silver/chrome....I think that looks awsome on a grey body! Not to be sarcastic, but good luck in finding one... I haven´t seen a new one in ages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlindberg Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share #11 Posted January 14, 2011 Well....I am borrowing a demo unit next week that I can keep until my new one arrives, be it half a year or a full years wait. So I'm up and running soon despite the waitinglists everywhere Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager Posted January 14, 2011 Share #12 Posted January 14, 2011 I think this is incorrect. The silver 28 Summicron Asph, I believe, is silver anodized, not brass, and is listed by Leica as the same weight as the black version. There might be other examples, including perhaps the silver 28 Elmarit for one of the special edition cameras. Jeff Indeed you are correct, Jeff. The "silver" version of the 28 Summicron is painted. It is not chrome. Chrome lenses are always heavier than their aluminum counterparts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
matlep Posted January 14, 2011 Share #13 Posted January 14, 2011 Well....I am borrowing a demo unit next week that I can keep until my new one arrives, be it half a year or a full years wait. So I'm up and running soon despite the waitinglists everywhere That sounds great! Nice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveYork Posted January 14, 2011 Share #14 Posted January 14, 2011 The 50 Summilux asph starts out a little stiff, but with use it becomes buttery smooth. At least, this has been my experience with the one I've owned since 2005. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramosa Posted January 14, 2011 Share #15 Posted January 14, 2011 I had read something like this, too. I had a Cron 50mm and loved the focus. I got a Lux 50--and love the focus, too. I have had NO focusing problems on the Lux. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfredo Posted January 15, 2011 Share #16 Posted January 15, 2011 Excellent responses, thanks I am going for a silver/chrome....I think that looks awsome on a grey body! Enjoy the lens. I also have the silver/chrome version, and it is my favorite Leica lens ever. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted January 15, 2011 Share #17 Posted January 15, 2011 The 'lux ASPH was the first Leica lens with a floating element. This means that the interior mechanics is pretty complicated. Many early specimens had stiff focusing, including mine (also from 2005). I actually had to send mine back to Solms for some physiotherapy. Now it's firm, but smooth. This double set of helicals inside the mount is common to both finish versions. These differ only in that the outer parts of the silver version have to be made out of brass, as aluminium does not take electroplating well (the black is not plating, but anodising). So the claim that silver lenses are inherently smoother than the black is a piece of urban legend, along with the fable that the brass on the outside made the glass in the silver v.1 35mm Summilux ASPH resistant to focus shift! My v.2 35mm Summilux ASPH, by the way, is smooth as silk. The old man from the Age of he Crocus Cloth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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