nelly Posted August 10, 2011 Share #1  Posted August 10, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I recently purchased a New 35MM Summilux FLE and had a couple of concerns that I thought other forum members may be able to advise me on.  Firstly is it normal that if I tilt the lens I can hear a slight sound, a light 'tink' noise that sounds like glass touching. I know the new summilux's have floating elements  Secondly the magenta/purple fringing on higher contrast elements in photos seems quite severe and far more visable than on my 28mm summicron. I know faster lenses are more prone to this and digital sensors can have an impact. I am using my lenses with my M9, but the fringing is to such a degree that even adjustment defringing in camera raw do not remove the effects completely.  Your views are appreciated Thanks Neale Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 10, 2011 Posted August 10, 2011 Hi nelly, Take a look here Advice needed on New 35mm Summilux. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
MarkP Posted August 10, 2011 Share #2  Posted August 10, 2011 OH MY GOD...I'D THOUGHT A SILVER NAIL HAD BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH THE HEART OF THIS ONE:D:D:D  only joking...  as a new member you may not know that a thread on this generated almost 120 posts last year. Rest assured the rattling 1.3/35 is normal, consider it a musical bonus...  http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/150752-my-new-35mm-summilux-rattling.html  Regards, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markgay Posted August 10, 2011 Share #3 Â Posted August 10, 2011 The latest 35mm, the flea as forum members like to call it, is an easy lens to love. Â Effortless framing on the 35mm-frame M9, very sharp and much easier to use than most other lenses in the Leica stable. Â I've seen no evidence that magenta, which is an omnipresent though minor issue with sensors as opposed to film, is any worse with the flea than any other lens. Â Regards, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norwin Posted August 10, 2011 Share #4 Â Posted August 10, 2011 My friend, if you've just purchased and are using the new 35MM Summilux /1.4 ASPH, I believe you've reached nirvana. I think this is the best lens in the Leica arsenal. I also have a Nocti 50 0.95 and it's terrific. I accept that. It should be. Same for my other Leica lens'. Â However, due to the weight and size differnce the 35MM is a dream lens to use. Â I am rather shocked. I hadn't heard of the clink sound problem before...And, I don't have it. So, I cannot comment. Nonetheless, I'd be damned concerned if I heard any sound....from the 'lens'...Are you kidding, me? Would I accept it, not on your life. I'd have that lens back to Solms in heart beat. I don't care what anyone says. Â My 35 is silent. As a lens should be. Â The worst problem I can relate to my experience with the 35 Summi is due to the aggrevating lens cap...which cannot be kept in place. It falls off and you will eventually lose it. Â Then Leica charges a shameful price for it's replacement, about the same price, I had paid for my original camera...it's a ridiculous replacement price and shameful of Leica to be so brazen to ask those needing to replace the lens cap which falls off due to their poor design - as much as they shamefully ask... Â I've tried finding another cap that fits and if anyone knows of one please tell me. (No, the better designed Zeiss lens cap won't fit this rectangular lens. Nor, will one of those rubber foam caps fit either.) Â Nonetheless, the 35 is a terrific lens. And, I wish you many years of joy - in it's use. Â With my respect, Â Norwin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
denoir Posted August 10, 2011 Share #5  Posted August 10, 2011 I am rather shocked. I hadn't heard of the clink sound problem before...And, I don't have it. So, I cannot comment. Nonetheless, I'd be damned concerned if I heard any sound....from the 'lens'...Are you kidding, me? Would I accept it, not on your life. I'd have that lens back to Solms in heart beat. I don't care what anyone says.  My 35 is silent. As a lens should be.  Norwin, I'm sorry to hear about your 35. It might be a good idea to send it to Solms:   http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/195395-advice-needed-new-35mm-summilux.html#post1797692   Dear All, I mailed to ask Leica Service about the rattling noise and here is the answer  Dear Kim,  thank you very much for your interest in the Leica system.  Regarding the new LEICA SUMMILUX-M 1.4/ 35mm ASPH we received this kind of question from several customers.  We like to confirm, that the audible sound of the aperture is standard in case of shaking the lens. It does not implement any damages because the clearance is intended to ensure a flawless functionality.  Thank you very much for your understanding and have a nice time with your Summilux.  Mit freundlichen Gruessen / kind regards  So this is the official answer from Leica, everyone shouldn't worry about rattling now!  Kim   I can add that mine rattles as well when shaken vigorously - although I wasn't aware of it before this post. It's just the aperture blades. I've tried a couple of other lenses now as well and of the 28 Cron ASPH, 35 Lux ASPH, 50 Lux ASPH, 75 Cron ASPH & 90 Cron ASPH, the 35 Lux, 28 Cron & 90 Cron are the ones that produces the sound. There is a variation in volume and in most cases I need to stop down the lens a bit.  I'm not surprised that there is variation though. Aperture control on Leica glass has changed over the years and the mechanism will depend not just on the model but also on the production year.  Edit: I've tried shaking my ZM lenses 18/25/35 & 50 and would you know it - they all rattle when shaken. Then I followed it up with a couple of SLR lenses as well, both Zeiss ZE & Canon and the aperture blades produce a sound there as well. So I'm guessing it's pretty normal for a lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 10, 2011 Share #6 Â Posted August 10, 2011 It is normal for the blades in the 35 FLE to rattle and high contrast lenses fringe (LCA). All is normal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted August 11, 2011 Share #7 Â Posted August 11, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) What's this normal purple fringing? Never got this with my normal f/1.4 lenses so far. Sounds like i will normally wait til those normal things are normally fixed by Leica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 11, 2011 Share #8 Â Posted August 11, 2011 What's this normal purple fringing? Never got this with my normal f/1.4 lenses so far. Sounds like i will normally wait til those normal things are normally fixed by Leica. Â You'll be waiting an ab-normally long time me thinks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelly Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share #9 Â Posted August 11, 2011 Thanks for the replies. I spoke briefly with Mark Brady at Leica USA and he is looking into the issues with the sound from the lens The sound is audible not when shaking the lens which I would never do but when it is tilted gently backwards and forwards and at all apertures not just wide open. In response to the post by denoir my 28cron makes no such sound. I have also noticed the aperture ring is much looser on my 35lux, than on my 28cron and easily slips out of position time and time again which can be a little frustrating when street shooting. As far as the fringing. Of course I expect some fringing on fast lenses but surely there are degrees that are unacceptable. For the price of this lens I do expect perfection and excellent quality control My 28cron was perfect from day 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
egrossman Posted August 11, 2011 Share #10 Â Posted August 11, 2011 I have the 28mm Summicron as well as the new 35mm Summilux and the loose aperture ring on the latter is completely normal, particularly as compared with the former. Â Erik Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 11, 2011 Share #11 Â Posted August 11, 2011 For the price of this lens I do expect perfection and excellent quality control. Â I feel sorry for you... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelly Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share #12  Posted August 11, 2011 'I have the 28mm Summicron as well as the new 35mm Summilux and the loose aperture ring on the latter is completely normal, particularly as compared with the former.'  Erik  Erik are you saying your 28cron has the same aperture ring tension as the 35lux or are you saying they are different and that is normal. I find the aperture ring slips between stops while carrying it and I am always having to reset the ring. I have never had to do this with my 28cron or other lenses which stay in place until I choose to change the setting Please would you mind clarifying and thanks for everyones take on this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 11, 2011 Share #13 Â Posted August 11, 2011 Your aperture ring on your 28cron and your 35FLE should have the roughly the same amount of tension and the click stop should not be slipping. This is NOT normal. This is still unrelated to the fact that the 35FLE blades have been reported to make noise when you shake them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelly Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share #14 Â Posted August 11, 2011 Thanks Rick The Aperture ring is way looser and moves when slung over my body Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 11, 2011 Share #15 Â Posted August 11, 2011 By the way, there is no difference in tension between my 28Cron and 35FLE at all. Both rings feel the same, just as you would expect. Both stay hard in click-stop. Send it back to Leica and apparently they can fix the rattle while it's there if, it really bothers you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
egrossman Posted August 11, 2011 Share #16 Â Posted August 11, 2011 The aperture ring of my 28mm Summicron is way tighter than my 35mm Summilux FLE. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thompsonkirk Posted August 11, 2011 Share #17 Â Posted August 11, 2011 That's what I found, too. But I sent the 35 to NJ with a note saying it was so loose that I'd occasionally jostled it out of the correct aperture setting. They tightened the ring so that it's normal now. Â Kirk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted August 11, 2011 Share #18  Posted August 11, 2011 Thanks for the replies.I spoke briefly with Mark Brady at Leica USA and he is looking into the issues with the sound from the lens The sound is audible not when shaking the lens which I would never do but when it is tilted gently backwards and forwards and at all apertures not just wide open. In response to the post by denoir my 28cron makes no such sound. I have also noticed the aperture ring is much looser on my 35lux, than on my 28cron and easily slips out of position time and time again which can be a little frustrating when street shooting.  Again, the sound is normal and varies a little bit between individual 35 Summilux lenses. Yes, the 28 Summicron mechanism makes no such noise. Yes, the aperture ring is looser on the 35 than my other lenses such as the 21 Summilux, 28 Summicron, 50 Summilux and 75 Summicron. I had this reviewed by Leica as the aperture ring moves with very little effort and the action is so different to my other lenses. This is normal and due to a different design of the mechanism underlying the aperture ring.  Just go ahead and enjoy using the lens!  Regards, Mark   ps Can someone get another silver nail for this thread? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelly Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share #19  Posted August 11, 2011 Mark thanks for your input but if you think this thread needs a silver nail, why do you keep added your comments?  However I do believe my concerns are justified and that Leica signed off on this lens as meeting their standards I really don't understand how it is acceptable to some out there, to have a $5000 lens that: 1.Rattles 2.Has severe fringing effects which can be a pain to deal with in post 3.A loose aperture ring that moves out of place far too easily 4. A stiff focus ring that moves sluggishly 5. And on my copy even a slight backfocus.  But on the bright side it sure does look good And yes I have been shooting with it everyday despite my concerns  Neale Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 11, 2011 Share #20 Â Posted August 11, 2011 Mark, Â I agree with you and have to admit to groaning a little when I began reading this thread. But, I think in this case he has a screwed up lens (technical optical term). I'd return this lens too. Â And, despite the wise cracks (always fun!), Neale has kept his cool on our dysfunctional (but fun) forum. He is right in sending it in. Â Rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.