bpalme Posted January 7, 2012 Share #1 Â Posted January 7, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Just doing some personal research. What lenses would you say are the most "owned". Could be discontinued, new,Zeiss, Voigtlander and of course Leica. Top 5 or 10....whatever you would like to list. Also I'm thinking in active use not total ever sold. Not necessarily mounted on an M camera. I would think : 1. 35 Summicron 2. 50 Summicron 3. 28 Elmarit Edit 3.1 VC Nokton F1.4 Â 4. 50 Summilux 5. 35 Summilux 6. 50 Zeiss Sonnar 7. 28 Summicron 8. 50 Zeiss Planar 9. 35 VC F1.2 10. 21 Zeiss 2.8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 7, 2012 Posted January 7, 2012 Hi bpalme, Take a look here Most popular M mount lenses.. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
adan Posted January 7, 2012 Share #2 Â Posted January 7, 2012 A. WHICH VC "Nokton" f/1.4 - 35mm or 40mm? Â B. I suspect that there are more Leica 21 f/2.8s in use than Zeiss ZM, simply given that Leica has been selling them for 32 years, Zeiss for only half a decade or so. Â C. You don't distinguish between ASPH and non-ASPH. If you are lumping them together, I'd bet total 50 Summiluxes (since 1960 or whenever) still outnumber the VC Noktons. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 8, 2012 Share #3 Â Posted January 8, 2012 No Zeiss or CV in the top ten i guess due to Leicas bein much older. Otherwise i have no idea. Just to play with you i would say: 1. 50 Summicron 2. 35 Summicron 3. 50 Elmar 4. 35 Summaron 5. 90 Elmar 6. 28 Elmarit 7. 90 Elmarit 8. 50 Summilux 9. 135 Elmar 10. 35 Summilux Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted January 8, 2012 Share #4 Â Posted January 8, 2012 LCT, Â I generally agree with your list although I think the 50 Summilux would be higher. Â Which 50 Elmar? F/3.5, F/2.8, old or new? Â Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 8, 2012 Share #5 Â Posted January 8, 2012 ...Which 50 Elmar? F/3.5, F/2.8, old or new... All included (?). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share #6  Posted January 8, 2012 A. WHICH VC "Nokton" f/1.4 - 35mm or 40mm? B. I suspect that there are more Leica 21 f/2.8s in use than Zeiss ZM, simply given that Leica has been selling them for 32 years, Zeiss for only half a decade or so.  C. You don't distinguish between ASPH and non-ASPH. If you are lumping them together, I'd bet total 50 Summiluxes (since 1960 or whenever) still outnumber the VC Noktons.   A. Well I meant to put 35 but now that you mention I wonder how popular the 40 is.  B. Thanks for that. . I created this thread for this kind of input.    C. I meant all 50 Summilux .. you're probably right about that too. So thanks for that. My list is just a very rough thought as I haven't been around Leica all that long but I do realize a lot have been made over the years. But with all the m43, and NEX systems I'm sure a lot of noktons have been made too in the last couple of years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share #7  Posted January 8, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) No Zeiss or CV in the top ten i guess due to Leicas bein much older. Otherwise i have no idea. Just to play with you i would say:1. 50 Summicron 2. 35 Summicron 3. 50 Elmar 4. 35 Summaron 5. 90 Elmar 6. 28 Elmarit 7. 90 Elmarit 8. 50 Summilux 9. 135 Elmar 10. 35 Summilux  Interesting.. I would not have thought the 135 to be that popular. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted January 8, 2012 Share #8  Posted January 8, 2012 Well, a good starting point to answer the OP's question could be Erwin Puts' pocket guide posted here:  Downloads http://imx.nl/photo/downloads/files/leicapocket_pod1.pdf  It lists all Leica lenses made by name from 1933 to 2006, including total number made on pages 66 - 120. It's easily transferred to a spreadsheet and could then be quantitatively analyzed.  Just a suggestion.  K-H. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share #9  Posted January 8, 2012 Well, a good starting point to answer the OP's question could be Erwin Puts' pocket guide posted here: Downloads http://imx.nl/photo/downloads/files/leicapocket_pod1.pdf  It lists all Leica lenses made by name from 1933 to 2006, including total number made on pages 66 - 120. It's easily transferred to a spreadsheet and could then be quantitatively analyzed.  Just a suggestion.  K-H. Thanks for the link. Looks like in 2005 they made 1000 50mm M Summicrons and 2550 Summilux. Interesting. Those numbers seem kinda low to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted January 8, 2012 Share #10 Â Posted January 8, 2012 In 2005, Leica were really struggling. Â Lens manufacture has never been a mass production exercise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 8, 2012 Share #11 Â Posted January 8, 2012 Interesting.. I would not have thought the 135 to be that popular. I'm not sure at all but photogs had little choice to shoot teles when SLRs did not exist or had not the success we know now. Shooting an Elmar 135 with an M3 was still very handy in the sixtees and remains so today IMHO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share #12 Â Posted January 8, 2012 I'm not sure at all but photogs had little choice to shoot teles when SLRs did not exist or had not the success we know now. Shooting an Elmar 135 with an M3 was still very handy in the sixtees and remains so today IMHO. I see .. that makes sense. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted January 11, 2012 Share #13 Â Posted January 11, 2012 One of our trainees had some spare time, so I asked him to do something useful and analyse the data made available by Mr. Puts. FWIW, here's what's come out (2006 and beyond are N/A I'm afraid): Â 1. Summicron 50 2. Elmar 50/3.5 (becomes #1 when taking into account the f/2.8 version - see #9 below) 3. Elmar 90 (I was surprised) 4. Summitar 50 5. Summar 50/2 6. Summaron 35/3.5 (becomes #5 when taking into account the f/2.8 version) 7. Summicron 35 (has probably become #6 now) 8. Hektor 135 (another surprise) 9. Elmar 50/2.8 10. Summilux 50 (likely #9 by now) Â Interestingly, the analysis also shows that over 50% of the M lenses made were 50mm, with 35mm and 90mm accounting for 15% each, 135mm nearly 10% and all other focal lengths combined less than 10%. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted January 11, 2012 Share #14 Â Posted January 11, 2012 Many thanks for the analysis. Â I think it would be also interesting to list the total number of lenses produced in each category or focal length. Of course, total production number of all Leica lenses and % for the focal lengths would work as well. Â Thanks again, K-H. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted January 11, 2012 Share #15 Â Posted January 11, 2012 Total lens number at the end of 2005 was a fairly round 2.5m. 50mm 52% 35mm 15% 90mm 15% 135mm 8% 28mm 2% 21mm 2% 75mm 1% 65mm 1% All others 4% Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted January 11, 2012 Share #16 Â Posted January 11, 2012 Interesting, 24 mm is even less popular than 21 mm. Â Thanks, K-H. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 11, 2012 Share #17 Â Posted January 11, 2012 Less popular i don't know but later that's sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted January 11, 2012 Share #18  Posted January 11, 2012 Why not post a list of lenses (Say 15 or so) and see what the feedback is via a poll  Members simply tick which ones they own to see how well we fit the mould Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 11, 2012 Share #19 Â Posted January 11, 2012 Would not help to answer the question of total lenses sold this or would it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted January 11, 2012 Share #20 Â Posted January 11, 2012 Less popular i don't know but later that's sure. Indeed. 21mm lenses have been produced since 1958. The first 24mm was the Elmarit (first production batch in 1996), that was only recently discontinued. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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