oculux Posted February 25, 2012 Share #1 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi everyone, Â I have the silver chrome M9P and silver 50mm Lux in silver. Â I want to get a 28 and 90 alongside this in due course but the lack of silver options on lenses is frustrating. It might be shallow in that it's cosmetic etc but I think a good part of the Leica experience is about this aspect. Â I know they made silver 28s in the recent past, and hope they have plans to make more in the future as I'd buy silver over black. Â My question is more immediate. I have the choice of a 28mm Elmarit in black or a 35mm Summicron in silver available. In terms of focal length I'm leaning 28mm for the more meaningful difference from 50; but I may not use that lens as much as the 35mm which I do enjoy as a very general wide normal type lens. I also like the silver color of the 35. Â The 35 is a thousand dollars more than the 28 but this is not of major importance. Â Which to buy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 25, 2012 Posted February 25, 2012 Hi oculux, Take a look here Which lens in my setup?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
JWW Posted February 25, 2012 Share #2 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Everyone has their preference but in my case I like having both the 35 and 50 available. If I travel and take only one lens, I'll usually take the 35mm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted February 25, 2012 Share #3 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Hello oculux, Â Welcome to the Forum. Â Lens choice is very personal & is not a value judgement. The correct lens for you is the 1 which best approximates the way you personally look @ the World. Â You might try walking around for a week or so w/ a camera w/ only a body cap. Look w/o it @ what you might want to photograph. W/O looking thru the viewfinder walk to where the subject has its best balance, perspective, etc. Then look thru the viewfinder & try different frames until you find which projected frame most closely approximates what you had envisioned. Â That is the correct lens for you. Â Best Regards, Â Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gad356 Posted February 25, 2012 Share #4 Â Posted February 25, 2012 I know Leica made a 28 Summicron is silver. Maybe it's already discontinued but if so, only recently. My local dealer had a new one lying around for a long time but he finally sold it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
small-luxury-world Posted February 25, 2012 Share #5  Posted February 25, 2012 Hello oculux,  sounds more like a fashion problem  Just kidding  Would recommend you to go out and to enjoy what you already have, while you are waiting for what YOU really want.  Go out, have fun and maybe share pictures with us ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rramesh Posted February 25, 2012 Share #6 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Leica silver chrome lens are usually made of brass and hence heavier. This may be one reason why they are no longer made. Note though that lens quality is in the inside glass and not just housing. Â If silver is critical for you for cosmetic reasons, suggest one of the following options. Â a) Buy vintage Leica lens in silver. Usually more desirable on account of age and unique lens characteristics. Buy lens from Zeiss and Voigtlander which still come in silver. (though not silver over brass). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted February 25, 2012 Share #7 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have a 35 Summicron asph in silver and I am selling (this is not an add as you are in the US !) mainly because of the weight but also I think part silver part black looks a little odd (black hood, sliver body) Â The lux on an M9-P in chrome looks luvley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
e1k3 Posted February 25, 2012 Share #8 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Leica made silver MATE in the past, which would give you 28 and 35 (and 50). Could be an option for you, but probably hard to find. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 25, 2012 Share #9 Â Posted February 25, 2012 As far as I remember the silver 28mm Summicrons were not heavier than the same lens in its black version. It is one of the few lenses made out of alluminium not brass covered with silver chrome, if I'm not mistaken. Just look up the weight in older data sheets/files. Â If you search long enough, I'm sure you will find one. It is a 28mm, it is silver it and this is what you say you want, so why compromise or ask other people to talk you out of it . It sure makes wonderful images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted February 25, 2012 Share #10 Â Posted February 25, 2012 ...If you search long enough, I'm sure you will find one. It is a 28mm, it is silver it and this is what you say you want, so why compromise or ask other people to talk you out of it?... Because the silver 28/2 cannot be found under $7K perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pum pum Posted February 25, 2012 Share #11 Â Posted February 25, 2012 i have same preference like you, i have 28cron asph + 35lux asph + 50lux asph + 50cron Rigid + 50 elmarit + 50 f/1.5 all in silver combine with M9P silver really good looking set. Two best lens for me is 28cron + 50lux you should get that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 25, 2012 Share #12  Posted February 25, 2012 OK, I think I can add some insight here...  I have 2 silver chrome M9-Ps, as well as an M2 and M3 and several vintage lenses. I love silver chrome. It's vintage and speaks to me of Leica's heritage...  I have the 50 Summilux ASPH in silver chrome. It's a stunning lens, and I love it in silver chrome. I have the 35 Summicron ASPH in silver chrome. It's a stunning lens, and I love it in silver chrome. I have the 90 Elmarit-M in silver chrome. It's a stunning lens, and I love it in silver chrome.  I have the 18 Super Elmar M in black. It's a stunning lens and I could care less that it's not available in silver chrome I have the 21 Super Elmar M in black. It's a stunning lens and I could care less that it's not available in silver chrome I have the 35 Summilux FLE in black. It's a stunning lens and I could care less that it's not available in silver chrome  Is this a fashion show or a photography forum??? I like silver chrome because I feel the lenses are more rugged in brass with chrome plate than aluminum with black anodized finish, but at the end of the day it's the optics that matter most.  Stop worrying about what purse goes with which scarf and go out and take some photos... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted February 25, 2012 Share #13 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Steve, the black surface on Leica lenses with aluminum mounts is not paint or a coating, but very well made anodising. That is, it is integral with the metal. Â LB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
small-luxury-world Posted February 25, 2012 Share #14 Â Posted February 25, 2012 Â Is this a fashion show or a photography forum??? ... at the end of the day it's the optics that matter most. Â Stop worrying about what purse goes with which scarf and go out and take some photos... Â Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted February 25, 2012 Share #15 Â Posted February 25, 2012 While you've got your 50, use your frame line preview lever to see the world through the 28 and 35 frames, and use your feet to change perspective. Then decide...the answer is not black and white (err, silver). Â Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 25, 2012 Share #16  Posted February 25, 2012 Steve, the black surface on Leica lenses with aluminum mounts is not paint or a coating, but very well made anodising. That is, it is integral with the metal. LB  Sorry Lars, my fingers are working faster than my brain. Black Leica lenses are black anodized, not powder coated. It is an extremely rugged finish, and I have no complaints about it from a cosmetic (less important) or mechanical (most important) standpoint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oculux Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share #17 Â Posted February 27, 2012 I ended up getting the silver 35 cron. Â Over the past 2 days I discovered that it had back focus of 1inch at 0.7m getting worse as it went out to infinity. This leads to soft images that aren't in critical focus. I say back focus and I mean that if I focus on eyes they are soft and hair is in focus. I can compensate by focussing on nose and then eyes are better. Â Unfortunately my 50 lux is seemingly perfect at near with stunning razor sharp focus. Problem is that the images on the lux and the cron are both soft at infinity. Â I researched the forum and ended up adjusting both the infinity control and arm length cam. Â I have nice infinity on both and the 35 is now very slightly back and the 50 very slightly front but this is more acceptable to me. Â Â In terms of silver vs black and disparaging me for cosmetics.... Leica is the company with Hermes, hammer tone, titanium, a la carte etc. I mean cosmetics is integral to the Leica philosophy IMO whether acknowledged or not. I also wear Rolex and accept that it also makes leopard skin diamond encrusted models as well as the pedestrian models. Yes it's about taking pictures in the end, and I might be superficial to some but I'd rather drive a Bugatti than a entry level Eastern European communist era model in brown. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 27, 2012 Share #18 Â Posted February 27, 2012 In terms of silver vs black and disparaging me for cosmetics.... Leica is the company with Hermes, hammer tone, titanium, a la carte etc. I mean cosmetics is integral to the Leica philosophy IMO whether acknowledged or not. I also wear Rolex and accept that it also makes leopard skin diamond encrusted models as well as the pedestrian models. Yes it's about taking pictures in the end, and I might be superficial to some but I'd rather drive a Bugatti than a entry level Eastern European communist era model in brown. Â My apologies for being a bit harsh in my above post, and as you can see I own quite a few silver chrome lenses myself. While I prefer them I realize that Leica is a small company with a severe lens backlog and that we are likely to get more black anodized and fewer silver chrome lenses in the future. I'm OK with this, as long as lenses flow and quality is maintained. While special limited editions, such as the silver chrome Noctilux and Neiman Marcus silver chrome M9 will come out from time to time I recognize that these extreme margin products only benefit Leica with additional revenues to pour into R&D. Â Yes, I also like pretty things (Breitling, not Rolex) but the color of the lens is IMHO a secondary matter that should not be factored into the buying equation when selecting between two different lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oculux Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share #19 Â Posted February 29, 2012 After reading up on other 35mm Summicron owners pictures on the forum I found I still wasn't pleased with the quality of images I was getting with it. Â I went over it with the dealer who agreed to swap it over. Â I can only say that the other lens definitely was a bad copy. Obviously an element misaligned. Even with adjusted focus and focus bracketing its pictures were soft compared to the replacement. So I'm much happier now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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