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SLR Magic 50mm f0.95 M Lens


janrzm

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I realize the Moderators will probably have their heads in their hands at the sight of this post but I'd like to have my say regarding this lens.

 

It looks like the thread was closed on this yesterday and having followed it since its inception it was probably about time.

 

Like many I was "seduced" by the various reviews of this lens, clearly the reviewers can only comment on the product in front of them and the images were impressive. The responsibility is then with us as consumers, nobody made me buy this lens.

 

I did express my concern initially on Steve's site about the size and ability of SLR Magic to service their clients and indeed deal with any arising warranty issues. Yet I still ordered one......I don't think anyone can afford to throw several thousand dollars away but I felt it was a risk worth taking at the time.

 

I was one of the "early adopters", more like "Crash Test Dummy" so the lens was discounted. I paid my deposit in Feb, the lens was due to arrive in May, it actually came in June but I was kept informed. Also I was provided with a UV filter and two ND filters.

 

It was packaged as well as any Leica or Voigtlander lens I have ever purchased.

 

I had a quick play with it on the M9, in about two minutes I realized it had a considerable back focus issue. I reported this straight away and Andrew offered to rectify it. Obviously by then the issues experienced by others were becoming common knowledge and in truth I lost my faith in the lens and the company. Had it worked perfectly I may have kept it, we'll never know.

 

I emailed Andrew and advised that the lens was not to my satisfaction, and expressed my desire for a refund. This was the first time I did not get an immediate response. I then took the step of opening a dispute through Paypal and did get a response then.

 

I was offered my money back at this point. It wasn't cheap to return so I'm a couple of hundred dollars out of pocket.......:)

 

Noctilux on order still........live and learn

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May the SLR Magic issue rest in peace!

 

Buying online has a great many pitfalls, I have rarely purchased lenses over the Internet with full satisfaction, often due to the sellers ignorance.

 

One was a Elmarit 90mm... "Minty", I purchased from a "reliable" seller on Huffs forum. I knew I was going to be traveling, so I had it sent to my destination. When I received it, I discovered a scratch in the front element. Luckily I was near my favorite Leica dealer, and they offered to buy it but at a loss. So I weighed the options, and the costs to ship it back overseas. The final kicker was that they had just received a factory refurbished 90 APO cron that they offered at a low price.

 

So I traded in the Elmarit for the APO-cron, ate the loss and moved on.

 

I have become a strong believer in brick and mortar camera shops, who you can build a relationship with! On the net it's buyer beware.

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Or buy from really reputable sellers.

 

I thought I had...

 

What guidelines are there for picking a reputable seller? eBay had this seller as reputable. I know others who recommended him...

 

But still it happens...

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Or buy from really reputable sellers.

 

I have always advocated making friends with a good dealer . I use a shop in Manchester (UK) and have done for 25 years always dealing with the same person. I don't buy everything off him but always give him a chance ie can he get one etc. It works for me.

BrianP

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I thought I had...

 

What guidelines are there for picking a reputable seller? eBay had this seller as reputable. I know others who recommended him...

 

But still it happens...

 

My favourite dealer also trades via the net ,as most of them do these days.PM me and I will give you all his contact details.

BrianP

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I thought I had...

 

What guidelines are there for picking a reputable seller? eBay had this seller as reputable. I know others who recommended him...

 

But still it happens...

For Leica related gear, just read this forum.

I must confess to relying on eBay feedback for relatively rare used articles, but normally I will go for my local dealers and the rock-solid international ones on the Internet.

Edited by jaapv
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For Leica related gear, just read this forum.

 

OK, Mr. Moderator.. What steps do you take to police the buying and selling on this forum?

 

I know on Huffs forum he does nothing. There is not even a way to comment about vendors.

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Caveat emptor.

 

It's not possible to police sales through a forum such as this, but if you are regular visitor and engaged member, you will recognise vendors. I wouldn't buy anything from this forum from someone that I didn't recognise.

 

No sales platform is 100% safe, so you have to look after yourself.

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Nothing. There are plenty of threads praising. individual dealers. Just use the search function to bring up the good and the bad, and note who is doing the praising/complaining.

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I think, this issue must be sorted out in more detail !

 

As far as I read this here, there were two or may be three people that had a problem with their LM (rangefinder coupled) version and their lens was either replaced or they got a refund. Most of the others complaining here just seemed to join in for bashing but never had this lens and propably also no Noctilux in their hands so far.

 

If it is fair or unfair that unsatisfied buyers lost some money for fees during that transaction, also should be considered in detail. In my opinion, the transaction or cancellation fees of paypal or credit card companies should be taken over by the buyer, when the seller offers to repair or replace the lens and the buyer cancels nevertheless. A big amount of fees also goes into customs / taxes during shipment. If the lens is returned or replaced, it is up to the buyer to claim a refund from customs.

 

In my case, I got a prototype of the "CINE" version in February. It is the version without rangefinder coupling and so it is less mechanical complex and needs calibration only for the "infinite" focus position. Optically it is identical to the LM version. I took that lens on several trips, e.g. a three week roundtrip through Cuba in march, where it hat a hard time. It did not break apart or change its mechanical condition. You can see reviews and comparisons (also to the Noctilux 50/0.95 and the Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH) here, here and here and there will be another comparision workshop on July 29th with another Noctilux 50/0.95, a Nokton 50/1.1, a Canon 50/1.2 LTM and others.

 

My prototype (one of the first six samples built for volunteering reviewers) had some minor mechanical issues: The aperture ring was a bit too loose, the focus ring quite tight (but not tighter than on the Noctilux 50/0.95 I had for a first comparison) and there were some particles enclosed in the lens. I informed SLR Magic about the issues that I determined and although I did not explicitely ask for, they offered a replacement in June. The new copy works perfect. SLR Magic stated that there were some mechanical optimizations after the prototype feedback (and may be of those first buyers). The aperture and focus rings operate exactly how you would expect it and it is clean inside. The optical performance is how you would expect it from such a specialised lens, that is optimized for open aperture shooting as well. It is not the best choice for edge-to-edge sharpness but you do not really expect this when shooting at F0.92 and center resolution is at least on par with the Noctilux 50/0.95.

 

On the NEX-7 there is a contrast issue under very particular conditions but this can be controlled by a mask as described in my reviews. It has far less problems with purple fringing compared to the Noctilux and vignettes less at open aperture. The bokeh is a little bit different to the Noctilux but I would not say worse - just different and way better than the Nokton 50/1.1 bokeh. You should also consider that this lens has some optimizations for filmmakers (e.g. the stepless aperture measured in T-stops) so it was not really intended as a "Noctilux killer". This only, what some people tried to assign to it.

 

So I see no reason for a warning - at least not for the "CINE" version and not for SLR Magic in general at all. The situation for the LM version may be different at the moment. I think the calibration process for a lens with such a shallow DOF is a very complex issue and I think it is a process that should only be applied to a system of camera and lens together. Perhaps SLR Magic needs some time here to optimize the results and you should give them the time instead of bashing and accusing them. But this is not an issue for people who use that exceptional lens on cameras with EVF like Fuji X Pro 1 or NEX-7 anyway.

Edited by 3D-Kraft.com
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In my opinion, the transaction or cancellation fees of paypal or credit card companies should be taken over by the buyer, when the seller offers to repair or replace the lens and the buyer cancels nevertheless.

 

I disagree generally - transaction fees, etc. are part of the cost of doing business and should not IMO be directly passed on to the customer. I also disagree specifically - in this case SLR Magic have sold a product that, for a number of customers, has fallen well short of their expectations. Not just once but multiple times with some customers (one reportedly having received 3 replacements). When a product is so apparently poor, there is nothing unreasonable about a buyer refusing a repair or replacement and a refund should be full and forthcoming.

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I disagree generally - transaction fees, etc. are part of the cost of doing business and should not IMO be directly passed on to the customer. I also disagree specifically - in this case SLR Magic have sold a product that, for a number of customers, has fallen well short of their expectations. Not just once but multiple times with some customers (one reportedly having received 3 replacements). When a product is so apparently poor, there is nothing unreasonable about a buyer refusing a repair or replacement and a refund should be full and forthcoming.

 

I can not speak for UK or Hong Kong but in Germany you have to give the supplier at least two chances for repair / replacement before you can insist on a refund. Reports of others who contend that it might be poor are no excuse to bypass that procedure.

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Canon did not have a problem calibrating a 50mm F0.95 lens for an RF. Mine bought off of Ebay was perfect with my Canon 7. The lens was over 40 years old when I got it, no issues with it 10 years later. It is well constructed, no loosening up or play in the mount.

 

We are talking about 50 year old practices that have produced super-speed lenses that work 50 years later. Why is this a hard problem for this company?

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Perhaps SLR Magic needs some time here to optimize the results and you should give them the time instead of bashing and accusing them. But this is not an issue for people who use that exceptional lens on cameras with EVF

 

You seem rather defensive (though I notice you also have a blog and run workshops:rolleyes: so that might explain the tone). Now that information regarding the internal construction of this lens (Locktite, etc.) has come to light, do you still feel that the "lens has an absolutely exceptional build quality. It is solid like a tank..."?

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May the SLR Magic issue rest in peace!

 

Buying online has a great many pitfalls, I have rarely purchased lenses over the Internet with full satisfaction, often due to the sellers ignorance.

 

One was a Elmarit 90mm... "Minty", I purchased from a "reliable" seller on Huffs forum. I knew I was going to be traveling, so I had it sent to my destination. When I received it, I discovered a scratch in the front element. Luckily I was near my favorite Leica dealer, and they offered to buy it but at a loss. So I weighed the options, and the costs to ship it back overseas. The final kicker was that they had just received a factory refurbished 90 APO cron that they offered at a low price.

 

So I traded in the Elmarit for the APO-cron, ate the loss and moved on.

 

I have become a strong believer in brick and mortar camera shops, who you can build a

relationship with! On the net it's buyer beware.

 

+1

 

I attempted to purchase a new "in stock" MP from a couple of reputable online sites, but a quick phone call revealed neither had one, so I certainly won't fall for that old chestnut again.

Its far better to find a local dealer you can visit and develop a good rapport with. As far as buying secondhand from the internet, I'd rather wait a little longer to buy new

Edited by andyedward
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You seem rather defensive (though I notice you also have a blog and run workshops:rolleyes: so that might explain the tone).

 

The blog as well as the workshops are non-commercial and I am not affiliated with SLR Magic.

 

Now that information regarding the internal construction of this lens (Locktite, etc.) has come to light, do you still feel that the "lens has an absolutely exceptional build quality. It is solid like a tank..."?

 

I did not disassemble the lens but what you see and what you feel from outside seems rock solid - and contains a lot of screws. I don't know if the CINE also contains glued parts but so far I did not have problems with it and meanwhile significant parts of aeroplanes are glued as well. The components used for that lens are of good quality (I read that the use glass from Schott, Germany) and I read also a lot of quality problems from other notable manufactures including Leica with early samples. What might to be improved is the assemby and calibration of the LM version and SLR Magic should be given the time required.

 

As this discussion is quite speculative and not very objective, I think time will give the answer, not rumors.

Edited by 3D-Kraft.com
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