DigitalHeMan Posted January 5, 2013 Share #1 Posted January 5, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Since the new Summicron 50mm ASPH will (hopefully) be shipping shortly, is anyone aware whether this will mean Leica stop manufacturing the previous non-ASPH version in the short term? The new version is obviously a lot more expensive due to the APO and ASPH qualities, so it would seem to me like it would make sense for them to continue to produce the cheaper non-ASPH version for people not willing to invest in the ASPH. Has anyone seen a definitive answer from Leica, or know of any prior precedents that have been set? TIA Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Hi DigitalHeMan, Take a look here Will the current 50mm Summicron be discontinued?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest MarcRF Posted January 5, 2013 Share #2 Posted January 5, 2013 they wont stop the summicron 50 non-apo Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted January 5, 2013 Share #3 Posted January 5, 2013 AFAIK the 50mm Summicron is still an 'entry kit' lens together with the M7 Hard to see what should replace it. Not the Summarit IMHO. But time will tell... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted January 5, 2013 Share #4 Posted January 5, 2013 It sounds as though Leica are having huge problems in manufacturing the APO Summicron to their required standards. I wonder if it can be profitable for them? I can't see that it will ever be a 'mainstream' lens, and surely won't replace the existing lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted January 5, 2013 Share #5 Posted January 5, 2013 Agreed - from the initial announcement it appeared to be more of a "bragging rights" lens to say they could do it - not a replacement for their trademark lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted January 5, 2013 Share #6 Posted January 5, 2013 Question: Will the Summarit line of lenses be expanded?Stefan Daniel: Let me expand a bit on this: After the announcement of the Apo Summicron some people feared that we would only build very expensive lenses for more than 5000 Euros for the super-rich customers. This is not the case at all. The Apo-Summicron is not the successor to the Summicron. We carry both in parallel.The new Apo-Summicron represents the leading edge in lens construction and is an extraordinary lens. We do not intend to revise our assortment of lenses such that existing lenses are replaced by more expensive ones. from: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/news/257136-leica-photokina-q-transcript.html#post2197542 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalHeMan Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted January 6, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) from: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/news/257136-leica-photokina-q-transcript.html#post2197542 Thanks all, that's the answer I was looking for. Shame my searching skills couldn't find it for me Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted January 6, 2013 Share #8 Posted January 6, 2013 As Leica have a lower end entry range, the summarit. I would be surprised if they sold two f2.0 50mm lenses. If you want anything faster than a 21mm or 24 mm at f3.4/3.8 you need to spend £5k. I would have thought they would have positioned it a little differently if this was to be the start of a premium range to run in parallel. They clearly positioned the summarits below the 'normal' range but have now integrated them in the range, possibly because they had a concern the Summarits would take sales from the Summicrons. The 50 APO is clearly difficult to make ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted January 6, 2013 Share #9 Posted January 6, 2013 Thanks all, that's the answer I was looking for. Shame my searching skills couldn't find it for me It was not difficult for me to find it. I know the complete transcript of the Q&A session pretty well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted January 6, 2013 Share #10 Posted January 6, 2013 The R10 will be developed from the S2 body. They better get real. I fell off the Leica wagon one time already, but when my son bought a M8 and I elected to buy one also. Not sorry so far, but the M9P is significantly better in my opinion. I kept them both. It would not have happened had I still not had lenses from 1980`s that I could make useable. I have no idea how much profit they make, but everything is getting getting so expensive and they raise the prices every year as carelessly as the the US government borrows or prints money. There comes a point where people can not afford the product. Well there is the economy ME model like the economy M2 was. People can not even afford Nikons anymore. The 1.4 G lenses are pushing $2000. They have grown in size also to where transport is becoming an issue. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted January 6, 2013 Share #11 Posted January 6, 2013 The R10 will be developed from the S2 body. (...) What's an R10? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted January 6, 2013 Share #12 Posted January 6, 2013 I think it could be more probable they quietly phase out the Summarit 50 than the classic Summicron 50. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 6, 2013 Share #13 Posted January 6, 2013 The 50/2.5 is a Karbe lens whilst the Summicron is a Mandler's and there's always been a "slow" 50 in the Leica stable: 50/3.5, 50/2.8, new 50/2.8, now 50/2.5. So if one lens has to go it will be the Summicron i'm afraid but i would be happy to be proven wrong on that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted January 6, 2013 Share #14 Posted January 6, 2013 Thinking a little longer about this, there will now be 75,90 & 50 APO, perhaps the Summicrons will be positioned as the ultimate f2 lens if you need more speed ( or perhaps simply less dof) then it will perhaps be expected that the summicron performs marginally better than the Summilux at similar apertures. Looking forward to seeing the 35 APO and then a tweak to the already stellar performing 28. Oh and a nice 24 Summicron would be great if smaller than the Summilux I still doubt there will be two 50mm Summicrons in the medium term Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thighslapper Posted January 6, 2013 Share #15 Posted January 6, 2013 As sensors and high ISO performance is only going to get better, the description 'fast lens' becomes irrelevant.... 'narrow DOF' is more appropriate as that's really the only use for them .... in fact the Leica statement that aperture should really be used for controlling DOF is an acknowledgement of this and subtle rebranding of what these 'fast' lenses are allegedly designed for. My most used 50 is a 2.8 collapsible ...... followed by my Noctilux 0.95. I can't see much point in anything in between so they can stop making all the others for all I care.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted January 6, 2013 Share #16 Posted January 6, 2013 the 2/50 has been the workhorse lens in the current lineup. i can only guess how much profit leica made with that single lens, similar with the 35/2 asph probably... why should they quit making it? this lens is a living legend. look at the reputation of the 50 summicron. people still think that it beats the summilux asph (although as far as I can tell from MTF the cron isnt the reference lens anymore). the summicron name is a kind of ambassador for leica, as has always been. I dont see the point why it should be discontinued and neither does leica too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted January 6, 2013 Share #17 Posted January 6, 2013 ...the summicron name is a kind of ambassador for leica... The ambassador will be the 50/2 asph i'm afraid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MarcRF Posted January 6, 2013 Share #18 Posted January 6, 2013 The ambassador will be the 50/2 asph i'm afraid. due to the price it will be a show off lens of what is possible. imo it's still too expensive to be widely available (like the old 50/2 is... 1750€ is still not cheap but you get a great performance) besides both carry the summicron name Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted January 6, 2013 Share #19 Posted January 6, 2013 ... Looking forward to seeing the 35 APO and then a tweak to the already stellar performing 28 .../QUOTE]Highly unlikely I'm afraid since iirc the benefits of apochromaticity become negligible at focal lengths below about 50 mm. Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted January 7, 2013 Share #20 Posted January 7, 2013 I think that APO for short lenses is more or less the case already for some 'short' focal length Leica M lenses, I have no specific data at hand for this but I know that the Nikon AFS 24mm 1.4 is an ED (APO) lens, a very good one... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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