Numbers Posted July 29, 2014 Share #361 Posted July 29, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I got on the list about three weeks ago - no obligation to buy. They had recieved two so far. I was number 4 on the list for the next one. I got a call yesterday, saying they had recieved one, and that the others had passed on it - mine if I want it. I will go and try it next week. I think a lot of people just put their name on the list if there is no commitment. This lens is pricey, and its not like it has any " tricks" like the Nocti's shallow focus. One is paying a huge premium and "only" getting better image quality over some lenses that are already very good. So I can understand why people pass and put their money toward something else. I think I will get it, as it fits well with the rest of my collection of lenses, but I need to SEE something that will convince me to pay such a premium. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 Hi Numbers, Take a look here APO 50 delivery status. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
gpwhite Posted July 30, 2014 Share #362 Posted July 30, 2014 I got on the list about three weeks ago - no obligation to buy. They had recieved two so far. I was number 4 on the list for the next one. I got a call yesterday, saying they had recieved one, and that the others had passed on it - mine if I want it. I will go and try it next week. I think a lot of people just put their name on the list if there is no commitment. This lens is pricey, and its not like it has any " tricks" like the Nocti's shallow focus. One is paying a huge premium and "only" getting better image quality over some lenses that are already very good. So I can understand why people pass and put their money toward something else. I think I will get it, as it fits well with the rest of my collection of lenses, but I need to SEE something that will convince me to pay such a premium. Christian, shoot the APO 50 wide open... both at 0.7m and at infinity. Make some prints. Then decide if this unique lens is as special for you as the Nocti. Have fun Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbers Posted July 30, 2014 Share #363 Posted July 30, 2014 Thank you for the tips - I will do that :-) From what I have read so far I am VERY tempted to go for it, but I am trying to keep my mind open until I have shot with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpwhite Posted July 31, 2014 Share #364 Posted July 31, 2014 Thank you for the tips - I will do that :-) From what I have read so far I am VERY tempted to go for it, but I am trying to keep my mind open until I have shot with it. For my money and taste, the APO 50 is unmatched. It is a particular style with an exceedingly fine line and stunning 3D. It is too sharp, IMHO, on the MM. For Mandler dreaminess, I use the Summilux-R 80 or Elmarit-R 19mm vII. Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 31, 2014 Share #365 Posted July 31, 2014 For my money and taste, the APO 50 is unmatched. It is a particular style with an exceedingly fine line and stunning 3D. It is too sharp, IMHO, on the MM. For Mandler dreaminess, I use the Summilux-R 80 or Elmarit-R 19mm vII. Peter So, are going to sell the lens because it is too sharp on your MM or just not use it on your MM? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpwhite Posted July 31, 2014 Share #366 Posted July 31, 2014 So, are going to sell the lens because it is too sharp on your MM or just not use it on your MM? Very funny . I would not sell my favorite lens, which I have enjoyed immensely since January 2013 when it arrived. Yep, first batch, and yet not veiling, flaring problems for me. I do not use the APO 50 much on my MM, and, obviously, the 80 doesn't work well either But several others are superb. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
349A Posted July 31, 2014 Share #367 Posted July 31, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Received my APO last night. Beautiful lens. Took a few shots and love what I'm seeing so far. Its on my MM since I've been in a B&W only phase. This lens has a real magic to my eyes. Its hard for me to describe. Its as if the extreme sharpness creates a silkiness and seamlessness to the image. Its not something I see in any other Karbe design- For instance I dislike the 35mm Lux fle finding it to look overly sharp and cold as if the clarity slider has been pushed too far. The APO doesn't have this coldness while being apparently sharper. I hope Leica will do a 35mm or 28mm equivalent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanJW Posted July 31, 2014 Share #368 Posted July 31, 2014 Received my APO last night. Beautiful lens. Took a few shots and love what I'm seeing so far. Its on my MM since I've been in a B&W only phase. This lens has a real magic to my eyes. Its hard for me to describe. Its as if the extreme sharpness creates a silkiness and seamlessness to the image. Its not something I see in any other Karbe design- For instance I dislike the 35mm Lux fle finding it to look overly sharp and cold as if the clarity slider has been pushed too far. The APO doesn't have this coldness while being apparently sharper. I hope Leica will do a 35mm or 28mm equivalent. I got mine yesterday and agree with this. It isn't just the sharpness. It renders beautifully. And I somewhat agree on the comparison to the 35mm FLE, but I am not as down on that lens, especially for inanimate subjects where the extra "clarity" as you put it is a plus. For portraits one would think the sharpness of the APO would be a detriment, but try it out and you will see it is terrific. This is about most expensive lens I have ever bought and as far as I am concerned it is worth it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted July 31, 2014 Share #369 Posted July 31, 2014 The good thing with very sharp lenses is that they can be softened in PP rather than having to sharpen an otherwise less sharp image. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 31, 2014 Share #370 Posted July 31, 2014 Very funny . I have enjoyed immensely since January 2013 when it arrived. Yep, first batch, and yet not veiling, flaring problems for me. Glad you enjoy it and are going to keep it as I suspect the earlier lenses are going to be more difficult to sell, even if they were "fixed." A copy that was not returned to Leica for should prove to be worth even less. Having been around Leica fetishists for a while now, I believe that this lens will carry with it forever the story of the first lenses being not desirable because of flare. Collectors and buyers will shun it like they do the Canadian 75 Summilux... which has no logical basis other than Leica fetishists want to have "Germany" printed on their copy. I'm afraid the 50 APO is going to suffer this scorn in spades. Already, forum members are trying to determine what serial numbers are the pre- and the post-. Which is one of the reasons why I simply returned my early copy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpwhite Posted July 31, 2014 Share #371 Posted July 31, 2014 Glad you enjoy it and are going to keep it as I suspect the earlier lenses are going to be more difficult to sell, even if they were "fixed." A copy that was not returned to Leica for should prove to be worth even less. Having been around Leica fetishists for a while now, I believe that this lens will carry with it forever the story of the first lenses being not desirable because of flare. Collectors and buyers will shun it like they do the Canadian 75 Summilux... which has no logical basis other than Leica fetishists want to have "Germany" printed on their copy. I'm afraid the 50 APO is going to suffer this scorn in spades. Already, forum members are trying to determine what serial numbers are the pre- and the post-. Which is one of the reasons why I simply returned my early copy. Interesting comments that are likely on point. But I love the images from my old, worthless APO 50. And I am lucky that the strap lugs on my M240, which arrived two months after the APO 50, did not come loose either. My approach has been that if it works out of the box, don't fiddle with it. But now these pieces must be worthless! The ironic part of the 75 Summilux story is that the Canada lenses were made when Mandler himself was there to fiddle with production tolerances (or least early on, he was). Thorsten tells the story that true Leica fetish aficionados know to look for ELCAN as opposed to truly German 75 SX. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 31, 2014 Share #372 Posted July 31, 2014 Interesting comments that are likely on point. But I love the images from my old, worthless APO 50. And I am lucky that the strap lugs on my M240, which arrived two months after the APO 50, did not come loose either. My approach has been that if it works out of the box, don't fiddle with it. But now these pieces must be worthless!. I didn't say worthless - but, I would at least send it in to get whatever update is needed to fix the problem with earlier lenses. The ironic part of the 75 Summilux story is that the Canada lenses were made when Mandler himself was there to fiddle with production tolerances (or least early on, he was). Thorsten tells the story that true Leica fetish aficionados know to look for ELCAN as opposed to truly German 75 SX. I have a beautiful Canadian version from a collector that probably never used it and traded it + cash in to our local Leica dealer for a mint German copy. Silly, isn't it? But, it meant I got the Canadian lens for about $1,700 about 5 years ago. I'd like to think Mandler at Ernst Leist CANada had his hands on my lens, but he wasn't around when my late model was made. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbers Posted July 31, 2014 Share #373 Posted July 31, 2014 Received my APO last night. Beautiful lens. Took a few shots and love what I'm seeing so far. Its on my MM since I've been in a B&W only phase. This lens has a real magic to my eyes. Its hard for me to describe. Its as if the extreme sharpness creates a silkiness and seamlessness to the image. Its not something I see in any other Karbe design- For instance I dislike the 35mm Lux fle finding it to look overly sharp and cold as if the clarity slider has been pushed too far. The APO doesn't have this coldness while being apparently sharper. I hope Leica will do a 35mm or 28mm equivalent. It sounds really good. What you are describing is where I want to go at the moment with my photography, rather than the "Mandler" Look. More contemporary and less romantic. I hope I will find what you see, as well. But I need to see it to pay so much. BTW, so far, Ive been more than very happy with my 35 Lux. In fact, my most used, its a stellar performer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Warwick Posted July 31, 2014 Share #374 Posted July 31, 2014 Received my APO last night. Beautiful lens. Took a few shots and love what I'm seeing so far. Its on my MM since I've been in a B&W only phase. This lens has a real magic to my eyes. Its hard for me to describe. Its as if the extreme sharpness creates a silkiness and seamlessness to the image. Its not something I see in any other Karbe design- For instance I dislike the 35mm Lux fle finding it to look overly sharp and cold as if the clarity slider has been pushed too far. The APO doesn't have this coldness while being apparently sharper. That encapsulates 100% what I've found too. I think you describe it perfectly. The 35mm Lux FLE is (to my eyes) artificially / obviously digitally sharp, with too high contrast. In comparison, the 50mm APO recorded the most detail I've ever known a lens to do, whilst doing it in a beautiful, smooth and natural-looking way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
349A Posted July 31, 2014 Share #375 Posted July 31, 2014 To my eyes, it really is silky smooth. It has a continuousness for lack of a better term. A medium format realism without any real strong thumbprint to its rendering. It seems unique among 35mm lenses in that regard. Its reminding me a bit of my old Contax G 45mm on Velvia 50asa slide film in terms of its feel. Tight structure, crisp without hard edges- smooth yet sharp as a tack. I never owned the 35 Lux FLE, I own the 35 Lux Asp which I quite like. The 35 Lux FLE shots I've seen always hit me with a clinical feel. Like a super fine sharp edge to the images. I prefer the 50 Lux Asph in that regard. The APO is more soulful and realistic than my 50 Lux Asph. At least in early testing. I'm not sure I'll use the 50 Lux much anymore. I'm far from an expert so take it with a grain of salt. And its just 24 hours in with just a few dozen shots. This is the first lens that off the bat seems without compromise to my eyes. All my other lenses seem to impart much more of a signature to the rendering. The APO just gets out of the way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Warwick Posted July 31, 2014 Share #376 Posted July 31, 2014 To my eyes, it really is silky smooth ...... A medium format realism ..... Tight structure, crisp without hard edges- smooth yet sharp as a tack..... Totally agree! The resolution is remarkable, and I totally agree that it does this "without hard edges". For that reason, the images I've taken with the 50mm APO remind me more than any lens in this format of medium format (in my case, of high end drum scanned MF film). The 50mm APO records so much detail, but without that fake-looking and harsh acuity that looks, well, "obviously digital". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted July 31, 2014 Share #377 Posted July 31, 2014 Not sure if this has ever been technically answered, but is it really necessary that ALL of the early 50 APO's be sent back to Leica. Mine never had a problem. I cannot understand why it would be worth less than a current one at resale. Is there something that will eventually fail and make it necessary to send the lens back? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted July 31, 2014 Share #378 Posted July 31, 2014 I have a beautiful Canadian version from a collector that probably never used it and traded it + cash in to our local Leica dealer for a mint German copy. Silly, isn't it? But, it meant I got the Canadian lens for about $1,700 about 5 years ago. I'd like to think Mandler at Ernst Leist CANada had his hands on my lens, but he wasn't around when my late model was made. Very silly indeed. When I bought my Lux 75 recently I couldn't see any point in paying a premium for a like for like lens "Made in Germany" and neither could the guys at Leica London, who, when I mentioned the market discrepancy to them, said that 1980's ELCAN lenses where ever bit as well made as their German counterparts and the lens designs coming off the Canadian drawing boards were often superior. BTW, from what I can tell these days a mint Lux 75, even the ELCAN version, sells at a figure not far short of $4k. So not a bad buy at $1,700 even if 5 years ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted July 31, 2014 Share #379 Posted July 31, 2014 I didn't say worthless - but, I would at least send it in to get whatever update is needed to fix the problem with earlier lenses. I have a beautiful Canadian version from a collector that probably never used it and traded it + cash in to our local Leica dealer for a mint German copy. Silly, isn't it? But, it meant I got the Canadian lens for about $1,700 about 5 years ago. I'd like to think Mandler at Ernst Leist CANada had his hands on my lens, but he wasn't around when my late model was made. I'll offer you $1750 for your inferior copy since we know Mandler never touched it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted July 31, 2014 Share #380 Posted July 31, 2014 Very silly indeed. When I bought my Lux 75 recently I couldn't see any point in paying a premium for a like for like lens "Made in Germany" and neither could the guys at Leica London, who, when I mentioned the market discrepancy to them, said that 1980's ELCAN lenses where ever bit as well made as their German counterparts and the lens designs coming off the Canadian drawing boards were often superior. BTW, from what I can tell these days a mint Lux 75, even the ELCAN version, sells at a figure not far short of $4k. So not a bad buy at $1,700 even if 5 years ago. Well, I did not see your post and now you have ruined my potential deal with RL. Anyway, why are you reading this thread? It could be dangerous to your pocket book! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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