Silver anodized lenses

[Stein K S]

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Just got hold of the beautiful 28 Cron silver anodized. Mint!

 

Does anyone know about why Leice did not pursue this production technology ("chroming of alu")?

 

And does anyone know about "durability" of this "chrome"?

 

And last; is this chrome after all, but on alu and not brass... what does "anodized" mean as opposed to chromed?

 

Stein K

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[tobey bilek]

Chrome is chrome metal electroplated to base metal normally with intermediate steps of copper and nickel.

 

Anodizing is changing the top layer of aluminum molecules to a harder more stain resistant finish. Plain aluminum would be a poor finish for a Leica lens.

 

I can only guess why not continuing to use it. Perhaps they ended up with aluminum and aluminum focus helical. Brass on one side with al on the other have a natural lubricity and is far better than Al & Al with lots of grease to make it work.

 

Al and Al is a cheap trick some cut rate lens manufactures use.

[01af]

Brass on one side with al on the other have a natural lubricity and is far better than Al & Al with lots of grease to make it work. Al and Al is a cheap trick some cut rate lens manufactures use.

That's right. But don't misinterpret this factoid to mean Leica would use this "cheap trick" in some of their lenses. The materials of the helicoids are always two different metals (either brass on aluminum or brass on steel, I'm not sure which), regardless of the material of the outer shell.

 

By the way, an even cheaper trick, applied in many budget lenses, is aluminum on plastic.

[Stein K S]

That's right. But don't misinterpret this factoid to mean Leica would use this "cheap trick" in some of their lenses. The materials of the helicoids are always two different metals (either brass on aluminum or brass on steel, I'm not sure which), regardless of the material of the outer shell.

 

By the way, an even cheaper trick, applied in many budget lenses, is aluminum on plastic.

 

Hi to both Tobey and 01af!

Very thorough and qualified answers! Undoubfully Leica have done all the right judgements. However; just curious about this anodizing technique since only a small number of 500 28crons has been produced with this process. Was this because of production cost and/or lack of quality?

 

PS: could anodizing be the future of silver/chrome Leica M lenses when they perhaps return?

 

Stein K

[Guest Marc G.]

According to Mr Thonesen Leica will not produce more chromed brass lenses than currently in production (excluding possible special editions). Reasons for this might be the higher material cost of brass compared to aluminium and the production which seems to be slightly more difficult.

 

It's a pity they wont produce more lenses than the Summicron-M 35 f/2 asph and Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 asph. I got the 50 in chrome and the feel (not the weight) is different from the black ones. Aperture ring goes smoother, with softer (but not less firm) clicks. The focus is a little less stiff (but this could also be due to the final quality control where different people with different feel lubricate each lens individually to their own feel).

 

I compared about 8-9 other Summiluxes to mine and the brass ones (3 other) always came out on top by far, judging the focus and aperture feel. Price is, of course, the weight and nowadays a slightly premium, which I didn't have to pay.

[Dr Owl]

Al and Al is a cheap trick some cut rate lens manufactures use.

Are there any other manufacturers than Leica who still use the natural lubricity of brass against aluminium?

[TomB_tx]

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Some of my Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses clearly have brass helicals visible in their aluminum bodies (both made by Cosina), and the new Voigtlander 50 1.5 is available even in real chromed brass body as well as black aluminum. (Most other silver lenses from Cosina are silver anodized aluminum.)

[250swb]

Are there any other manufacturers than Leica who still use the natural lubricity of brass against aluminium?

 

All Zeiss and Cosina Voigtlander lenses use brass and aluminium, which accounts for a bigger percentage of M, and LTM, compatible lenses than Leica produce themselves.

 

Steve