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Is this a new Leica 35 Summicron-M ?


menos I M6

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Guest Ansel_Adams
Please follow the link of the old rumour, Jeff kindly provided.

The current production 35 Summicron-M ASPH is pictured there with its native E39 filter ring and slim slotted nose including index for the lens hood.

 

Now please explain how a cosmetic ring can exchange the existing fixed E39 nose (which is part of the shell of the optical cell and can NOT be removed from the current lens) into the clearly larger diameter front nose, flush with the lens' aperture ring.

 

The pictured lens is NOT the current production 35 Summicron-M ASPH, but rather a new lens, a prototype or a photoshopped hoax (I doubt the later).

 

 

The rumoured new lens looks exactly like my current Summicron-ASPH. That link is old news and if you look closely the two lenses are identical. Its just a current lens with a ring on it for marketing. Just rotate the current ASPH version so it is in the same position and aperture/focus setting and presto! Identical.

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Announcing products before you can deliver them is stupid. Unless their intention is to reduce orders/income in the interim...

 

 

Can you confirm this for certain? I had a chat the other day with an official Leica dealer in the US whom I know; he'd just heard through his sources that the rumors are true and in fact, there is a CMOS Monochrom due to be announced at Photokina, probably to be delivered in March 2015.
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The rumoured new lens looks exactly like my current Summicron-ASPH. That link is old news and if you look closely the two lenses are identical. Its just a current lens with a ring on it for marketing. Just rotate the current ASPH version so it is in the same position and aperture/focus setting and presto! Identical.

 

no

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Guest Ansel_Adams

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If you take into account the photoshop retouching/lighting in the marketing shot they look exactly the same except for the ring on the front of the first one (no doubt to make it look prettier without the hood).

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This is exactly the point Mr. Adams.

they look exactly the same except for the ring on the front

 

The difference in the "ring on the front" is not a small issue.

This "ring on the front" is part of the optical cell housing of the lens, being machined from one solid piece of aluminium alloy it is absolutely impossible to change one for another except for (as mentioned several times):

 

- being a prototype lens

- being a new lens design or

- being a photoshopped hoax

 

The last option is highly unlikely as Leica used this exact product photograph on one of their official websites and Leica is not exactly known for showing potential customers vapour ware photoshopped fantasy products.

 

This is not the current production 35 Summicron-M ASPH.

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Guest Ansel_Adams
This is exactly the point Mr. Adams.

 

 

The difference in the "ring on the front" is not a small issue.

This "ring on the front" is part of the optical cell housing of the lens, being machined from one solid piece of aluminium alloy it is absolutely impossible to change one for another except for (as mentioned several times):

 

- being a prototype lens

- being a new lens design or

- being a photoshopped hoax

 

The last option is highly unlikely as Leica used this exact product photograph on one of their official websites and Leica is not exactly known for showing potential customers vapour ware photoshopped fantasy products.

 

This is not the current production 35 Summicron-M ASPH.

 

You are missing the point! The lens is the same. Just a different front ring like other lenses in that marketing image. Leica are not going to release a new lens that is exactly the same as the current lens but with no front hood option. This is not proof of a new lens.

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Yes looks like a removable front ring like that of Summarits and latest M lenses at first glance. Removing it would allow screwing the supposedly new metal hood onto the barrel. Not sure if this new hood would be as efficient as the current plastic one though.

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When I saw this (and the other thread) I felt that the narrow protruding 39mm ring or "nose" of the current Summicron Asph meant that it could not be that lens on the photograph; that ring or nose ought to peek out and be visible on the group shot, given the angle of the shot. Further confounding factors, I felt, were that one can't see the threads and that the surrounding flat face where the text is seems quite wide.

 

I don't own the current 35mm Summicron nor have I ever held one but I do have the 35 Summilux FLE and know that the thread protector ring with which that lens comes is made of quite thin metal. But it is and looks robust and thick because the top/front-most part is angled/bent inwards to the centre of the ring. When put on the lens, the lens takes on a really quite different "look".

 

This, and this image, got me thinking; if you simply "placed" (because there are no threads onto which it could be screwed) such a ring on the Summicron it would look more beefy and big. And in fact this is what I think they've done - simply placed a 53mm-wide ring on top. This can be glimpsed a bit in the photo because there are darker "overhang" areas at the lens's far end.

 

Anyway, just my two cents, having spent much too much time thinking about this.

 

Philip

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For certain this is NOT the current version of the Summicron 35 asph, if only for the different front ring and, presumably, different filter size. Whether the optical cell has changed is another matter. I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

Andy

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The threads inside the wide front rim of the mystery lens are clearly extending deep towards the front element of the lens (download the original .png file and enlarge to see).

 

If this wide (standard, thin wall thickness) front rim is indeed a removable beauty ring with integrated filter thread the means of attaching a lens hood can only be similar to the new type screw on aluminium hoods with end stop (see the 21 SE next to it).

 

It seems forum members have no further infos or facts regarding this mystery lens or are not allowed to disclose if they do.

It makes little sense to ride on word riddles matches, so there was another warmed up 35 Summicron rumour.

 

For forum users, who are technically inclined or have even worked inside the current 35/2 ASPH, as I did, I am sure you understand my arguments and will look forward to a possible new revision of the 35/2 ASPH, be it just cosmetic or substantial … as I do (I had several copies of this lens over time, didn't like them in the long term and have sold them in favour of a collection of other 35mm lenses including Summicrons, Summiluxes, Hexanons, Elmars, Summarons and Summarits …).

 

Enjoy.

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Guest Ansel_Adams

Well if it is a new lens, the images would seem to show a larger front element and a new screw on filter hood arrangement. The rest of the body is identical.

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You are missing the point! The lens is the same. Just a different front ring like other lenses in that marketing image. Leica are not going to release a new lens that is exactly the same as the current lens but with no front hood option. This is not proof of a new lens.

 

I just looked at my 'cron and the distance from the front of the focusing ring to the nose of the optical cell looks to be bigger than the distance covered by the cosmetic ring in the ad image. You're certainly right about not "releasing" an unchanged lens as new, but I think the wizards at Leica could make some internal changes or changes to the optics without affecting the outward appearances. In any case the image does a good job of igniting speculation in this 100th year of Leica and that was probably its exact purpose, whatever the reality might be.

 

Thanks,

s-a

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