35mm Summilux pre-ASPH

[cvsfffm]

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Hi,

 

I have since quite some time an excellent Leitz Summilux 35mm 1.4 pre-ASPH. It should be a classical Canadian Mandler lens. But, the engraving states that the lens was made in Germany!

 

I've checked all available databases and they state it is a 1987 lens from Canada. The only 35mm Summilux 1.4 pre-ASPH made in Germany were the late titanium ones.

 

Can somebody tell me what lens I do have and if this is a collectors item?

 

Thank you for your help,

 

Christian

[luigi bertolotti]

Welcome to the forum !!!

 

Where have you read that the only German made Summilux 35 are the titanium version? This isn't true : Summilux 35 was made for many years only in Canada, but around half of the '80s production started to be made in Germany too... and same happened, in the same timeframe about, to several other "Canadian" lenses (Elmarit 28, Tele Elmarit 90) ; the first Summiluxes 35 from Germany ought to be around s/n 3.394.xxx / 3.395.xxx (which number has yours ?) : in those years, anyway, Canadian items were still much more, and specialized collectors can value something more the Wetzlar items from that era. To go a little deeper, it seems indeed that in the 80's the "Canadian-Mandler" lenses which do bear the "Made in Germany" engraving, were anyway partially produced in Canada (glass elements machining and glass cell assembly) and Wetzlar (then Solms) made only the final assembly... the German Summilux 35 of the '80s ought to be of this breed.

 

The Ontario factory continued to make Leitz lenses for many years on, and some were never made in Germany, for example the Tele Elmarit 135 and, of course, the famous Noctilux 50 f1, which has been the last Leica lens made in the Canadian factory... in years in which the facility didn't belong anymore to Leica Co. (it was sold to Hughes Electronic, which kept the name "ELCAN" , still used today, I think, to identify the factory, now part of the Raytheon Group)

Edited June 17, 2014 by luigi bertolotti

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[cvsfffm]

Thank you for the kind and helpful answer. My serial number is 3.433XXX. This Summilux is apparently falling right into this period. Ken Rockwell and other websites are apparently not very precise on this topic or just omit the fact that this lens was also produced in Germany. Do you have your insights from a specific book which a Leica newbie like myself should read instead of bothering the forum?

[luigi bertolotti]

Erwin Puts is one of the living authorities on Leica lenses : his data on production are a very trustable source, and are the base for the figures reported in our Wiki section ; see here about the Summilux 35 :

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/35mm_f/1.4_Summilux_II

 

ELC stands for Ernst Leitz Canada, ELW for Ernst Leitz Wetzlar : when it is specified within a certain batc of productions, it means that is SURE that there are lenses from one or both the factories... if there is not (as is for the batch that include your item) it means that there aren't specific info about. So... it's a bit tricky question... YOUR lens does prove that some german items in that batch do exist... there were also in previous batch, so thi doesn't sound strange... but how many are from Canada and how many from Germany ? I doubt there is a published sure answer... my feeling is that in those years the German ones were "few" ... but is a feel just based on years of looking at many items seen for sale on the Net... not on more solid facts.

 

I think that Ken Rockwell made a non precise statement... as far as I know the Titanium is the only version which came ONLY from Germany.

 

Just a final question on your item.... how is the front engraving ? Is it marked "Leitz" or "Leica" ? Where is the "Made in Germany" (or simply "Germany" ?) writing ?

If you are so kind some pictures of your item... in this area of the forum they are always appreciated... (Posting pics is very simple... just put attention to the maximum allowed pixel size)

[cvsfffm]

thank you again. Here two shots to answer your questions.

Here

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and here.

 

[luigi bertolotti]

Thanks for the pictures... you know.... collectors are people with odd passions (and there are MANY of them hereby)... and dedicate tons of attention to insignificant details (*) . I keep my idea this a not so common variant... I mean, "Leitz" (not "Leica" - later, and of course not "Leitz Canada" - previous) on the front engraving, and "Made in Germany" at the base, in white paint (I have under my eyes a Summilux 35 3.470.xxx : "Made in Germany" is NOT white painted) ; imho, not a "gold mine" (like the "Lux 35 black with chrome front ring"... ) but an item that can be valued some more than a more common "std. Canada" of the era.

 

(*) Of course... it's a blasphemy to define them as "insignificant" !!!

Edited June 20, 2014 by luigi bertolotti

[250swb]

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Hi,

 

I have since quite some time an excellent Leitz Summilux 35mm 1.4 pre-ASPH. It should be a classical Canadian Mandler lens. But, the engraving states that the lens was made in Germany!

 

 

This was still the crossover period between Leica shutting down production in Canada and transferring it to Germany. I have one of the last M4-P cameras (1986) that says on the body 'Made in Canada' but it was made in Wetzlar after all the stock had been transferred. So perhaps this 35mm Summilux is something similar, all the components had been shipped to Wetzlar but they had the time and stock levels to justify changing the engraving to 'Germany'?

 

Steve

[jc_braconi]

Looks like mine

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[luigi bertolotti]

Hi JC... yours seems in the 2.xxx.xxx (or do I read the 1st digit wrong ?) ... how is the "made in (Canada or Germany)" engraving ?

[jc_braconi]

Ciao Luigi,

Wetzlar born in 1983...start with 3 (that I removed)