Jump to content

New Summarits


rramesh

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

How do you know this ? (i.e. where is you source)

 

_ official documents (print)

_ semi official statement

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-aktuell/2014/09/leica-summarit-m/

...

Gleiche Rechnung, geringere Toleranzen

 

Um die etwas höhere Lichtstärke zu erzielen, mussten die Objektive nicht neu gerechnet werden. Mit engeren Toleranzen im Produktionsprozess konnte trotzdem die Lichtstärke um ca. 1/8 Blende gesteigert werden.

 

Die ganz Aufmerksamen unter euch haben sicher bemerkt, dass das Summarit-M 35 mm im Gegensatz zu seinem Vorgänger jetzt als ASPH. gekennzeichnet ist. Es handelt sich trotzdem um die selbe Konstruktion, auch das alte Summarit-M 35 mm hatte ein asphärisches Element, ohne dass dies im Namen erwähnt wurde.

...

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

To the touch the silver aluminium feels a bit like the handrests on a new Macbook Pro if that means anything to anyone. It's a nice tactile feel. I was told that the silver aluminium lenses are a result of Leica now having figured out how to anodise the silver colour onto aluminium. This is a reason why they've not issued a silver-coloured Noctilux before; it would simply have been too heavy in chromed brass. Time will tell if they will henceforth use this technique for all silver-coloured lenses. That the silver 35 Summilux FLE is aluminium may suggest this.

 

 

Philip

 

Hi Philip

You write that Leica now has "figured out" how to anodize aluminium. I am just curious about Leicas/users experience with the silver anodized alu 28 cron produced in 2008... even if the "experience base" might be very small due to limited production number. Do you or others on this forum know if Leica has done major cost and/or quality impovements as they now go "broad" with this production?

 

Regards, Stein

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Stein

 

You're absolutely right, I should have added something to the effect that Leica has figured this out for the purposes of general production (it seems). Apologies for this confusion. I have no experience with the lens you mention unfortunately.

 

cheers

Philip

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

At photokina yesterday, I was told the optical design is the same on the new Summarits as on the old. The mechanical design is, however, very different and it is this, I was told, which allows slightly faster lenses, nothing else. The change in look is to correspond to Leica's current design language (cf. the M240, the T etc).

 

[snip]

 

I also tried the 35mm Summarit. That is a truly tiny lens which, I think, has a very cool hood. The hood uses the same type of notch as the 35 Summilux FLE to line up the hood perfectly horizontal. The aperture ring is as wide as on the 75mm and is easy to feel because the focusing ring has a smaller diameter than the rest of the barrel. I expect it will be very easy to set aperture with the camera at eye level. The focusing tab is very similar to the one on other M lenses.

 

Philip

 

Thank you, Philip - this is very encouraging news. It sounds as if the new Summarits hit the mark in terms of build quality. It will be interesting to see if they are also on target with regard to image quality.

 

The 35 Summarit is interesting, since I do not own a 35mm M lens (admittedly a crime against nature and all that is holy).

 

EDIT

Here is a review of the Summarit range that I just found - http://macfilos.com/photo/2014/9/17/first-impressions-leica-summarit-f24-lens-range

Edited by Carlos Danger
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

A search of my Leica archives reveals no mention of ASPH in connection with any f2.5 Summarit lens. Maybe wishful thinking on the part of forum members, translation hiccups, misleading messages or a combination of all three. Not sure about the current designspeak on older Ms and/or their owners. :D

Col

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

A search of my Leica archives reveals no mention of ASPH in connection with any f2.5 Summarit lens. Maybe wishful thinking on the part of forum members, translation hiccups, misleading messages or a combination of all three...

Or perhaps an error from your part.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-aktuell/2014/09/leica-summarit-m/

http://www.leicastore-wien.at/leica-summarit-m-1-2-4-35mm-black.html

Link to post
Share on other sites

Some posts contend the f2.5 Summarit did indeed feature an ASPH element although never specifically mentioned anywhere, e.g:

Die ganz Aufmerksamen unter euch haben sicher bemerkt, dass das Summarit-M 35 mm im Gegensatz zu seinem Vorgänger jetzt als ASPH. gekennzeichnet ist. Es handelt sich trotzdem um die selbe Konstruktion, auch das alte Summarit-M 35 mm hatte ein asphärisches Element, ohne dass dies im Namen erwähnt wurde.

Basically I'm questioning this contention.

Someone who knows the guts of the Summarit f2.5 lens ought to respond and end this debate!

 

Col

Link to post
Share on other sites

Correct and btw confirmed on page 142 of the Leica Pocket Book 8th Edition - Summarit-M 35mm f2.5 specs - Aspherical surfaces: none.

Over and out

 

Why are you so concerned about it? The lenses in question either stand on their own merits or they don't. Or are you just more concerned about labels like "asph"?:rolleyes: In any case, I'm not sure the "Pocket Book 8th Edition" is any more of an authority than the statements we have read elsewhere (the forum blog, for example). If Leica employees at Photokina have stated that there are no optical differences, then I tend to take their word for it because it would be in their interests to big up the differences between old and new Summarits as much as possible.

Edited by wattsy
Link to post
Share on other sites

Correct and btw confirmed on page 142 of the Leica Pocket Book 8th Edition - Summarit-M 35mm f2.5 specs - Aspherical surfaces: none. Over and out

This would mean that the Leica people were wrong when saying to philipus that "the optical design is the same on the new Summarits as on the old" though... The probability factor doesn't seem very high here :cool:.

Link to post
Share on other sites

There are several recent sources stating that the 35mm 1:2.5 Summarit-M was blessed with an aspherical lens without it being mentioned in the spec sheet.

 

No new optical design was need to achieve the bigger aperture. Leica engineers were able to increase the maximum aperture by 1/8 exposure value by tighter tolerances in the production process. The lens design for the Summarit-M 35 mm includes one aspherical lens element, the predecessor included the same lens element, but it was not mentioned in the official lens name.

 

(http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-news/2014/09/leica-summarit-m/)

 

I also recall Dr Kaufmann mentioning that in an interview, but I can not locate the interview right now.

 

Why is it that important to you?

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Concerned? No. Is it important to me? No. However, I do find it difficult to believe Leica would introduce the Summarit f2.5 35mm without mentioning the aspherical surface in the tech specs. Also, I’ve listened a lot of bullshit at trade-fairs in my time.

Definitely over and out

Col

Link to post
Share on other sites

[Also, I’ve listened a lot of bullshit at trade-fairs in my time.

 

Yes, but it wouldn't make sense to state that there are no optical differences (and the presence of an aspherical element where there wasn't one previously would constitute an "optical difference" in most people's book) unless true. It would be in the spirit of trade-fair "bullshit" to talk up optical improvements like a new aspherical element not down play the new products as being the same as the older products, bar the new appearance.

 

There are many reasons why Leica might have wanted not to mention the presence of the aspherical element in the older version of the 35 Summarit. One might be that they originally wanted to market the four lenses as being some kind of unified set and the presence of an aspherical element in one lens might raise questions about the other lenses (I seem to recall the original marketing played on the lower cost "budget" nature of these lenses). A second, more likely reason is that Leica didn't want to kill sales of the popular, and probably very profitable, 35 Summicron ASPH lens.

 

Another point, is that an aspherical element is not a big deal. At this price point we are not talking about hand ground elements. My very plastic and cheap £149 Nikon 50/F1.8 (which is remarkably good) has an aspherical element. So what?

Edited by wattsy
Link to post
Share on other sites

Ian,

You may be right about Leica wanting to protect the revenue stream on the Summicron 35mm ASPH which definitely carries a much higher margin. Maybe that’s why Erwin Puts fails to mention ASPH in his test report on the then newly introduced Summarit f2.5 lenses in which he specifically praises the 35mm lens and then goes on to say - “I would even claim that the Summarit 35mm is better than the Summicron ASPH version.” No doubt that upset a few folk in Solms.

Cheers

Col

Link to post
Share on other sites

Philipp,

I have no access to Leica's calculations, just decades of cost-accounting, manufacturing and marketing experience - mostly in consumer durables and here in Germany. Of course I could be wrong and would be willing to withdraw my comment if you care to prove me wrong.

Col

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...