Leicaec421 Posted March 15, 2018 Share #1 Posted March 15, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi folks, Just wanted to gather your thoughts on 50mm Summilux ASPH - whether if Black or Silver is better. I understand Silver is made from solid brass, hence heavier than Black. But other than that is there any reason Black would be deemed 'inferior' to the Silver ones? And in terms of value retention and resellablity, which one would be the better option? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 15, 2018 Posted March 15, 2018 Hi Leicaec421, Take a look here 50mm Lux ASPH - Silver or Black?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
chasdfg Posted March 15, 2018 Share #2 Posted March 15, 2018 (edited) Hi folks, Just wanted to gather your thoughts on 50mm Summilux ASPH - whether if Black or Silver is better. I understand Silver is made from solid brass, hence heavier than Black. But other than that is there any reason Black would be deemed 'inferior' to the Silver ones? And in terms of value retention and resellablity, which one would be the better option? From what I understand, the newer silver lenses are not made of brass but anodised silver, so the silver and black lenses are the same weight. Older copies, I'd say pre-2014 (correct me if I'm wrong because I have no clue when exactly they changed production) would be silver brass. I handled both versions recently. The silver brass version has a lot more heft to me. But in terms of build I couldn't say one was better than the other (unless you say heft implied better build). The silver brass one I handled had oily aperture blades and had looser focusing than my black anodised alumnium version, though I must add that I had sent my black lens to Germany once to remove oil off the aperture blades and tighten focusing. It also had some play near the lens mount. Now it is perfect. Value wise, I suspect silver lenses are viewed as more valuable if kept in good condition. I think the thinking goes that silver versions of certain lenses are sometimes limited edition/of limited production runs (take the 28mm Elmarit ASPH v1 and 28mm Summicron ASPH v1 in silver for example). Some new silver lenses are priced higher than black lenses too. As a user's lens it really boils down to which colour you prefer. Edited March 15, 2018 by chasdfg Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
microview Posted March 15, 2018 Share #3 Posted March 15, 2018 (edited) I thought the silver was now same weight as black and does not have brass chromed body. So if buying from new, no resale difference – except that more people like the black for its lesser obtrusiveness. Ah: chasdfg, you got there first! Edited March 15, 2018 by microview 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdg1371 Posted March 15, 2018 Share #4 Posted March 15, 2018 I prefer the brass and chrome lenses when possible— I doubt there is any substantial difference in mechanical durability, but the silver chrome finish has seemed less prone to wear to me. I do think there is a difference in the smoothness of the focusing action, with the chrome lenses feeling smoother, however it may be a purely my imagination— the internals on both types are identical. There is a significant weight penalty in going with brass and chrome, especially in you are carrying more than one lens. My daily bag is an M10, 24mm Elmarit ASPH, 50mm Summilux ASPH, and 90mm Elmarit M, all brass and chrome— compared to a set of black lenses, it is HEAVY. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdemeyer Posted March 15, 2018 Share #5 Posted March 15, 2018 This lens is one of the last remaining standard lenses where the silver is still brass, not silver anodizing on aluminum. I have the silver version. There is a certain niceness to the illusion of quality that comes from the weight, but at times I wish I had the black one when I get tired after a long hike... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaec421 Posted March 15, 2018 Author Share #6 Posted March 15, 2018 Hmm... so how do you tell the difference between Brass Silver vs Alum Silver without actually feeling the weight..? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdemeyer Posted March 15, 2018 Share #7 Posted March 15, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) Check the specs for the lens. They include weight for both silver and black finishes, which have different part numbers. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_livsey Posted March 15, 2018 Share #8 Posted March 15, 2018 https://leicastore-mayfair.co.uk/collections/m-lenses/products/leica-summilux-m-50mm-f-1-4-asph-silver Approx 470g (Black version 335g) Note described as Silver other lenses are described as Silver Anodized Finish. The Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0 ASPH, "LHSA" described as Silver Chrome Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted March 15, 2018 Share #9 Posted March 15, 2018 I think the 50mm Summilux ASPH is now the only standard production lens in the Leica catalogue (excluding special editions) which is made with a choice of brass or aluminium barrels. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted March 15, 2018 Share #10 Posted March 15, 2018 I think the 50mm Summilux ASPH is now the only standard production lens in the Leica catalogue (excluding special editions) which is made with a choice of brass or aluminium barrels. I think that's right. There are some lenses still in the catalogue – e.g. the 50 Summicron-M (non-APO) and the 90 APO – that, at one time or another, have been available in silver 'brass' finish with a separate catalogue number – but I think they are now only sold in black aluminium. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M11 for me Posted March 15, 2018 Share #11 Posted March 15, 2018 I did not read all these post as there are many other threads about this. For sure the silver is much heavier than black. When I bought silver I did not know . . . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpagr Posted March 15, 2018 Share #12 Posted March 15, 2018 For me it is very simple, I have nearly only silver bodies and the combination silver lenses and silver bodies looks very old fashioned. The people have no fear and in the best case they have a smile for me... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted March 15, 2018 Share #13 Posted March 15, 2018 The anodized silver version wears better than the black. However, in the end, it is a matter of personal choice. Albert Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted March 15, 2018 Share #14 Posted March 15, 2018 The Chrome Summilux is a thing of beauty but it is very heavy and feels so on the camera. The silver APO Summicron is a attractive alternative as it is anodised silver without a weight penalty. Both match the Chrome bodies perfectly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M11 for me Posted March 15, 2018 Share #15 Posted March 15, 2018 As you say the silver of the 50 lux is very very special. Same as the silver body. The other silver lenses are shinier Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darylgo Posted March 16, 2018 Share #16 Posted March 16, 2018 In a few dozen years the collectors will value the brass more than the more common aluminum, if historic rarity is any indication. When new lenses were in extremely short supply the choice was often the first available, initially wanting chrome I waited and waited, the first available was black and the lens is everything I expected but the chrome continues to have an aesthetic appeal. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkmoore Posted March 17, 2018 Share #17 Posted March 17, 2018 The silver brass version was the best copy of four I have owned over the years. Complete luck though! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted March 17, 2018 Share #18 Posted March 17, 2018 Silver chrome Monochrom (chrome on brass), silver chrome (on brass) 50 Summilux-M ASPH and silver chrome (on brass) 28 Summaron-M. Very happy. Weight? Not an isssue. If I was buying now, I’d find the black chrome 50 Summilux hard to resist! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted March 17, 2018 Share #19 Posted March 17, 2018 (edited) The anodized silver version wears better than the black. However, in the end, it is a matter of personal choice. Albert I don't have a 50 Summilux ASPH, but I do have a chrome 35 Summicron that was part of my M-P Safari set. It is a beautiful lens but it does feel significantly more heavy than a black 35/2 (9 oz./255 g. for black #11673 vs. 12 oz./340 g. for chrome #11674). A weight difference of 3 oz./85 g. for a single lens is one thing. It is quite another situation if you are carrying around 3 or 4 lenses that are all chrome and are 3-4 oz. heavier than their black counterparts. At the end of the day, it is a matter of personal preference, if you do not object to the extra weight of the chrome lenses. The only combination that looks odd to me is a chrome lens on a black body, but some folk my like that. Edited March 17, 2018 by Herr Barnack Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLAUMAX Posted March 21, 2018 Share #20 Posted March 21, 2018 Hi had the silver which is gorgeous looking but I sold it to replace it with a black one. The lens was too heavy for my taste. I am now happy with the black and I use it more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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