Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. Black-Chrome Limited Edition), why the stock NEVER ENDS?

[coz]

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Thanks for the background on these.  They are quite special indeed.  Hopefully we'll see some more editions?

Best 

[a.noctilux]

Limited Editions ?

Or maybe time for a replacement with Apo-Summilux-M asph. 50mm ?

 

Even this one is "Apo but not marked as such", new released Apo would have some appeals for many years to come.

[jakontil]

33 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

Limited Editions ?

Or maybe time for a replacement with Apo-Summilux-M asph. 50mm ?

 

Even this one is "Apo but not marked as such", new released Apo would have some appeals for many years to come.

I know peter karbe had said such, but why would sell a summilux apo at such a lower price than the f2 real apo version? 

[airV]

On 1/23/2020 at 2:18 AM, samfre said:

I just bought one yesterday and notice there is a date on the outbox beside the barcode dated 13/8/2019.  I am guessing this should be the production date of the lens which mean they are still making it.

I just bought mine, new, in october 2019 at a french Leica store and on the outbox beside the barcode, the date is 2018/10/18. My serial number is 47538xx. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by airV

[evikne]

45 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

Or maybe time for a replacement with Apo-Summilux-M asph. 50mm ?

If the rumors are true, I hope it will have a scalloped focus ring and an ordinary, retractable lens hood. 

[Flu]

OK.... a 50MM lux APO for the M. I wonder how much that is going to cost if they did actually produce this lens and also, how much bigger would it have to be? My guess would be somewhere between the price of the F2 APO and the Noct 0.95, so, 11-12k USD.

[evikne]

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Any lens bigger than the current 50mm Summilux-M ASPH is uninteresting to me, regardless of how good it is.

[anickpick]

Am ‎24‎.‎01‎.‎2020 um 21:24 schrieb farnz:

If that was the case I might agree but it's not.  Both have the same lens computation but the 'plain-villa' 50 Summilux asph has an E46 filter thread and the Black Chrome originally limited edition 50 Summilux has an E43 filter thread. This might not seem like much of a difference but my Black Chrome produces a subtle vignette when shot wide open that closely resembles, to my eye, the 50/1 Noctilux's signature 'graduated' vignette, which I find very attractive and is not readily replicated in post processing.  

For those who might say that a vignette is an unwelcome aberration then we will politely disagree.  Wide open the Black Chrome's pictures, to me, combine the outstanding acutance and contrast for which the 'plain-villa' 50 Summilux is renowned with some of the mystery of the 50/1 Noctilux and that's just fine with me.

I traded my 'plain-villa' 50 Summilux asp, which I'd owned from new for 10 years, for a Black Chrome version because the focus action had always been slightly stiff and jerky despite being assured that it would wear in and become smooth.  It didn't.  The Black Chrome's focus action is buttery-smooth and was a substantial reason that I traded up.  As mentioned earlier by Ernst, the Black Chrome has a scalloped focus ring, which adds to the lens's haptic and helped make the decision to trade up as well.

Incidentally, the profit yielded by trading up my 'plain-villa' 50 Summilux in good condition bought ten years earlier considerably softened the sticker pain too.

I think it is more than simply a cosmetically enhanced 'plain-villa'.

Pete.

 

 

That's interesting. I bought my 50 Summilux Black Chrome half a year ago - so I am glad that Leica has produced more than 500 Lux BC lenses. I much prefer it to the "plain-villa" 50 Summilux in terms of look and handling. I've had the feeling that wide open, it indeed draws somewhat differently. It may be a subtle vignette. I like it so much that I grab the 50 Lux Black Chrome more often than even my 50 Apo Summicron.

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by anickpick

[wattsy]

On 1/26/2020 at 6:11 AM, derleicaman said:

Hopefully, I can shed a little light on the subject.

Thanks for the history of the LHSA lenses (a story you've told a few times before) but it doesn't shed any light at all on the question being discussed here.

[evikne]

I think that explained a lot. As I understand it, the current Black Chrome edition has never been limited, and was never meant to be. It's just an alternative to the standard version, inspired by the limited LHSA edition.

[pedaes]

10 minutes ago, evikne said:

As I understand it, the current Black Chrome edition has never been limited,

I think what this thread is searching for is the basis of that understanding , and how it squares with Leica's original statement about 'limited to 500'.

[evikne]

1 minute ago, pedaes said:

I think what this thread is searching for is the basis of that understanding , and how it squares with Leica's original statement about 'limited to 500'.

Where did they claim that the current Black Chrome edition is limited? Isn't this just a misunderstanding?

[pedaes]

37 minutes ago, evikne said:

Where did they claim that the current Black Chrome edition is limited? Isn't this just a misunderstanding?

This (Leica USA) statement announcing the lenses;

"Leica Camera is happy to announce that two of its most popular lenses, the Leica Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH and the Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH are now available in black chrome finish. Only 500 units of each lens will be manufactured.

The focusing scale on both lenses is in red and the lenses come with a round metal lens hood and metal lens cap. The matte black surfaces of both lenses give it a unique look and a resilient finish. The Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 has the classic outer design of its predecessor from 1959, with its contoured focusing and aperture rings, while maintaining the optical design of the current ASPH model.

These lenses will be available at all Leica Stores, Boutiques and dealers. The lenses come with a three-year passport warranty. We anticipate receiving the first shipment of lenses at the end of this April."

As Ian (Wattsy) and others, myself included, have recognised, there may have been a disconnect between the marketing department and the production intent, or Leica decision makers just decided to forget this 'promise'.

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by pedaes

[wizard]

vor 11 Minuten schrieb pedaes:

.... that two of its most popular lenses, the Leica Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH and the Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH are now available in black chrome finish.

That statement appears to be somewhat misleading, as to the best of my knowledge, the regular versions of both the Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH and the Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH have ALWAYS been available in black chrome finish.

Edited January 27, 2020 by wizard

[NigelG]

11 minutes ago, pedaes said:

As Ian (Wattsy) and others, myself included, have recognised, there may have been a disconnect between the marketing department and the production intent, or Leica decision makers just decided to forget this 'promise'.

To quote from the MeisterCamera site with my emphasis (although this is obviously the english translation of their original german....)

"A beautifully made reminiscene to the historical Summilux lens of the 1950/60s with coarse knurled focussing ring, red paint filled engraving of the feet scale and removable lens hood. The production was limited to 500 pieces. It seems that Leica has produced a second production run according to the demands of the customers and produced up to 500 units more.

[airV]

On the Meister Camera website. The lens is in the "collector item" section and we can read :

 

A beautifully made reminiscene to the historical Summilux lens of the 1950/60s with coarse knurled focussing ring, red paint filled engraving of the feet scale and removable lens hood. The production was limited to 500 pieces. It seems that Leica has produced a second production run according to the demands of the customers and produced up to 500 units more.

Production: ca 1.000

Rarity: R4

Rarity forecast: R7!

Limited production

[NigelG]

1 minute ago, wizard said:

That statement appears to be somewhat misleading, as to the best of my knowledge, the regular versions of both the Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH and the Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH have ALWAYS been available in black chrome finish.

Regular versions have only ever been black anodised aluminium or (silver chrome plated brass for the 50 Lux ASPH and 35 f/2 ASPH v1) not black chrome-plated brass AFAIK...

[airV]

oh we quoted the same thing 😀

Edited January 27, 2020 by airV

[pedaes]

8 minutes ago, wizard said:

That statement appears to be somewhat misleading, as to the best of my knowledge, the regular versions of both the Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH and the Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH have ALWAYS been available in black chrome finish.

Black chrome is different to black anodised, which is the regular black finish.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[pedaes]

6 minutes ago, airV said:

On the Meister Camera website. The lens is in the "collector item" section and we can read :

 

A beautifully made reminiscene to the historical Summilux lens of the 1950/60s with coarse knurled focussing ring, red paint filled engraving of the feet scale and removable lens hood. The production was limited to 500 pieces. It seems that Leica has produced a second production run according to the demands of the customers and produced up to 500 units more.

Production: ca 1.000

Rarity: R4

Rarity forecast: R7!

Limited production

Helpful. Is it now absolute fact the production is limitrd to 1000, from this for the Summilux only?