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Sell Summilux FLE 35?


mustafasoleiman

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I agree this is a good general rule, but as with most things in life, it's not absolute. A few potential exceptions (not saying these apply to me, just making a point):

 

--you bought the lens used, enjoyed using it, don't need it any more, and can come close to breaking even by selling it (less transaction costs)

--another piece of Leica gear is more important, your funds are limited, and selling a lens is necessary to fund the new item

--you are not using the lens, you don't like having things just to have them, and you are not receiving any value having the lens sit on a shelf

 

In my case, the 35 FLE was sitting on the shelf unused, I don't like having things that I do not use, I was underwhelmed by the image quality, and the capital was better directed elsewhere. Do I wish I just had the 35 ASPH the first time around? Of course. But would I have known that if I had not tried the FLE and gotten it out of my system? Probably not.

 

One does lose a lot of value by buying Leica gear new and then selling. The oft-repeated notion that Leica equipment holds its value is far from universally true. The digital bodies depreciate quickly. The lenses do a better job of holding value, but you will take a hit if you purchase a lens new and sell it within the short term (say within 5 years). If you hold a lens for a longer period, Leica's periodic price increases tend to overcome lost value due to depreciation.

 

Bottom line? Best case is to get what you think you will want the first time around. If you don't know, or if you plan to do a lot of gear buying/selling, you will lose less value if you buy used equipment. The money you'll lose to transaction costs can be thought of as a rental fee.

At more than one point you’ll regret selling it and maybe re-buy one.

 

Never sell a lens.

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Between 35 cron asph and lux FLE, size is roughly the same and weight difference is about 70g...not worth changing for these reasons IMO

Yes, and the FLE is 10mm longer. Let's not act like that's nothing. To put things into perspective, the M10 is 4mm slimmer and 20g lighter than the M240. And that was considered a big deal.

 

Do you not care if the M11 were to be released 70 grams heavier and 10mm thicker?

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At more than one point you’ll regret selling it and maybe re-buy one.

 

Never sell a lens.

You mean an M lens?

 

I’ve been shooting since the 70’s, in multiple formats and using 9 total brands. I sold all after going digital 9 years ago, except for my M kit (replacing film for digital body). Should I have kept 15-20 now useless lenses for which I have no bodies, including SLR, MF and LF?

 

I miss none of it... going on 10 years now... and my darkroom is gone. In fact I feel relieved, and will soon add a complementary digital system with newly developed native lenses.

 

Along the way (since the 80’s) I’ve sold a few M lenses and replaced them with others, never owning more than 4, and never regretting on repurchasing the same model lens (except once a MATE to replace a dog mechanically.... and I’m thrilled I sold it for a better one.... should I have kept the dog?).

 

Never sell a lens. Maybe for those without conviction, or with wavering commitments, or with systems for life. Nonsense for me.

 

Jeff

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Yes the FLE is a real Summilux, it’s a big lens. Some people work without hoods, but I can’t follow that. And with the hood, which is much more decent on the Summicron iv and asph, it sure is a Summilux. On an M body I have to look and choose a little how to put it in my bag, whereas an M with a 35 Summicron just glides in.

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Yes, and the FLE is 10mm longer. Let's not act like that's nothing. To put things into perspective, the M10 is 4mm slimmer and 20g lighter than the M240. And that was considered a big deal.

 

Do you not care if the M11 were to be released 70 grams heavier and 10mm thicker?

 

 

I haven't said it was nothing, I said I was of the opinion it was not worth changing...if the OP really wants small and light, he has the cron v4

 

On the other hand, I am definitely not considering the differences between M and M10 as a "big deal"  :)

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And in case you missed it I addressed that, too.

People also sell M lenses due to sample variation, damage, improved versions (digital use), eye issues, experimentation where no rental or demo is available, etc etc.

Jeff

The OP has stated none of those considerations. Try and keep up.

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The OP has stated none of those considerations. Try and keep up.

You’re the one who said never sell a lens. I guess it’s hard for you to understand that comments within a thread aren’t always directed to the OP. Although you just did it yourself, silly.

 

Jeff

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Never sell a lens.

 

 

Almost never.  When you get cabinets full,  then decide. I have old screw mounts to the most modern.  Can`t use them all,  but want to keep them anyway.

 

My best friend was a wedding photog,  and he was buried with his Leica R3 and 50 Summicron 2 I sold him decades ago.

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Never sell a lens. Better yet........please don’t spend 40 years of wishy washy decisions then sell them all.

Ha! All got good use, bought and sold over that 40 years, with no regrets and based on the right tool for the job at hand. Switching from film bodies to digital, and deciding not to build a fifth darkroom, was anything but a wishy washy decision. It’s called decide and move on.

 

Besides, blanket/absolute statements are always wrong. (See what I did there?....)

 

Jeff

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Almost never.  When you get cabinets full,  then decide. I have old screw mounts to the most modern.  Can`t use them all,  but want to keep them anyway.

 

My best friend was a wedding photog,  and he was buried with his Leica R3 and 50 Summicron 2 I sold him decades ago.

A second cabinet is in order. :)

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I haven't said it was nothing, I said I was of the opinion it was not worth changing...if the OP really wants small and light, he has the cron v4

 

On the other hand, I am definitely not considering the differences between M and M10 as a "big deal" :)

The cron IV and asph are quite different though....

 

Something I didn't mention...I also wasn't fond of the strong field curvature of the FLE. It needs to be stopped down to f/8 to have uniform resolution across the image field at infinity. And the bokeh is smoother on the Cron.

 

So it's not just the size and weight. The FLE has it's quirks and it's quite a price to pay for one extra stop IMO.

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Yes the FLE is a real Summilux, it’s a big lens. Some people work without hoods, but I can’t follow that. And with the hood, which is much more decent on the Summicron iv and asph, it sure is a Summilux. On an M body I have to look and choose a little how to put it in my bag, whereas an M with a 35 Summicron just glides in.

 

 

With the latest hood there is not that much difference in length between the Summilux and Summicron, and for a significantly smaller 35mm lens you need to look at Zeiss, Voightlander, or older Leica optics. As an aside, I am not a huge fan of the new externally threaded Leica hoods: they make filter changes a pain, and the Voigtlander/Zeiss twist-on twist-off metal bayonet hoods are just as effective and easier to use.

 

Personally, I find the current 35 and 50mm Summiluxes good "compromise" lenses. They cover a wide range of applications with a rendering style that I like, and do so with reasonable size/weight and good ergonomics. While I might add other lenses for specific applications, the Summiluxes are my default lens choice in these focal lengths and I would be very reluctant to sell them.

Edited by Mark II
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I find that my FLE flares pretty reliably when used without a hood. Attempting to shoot without the hood is therefore inadvisable in my opinion. The hood results in some finder blockage, but I guess it could be worse.

 

I tried to sell my FLE a few years ago, despite having bought new, and not really needing the money. It just wasn’t “doing it” for me. However, fhe failure to sell at a fairly high price, eventually prompted me to give the lens another chance. I went on a month-long trip to Sicily with only an M6. All the problems that I thought I saw in the lens when I shot digital seemed insignificant compared to the importance of the extra stop on film. The lens performed wonderfully and I returned from the trip with great pictures, and totally reconciled with the lens, shocked at my initial decision to sell it.

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I find that my FLE flares pretty reliably when used without a hood. Attempting to shoot without the hood is therefore inadvisable in my opinion. The hood results in some finder blockage, but I guess it could be worse.

I tried to sell my FLE a few years ago, despite having bought new, and not really needing the money. It just wasn’t “doing it” for me. However, fhe failure to sell at a fairly high price, eventually prompted me to give the lens another chance. I went on a month-long trip to Sicily with only an M6. All the problems that I thought I saw in the lens when I shot digital seemed insignificant compared to the importance of the extra stop on film. The lens performed wonderfully and I returned from the trip with great pictures, and totally reconciled with the lens, shocked at my initial decision to sell it.

So was I on the brink to sell my Summicron 28 asph ii, until I saw what it did on film

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