easy_action Posted February 7, 2019 Share #1 Posted February 7, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) Just seen an announcement for these lenses on the Red Dot Cameras website: Retro 50mm f2 APO-Summicron Black Chrome Retro 28mm f5.6 Summaron Matt black paint 28mm f1.4 Summilux Chrome 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 7, 2019 Posted February 7, 2019 Hi easy_action, Take a look here Black Chrome 50mm APO-Summicron. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
colint544 Posted February 7, 2019 Share #2 Posted February 7, 2019 That black chrome 50mm Summicron APO looks sweet. I see Leica are stating they'll be making only 700 copies of it. I'm hoping they do the same as they did in 2015 with their limited edition 50mm Summilux ASPH back chrome. That was promised to be even more limited - 500 copies - but years on, they're still churning them out. Who knows how many they made, but it must be comfortably into the thousands. I say this only because a black chrome 50mm Summicron APO will be popular, and I'd love one. It just might take me a long time to save up. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted February 7, 2019 Share #3 Posted February 7, 2019 More "Limited Editions" - with a price to match - that will probably end up being produced in larger numbers if there's sufficient demand. Just like the 50/1.4 BC. Although you can't play that trick forever... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raizans Posted February 7, 2019 Share #4 Posted February 7, 2019 Wouldn't it be nice if they just made these Regular Production? 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted February 7, 2019 Share #5 Posted February 7, 2019 22 minutes ago, colint544 said: I'm hoping they do the same as they did in 2015 with their limited edition 50mm Summilux ASPH back chrome. That was promised to be even more limited - 500 copies - but years on, they're still churning them out. Who knows how many they made, but it must be comfortably into the thousands. The standard 50/1.4 ASPH is not that great mechanically: My early 6 bit lens had the helicoid replaced a couple years ago. The weight of the lens elements puts too much weight on the helicoid and floating mechanism. Witness that focusing is much smoother with the lens pointing skywards rather than horizontal. At one time I pre-ordered brass version, assuming it’s focus is smoother, but cancelled on hearing of the hood/filter fiasco. I trust the retro 50 APO takes regular filters ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmradman Posted February 7, 2019 Share #6 Posted February 7, 2019 Crazy premium on APO Summicron, almost double what I paid for new lens 3 years ago, and 50% more than I paid for Summilux. Maybe foreign visitors snap up once GBP plummets after 29 March. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted February 8, 2019 Share #7 Posted February 8, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) The premium for the black 28 Summaron-M doesn't seem too onerous. That said, I'm not especially keen on the matt black look – it makes the lens look like one of those MS-Optics lenses that crop up periodically from Japan. A black paint version would have been a more seductive offering. As for the 50 APO, I've long moved on from paying that sort of money for camera equipment. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Greenwell Posted February 8, 2019 Share #8 Posted February 8, 2019 I agree that the black paint option would have been attractive, Leica seems to have stopped using black paint. I have had a 50mm Apo cron since they were first introduced, it is quite well worn now and I have always had to use a rubber band to prevent the sliding lens hood from sliding back. I would not think that the rather nice brass detachable lens hood that comes with the special edition Apo would stay on for very long. I would probably see it disappear down a mountainside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted February 8, 2019 Share #9 Posted February 8, 2019 (edited) On 2/8/2019 at 7:16 AM, mmradman said: Crazy premium on APO Summicron, almost double what I paid for new lens 3 years ago, and 50% more than I paid for Summilux. Maybe foreign visitors snap up once GBP plummets after 29 March. Crazy premium on the lens itself, surely. “Standard” APO - $8,000; silver chrome APO - $8,300; and black chrome $9,600. What you paid for yours 3 years ago is interesting history, but not really the point, is it? Unless you wany to make a general complaint about Leica price hikes. This lens almost makes the 75 Noctilux look affordable at $12,800 ... actually, not really! I’ve always liked the balck chrome versions. I wonder what I can sell? Edited February 8, 2019 by IkarusJohn 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2019 Share #10 Posted February 8, 2019 Am 7.2.2019 um 18:33 schrieb FrozenInTime: The standard 50/1.4 ASPH is not that great mechanically: My early 6 bit lens had the helicoid replaced a couple years ago. The weight of the lens elements puts too much weight on the helicoid and floating mechanism. Witness that focusing is much smoother with the lens pointing skywards rather than horizontal. At one time I pre-ordered brass version, assuming it’s focus is smoother, but cancelled on hearing of the hood/filter fiasco. I trust the retro 50 APO takes regular filters ! The standard SILVER-chrome version of the 1.4/50A (now discontinued) was made out of brass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmradman Posted February 8, 2019 Share #11 Posted February 8, 2019 3 hours ago, IkarusJohn said: Crazy premium on the lens itself, surely. “Standard” APO - $8,000; silver chrome APO - $8,300; and black chrome $9,600. What you paid for yours 3 years ago is interesting history, but not really the point, is it? Unless you wany to make a general complaint about Leica price hikes. This lens almost makes the 75 Noctilux look affordable at $12,800 ... actually, not really! I’ve always liked the balck chrome versions. I wonder what I can sell? I am not complaining about Leica pricing, all premium camera equipment vendors hiked prices,. Just astonished, almost speechless, that minor cosmetic tweak can command such prices, you are right Noctilux 75 looks cheap in comparison, just wait special edition of the said lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted February 8, 2019 Share #12 Posted February 8, 2019 10 minutes ago, mmradman said: I am not complaining about Leica pricing, all premium camera equipment vendors hiked prices,. Just astonished, almost speechless, that minor cosmetic tweak can command such prices, you are right Noctilux 75 looks cheap in comparison, just wait special edition of the said lens. I think describing the barrel design and manufacture, and new aperture and focus rings as “minor cosmetic tweak” is a stretch. Spread over a limited production run, I’m not at all surprised at a 15.66% premium for a new design over the standard silver chrome version ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmradman Posted February 8, 2019 Share #13 Posted February 8, 2019 3 minutes ago, IkarusJohn said: I think describing the barrel design and manufacture, and new aperture and focus rings as “minor cosmetic tweak” is a stretch. Spread over a limited production run, I’m not at all surprised at a 15.66% premium for a new design over the standard silver chrome version ... Leica specially loves those who think that putting old optical cell in new barrel is worth extra premium. Metal parts are cheap to fabricate in small batches with modern CNC, besides they need to put optical cell in metal barrels as they want sell bare. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted February 8, 2019 Share #14 Posted February 8, 2019 We’ll never know the accuracy of any of that - it comes down to personal preference. The premium looks consistent with every other “special” edition ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted February 9, 2019 Share #15 Posted February 9, 2019 12 hours ago, Rupert Greenwell said: Leica seems to have stopped using black paint. The special edition 5.6/28 Summaron advertised alongside the SE APO-Summicron is in matt black paint finish. Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcraf Posted February 9, 2019 Share #16 Posted February 9, 2019 8 hours ago, farnz said: The special edition 5.6/28 Summaron advertised alongside the SE APO-Summicron is in matt black paint finish. Pete. It certainly looks very matt Pete. I’m wondering if the 28 Summaron finish is the same ILAG paint that is used on the Q-P? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianman Posted February 9, 2019 Share #17 Posted February 9, 2019 On 2/7/2019 at 7:16 PM, mmradman said: Maybe foreign visitors snap up once GBP plummets after 29 March. I don't think that opportunity will last long. All imported goods are going to be more expensive. The marked up price tags are probably already printed.... isn't that what the mean by getting ready for no deal? 😁 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted February 9, 2019 Share #18 Posted February 9, 2019 12 hours ago, tri said: The standard SILVER-chrome version of the 1.4/50A (now discontinued) was made out of brass. Didn't know this version had been discontinued. When did this happen? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted February 9, 2019 Share #19 Posted February 9, 2019 1 hour ago, pedaes said: Didn't know this version had been discontinued. When did this happen? Leica seem to be moving away from making chromed brass variants of their lenses. All the new ones are aluminium barrels anodised either silver or black. Probably saves them money compared to manufacturing both a brass version and a chrome version. Brass and black paint are becoming the preserve of more expensive special editions. That said, a quick glance at the Red Dot Cameras page shows them advertising as new the 50mm Summilux ASPH in good old chromed brass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flu Posted February 9, 2019 Share #20 Posted February 9, 2019 I was fairly excited when I learned about the 3 new "limited edition" lenses. It's too bad I found that they will not be individually numbered. So, they aren't really limited editions. I'd otherwise have one of each... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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