Leica lens serial number

[Jay Cochran]

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I purchased the 35mm “Leitz Wetzler” Summilux Lens used and it came with no documents in the box.  Is there a way to find which number out of 500 my lens is?  The Verk Nr. is 117-00, the Fabr. Nr. Is 04777852.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[jaapv]

There are no  regular Leica serial numbers starting with "0". Nor is the number known on the usual sites when I drop the 0 digit. If correct, it should be a very recent lens, which is contradicted by "Leitz Wetzlar" which would indicate a pre-1990 lens. If it is a special limited edition  lens there will be a specific production number engraved on the lens. Mostly this lens was produced in Canada from 1966-1990 (2nd version), variations being a number of titanium-plated lenses and the ones 1990-1995 being produced in Germany.There is a 1913-1983 anniversary edition.
In general, Leica produces lenses in batches, the numbers are allocated randomly, sometimes out of series. Could you provide a photograph of the lens with the serial number visible?

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/35mm_f/1.4_Summilux_II

 

As the serial number has nothing to do with lens coding, your post has been moved into a separate thread.

[luigi bertolotti]

Can you post some pictures of your Summilux (front writing visible) ?  I cannot understand where those numbers can be.... as Jaap said, the leading "0" is an oddity... and so more the "Verk Nr."... 🤥

[lct]

On 7/25/2020 at 2:10 AM, Jay Cochran said:

117-00

If you mean 11776 it could be a superb Summilux-R 50/1.4:

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[Jay Cochran]

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[Jay Cochran]

I’ve sent photo of box previously.  Thanks everyone for helping this newbie!

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[NigelG]

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AFAIK the new “Leitz Wetzlar” 35 Lux FLE special edition doesn’t actually have a xxx/500 number allocated on the lens itself - though it might have been listed in the paperwork. This is similar to the “Retro” limited edition black chrome 50 Lux which was initially released as an edition of 500 but was subsequently re-issued “due to demand”. There is a thread re that lens on the forum.

I have a “Leitz Wetzlar” special edition M246 monochrome which was an edition of 150 but the body + box don’t have a xxx/150 number. I can’t recall if the paperwork in the box had that detail (but it’s sitting in NYC at the moment so I can’t check...) 

[adan]

So, as Jay's photos show, this is a special edition lens (500 units) of very recent manufacture (2020).

It is designed to go with (but sold separately from) the M10M "Leitz Wetzlar" special edition camera: https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2020/02/leitz-wetzlar-m10-monochrom-and-35mm-summilux/

Jay, the number 11700 is simply the catalog or product or ordering/warehouse number - all lenses of this edition will have the same number.

If one assumes Leica issued serial numbers for this lens in a batch of 500, starting with some "round" number like 4777500, one might assume your lens is - perhaps - #352 of the edition. But no guarantees.

In fact the one I see elsewhere on the web has a S/N (4760206) that is several thousand away from your lens, so Leica may have just used random available S/Ns.

You might look on the bottom of the barrel (opposite the DoF scale) to see if some extra "1/edition" number is engraved there. But I don't see any mention of these 500 being individually numbered, aside from the regular S/N on the front (as Nigel mentions while I'm typing).

BTW the leading "0" is not actually part of the S/N - just space left in the auto-label-printing software "for future use," in case Leica ever gets to 8-figure lens serial numbers (it will be a while - maybe another 90 years!)

Interestingly, the Miami Leica Store lists this special edition as not even available yet: "Coming soon - Pre-Order now: https://leicastoremiami.com/products/leica-summilux-m-35mm-f-1-4-asph-leitz-wetzlar?variant=32229165334659

Edited July 27, 2020 by adan

[luigi bertolotti]

Gosh... 😞... I missed the intro of the "Leitz Wetzlar" special edition and completely mis-interpreted the OP... curios that one can find a "used" one... also other stores do declare it as orderable-not available.

Btw, looking at its "black & white" finishing... I wonder if this is the first M lens in which the "red dot" is NOT red... 😄

Edited July 27, 2020 by luigi bertolotti

[250swb]

Perhaps it has escaped due to a warehouse error, but a very lucky catch. I'd have thought your receipt would have all the information on it, or you could at least phone the seller for any further records?

Edited July 27, 2020 by 250swb

[NigelG]

2 hours ago, luigi bertolotti said:

Gosh... 😞... I missed the intro of the "Leitz Wetzlar" special edition and completely mis-interpreted the OP... curios that one can find a "used" one... also other stores do declare it as orderable-not available.

Btw, looking at its "black & white" finishing... I wonder if this is the first M lens in which the "red dot" is NOT red... 😄

Some of the lenses in special edition sets vary - the grey HODINKEE 35 FLE has a white dot and the “brass” ASC 100 35 FLE has a black one, as does the “Stealth” edition.

This could be the first separate lens issue to be non-red though.

[Jay Cochran]

Thanks everyone on you help with my topic!  I do consider myself lucky to get this lens so early and in mint condition.