Noctilux 1:1.2/50 Asph. Limited Edition

[RF’sDelight]

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Even if most of you are checking Leicarumors.com from time to time, here's is another interesting Leica heritage lens edition:

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Source: https://leicarumors.com/2020/09/14/this-is-the-new-leica-noctilux-m-50mm-f-1-2-asph-heritage-limited-edition-lens.aspx/#more-68155

[Guest]

I very much doubt that the lens shown in this picture is the new lens (if there ever will be one). It looks exactly like the Noctilux prototype sold in 2006. See this auction info.

[wattsy]

Not unreasonably priced if €8,500 turns out to be correct. 

[RF’sDelight]

vor 5 Minuten schrieb Joachim_I:

I very much doubt that the lens shown in this picture is the new lens (if there ever will be one). It looks exactly like the Noctilux prototype sold in 2006. See this auction info.

Ok, it’s a symbolic picture then. Thanks for the hint!

vor 2 Minuten schrieb wattsy:

Not unreasonably priced if €8,500 turns out to be correct. 

Exactly my thoughts. But with only 100 pcs you need good connection to your preferred Leica Store I guess. 😎

[wattsy]

54 minutes ago, RF’sDelight said:

Exactly my thoughts. But with only 100 pcs you need good connection to your preferred Leica Store I guess. 😎

I guess you could put a deposit down now with one of the reliable dealers. 

[colint544]

Crumbs - if that's real, and there are only 100 copies, it'll sell out within the hour of being officially announced. It looks even more compact than the retro 50 Summilux ASPH.

Edited September 15, 2020 by colint544

[mmradman]

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100 units "Limited" edition, likely story 😜.

Providing remake of 50/1.2 materialises It will become unlimited once first 100 are sold, same happened with "Limited" Summilux M 28mm in Stainless Steel

[wattsy]

17 minutes ago, mmradman said:

100 units "Limited" edition, likely story 😜.

Providing remake of 50/1.2 materialises It will become unlimited once first 100 are sold, same happened with "Limited" Summilux M 28mm in Stainless Steel

Good point. I’d forgotten that Leica has form in this regard.

[luigi bertolotti]

7 hours ago, Joachim_I said:

I very much doubt that the lens shown in this picture is the new lens (if there ever will be one). It looks exactly like the Noctilux prototype sold in 2006. See this auction info.

Compliments for catching it... 😎 : no doubt where they picked the picture...

If they want to make a re-edition, probably the look could be exactly the same (with series VIII filter capability only through hood, iirc) : curios about the glass.... they did use 2 hard to make aspherical elements (probably not difficult to reproduce with modern CNC machinery) , but they used also a special in house-developed glass (see Cavina :  : http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/Leica_Noctilux_M__50_1,2/00_pag.htm ) : and this glass is probably impossible to source now.

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by luigi bertolotti

[pippy]

5 hours ago, mmradman said:

100 units "Limited" edition, likely story 😜.

Providing remake of 50/1.2 materialises It will become unlimited once first 100 are sold, same happened with "Limited" Summilux M 28mm in Stainless Steel

The upside to this marketing strategy / game is that if the lens makes it to production and eventually becomes 'unlimited' then mere mortals - albeit mere mortals with plenty loose change lurking down the back of the sofa - might have a chance of buying one. Looks far more pleasing to the eye (IMO) than the current f0.95 oil-drum offering into the bargain.

Philip.

Edited September 15, 2020 by pippy

[RF’sDelight]

vor 6 Stunden schrieb mmradman:

100 units "Limited" edition, likely story 😜.

Providing remake of 50/1.2 materialises It will become unlimited once first 100 are sold, same happened with "Limited" Summilux M 28mm in Stainless Steel

Wasn’t it the same with the black chrome Summilux-M 1,4/50 Asph?

[RF’sDelight]

vor einer Stunde schrieb pippy:

The upside to this marketing strategy / game is that if the lens makes it to production and eventually becomes 'unlimited' then mere mortals - albeit mere mortals with plenty loose change lurking down the back of the sofa - might have a chance of buying one. Looks far more pleasing to the eye (IMO) than the current f0.95 oil-drum offering into the bargain.

Philip.

I guess optical physics lead to that »drum«. 😎

Edited September 15, 2020 by RF’sDelight

[pippy]

1 minute ago, RF’sDelight said:

I guess optical physics lead to that »drum«. 😎

No doubt!

Philip.

[mmradman]

39 minutes ago, RF’sDelight said:

Wasn’t it the same with the black chrome Summilux-M 1,4/50 Asph?

Most probably.

Making special or limited edition is easier with current production lens. All it takes is to repackage standard optical cell in different outer shell. With new lens or lens remake where all optical elements need to be produced from zero it makes no sense to manufacture limited run unless someone is prepared to pay mega premium to amortise cost of design/redisgn.  By Leica standards rumoured price of 8500 (£/€/$) is only upper end of M lens price, like current Noctiluxes and APO Summicrons 50mm special editions.

[wattsy]

10 hours ago, RF’sDelight said:

Wasn’t it the same with the black chrome Summilux-M 1,4/50 Asph?

Yes, although some dispute whether it was originally marketed as a limited edition. I remember the original press release that accompanied the introduction of the black chrome special editions (50 Summilux and 35 Summicron) and it specified that only 500 of each lens would be made.

The rumoured 50/F1.2 is a perfect candidate for milking the editions. Once the 100 silver chrome units are sold, Leica can bring out the black chrome, then the black paint... 

[wattsy]

12 hours ago, pippy said:

Looks far more pleasing to the eye (IMO) than the current f0.95 oil-drum offering into the bargain.

Yes. I'm a bit of a sucker for these older designs and the opportunity to buy a new reissue lens is not one I ignore so easily as I do the modern designs. At €8,500, a reissue 50/1.2 strikes me as much better value than a £10k 90/f1.5 Noctilux and a better long term buy than an M10R but, in these times, I don't have the appetite to spend that kind of money on a bit of camera gear.

Edited September 16, 2020 by wattsy

[pedaes]

48 minutes ago, wattsy said:

I don't have the appetite to spend that kind of money on a bit of camera gear.

Agree. However, the 35/2.8 that was also 'rumoured' might be justifiable! https://leicarumors.com/2020/08/23/new-leica-rumors-two-new-vintage-historical-heritage-lenses-and-a-new-m10-p-black-painted-special-edition-camera.aspx/

[luigi bertolotti]

Of course their Marketing dept. has evaluated with care the sales figures of the two previous "re-edition" items... not by case one "cheap" and one "expensive"...and some considerations have driven to the choice of playing also the "limited edition" card... best whishes for them; on my side, in user terms the perspected 35 2,8 quoted above would be a more interesting intro... just to chat, I speculate that for the Nocti 1,2 a pricing in the range of 50% more of a Lux 1,4 asph (around 6000 €) and not quantity-limited would give a better return... but just my thought...  

Edited September 16, 2020 by luigi bertolotti

[Guest]

vor 12 Stunden schrieb wattsy:

...
The rumoured 50/F1.2 is a perfect candidate for milking the editions. Once the 100 silver chrome units are sold, Leica can bring out the black chrome, then the black paint... 

...and the green paint; the safari must go on, lions and hippos are waiting for punctual feeding...🙂

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[Tailwagger]

On 9/15/2020 at 6:39 PM, RF’sDelight said:

Wasn’t it the same with the black chrome Summilux-M 1,4/50 Asph?

Yep.

As for the 1.2, if it has the look of the original, it would be tempting... once the tariffs are lifted.  Or will we stateside receive an uber-rare Portuguese edition? 😛