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50mm Summilux ASPH: Is the Silver Still Heavier on New Inventory?


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12 minutes ago, eyeheartny said:

I’m quite torn between them

Sorry if I missed it, but what colour is your camera? If its silver/chrome, go with chrome; if it's black, go with black. Simples😀

You do not need to worry about seeing the markings on the silver in low light -it will  have similar visibility to black.

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Just now, pedaes said:

Sorry if I missed it, but what colour is your camera? If its silver/chrome, go with chrome; if it's black, go with black. Simples😀

You do not need to worry about seeing the markings on the silver in low light -it will  have similar visibility to black.

Black body incoming next week. I happen to like the silver lens on black body look, though! 

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Personally I've never really noticed much difference but i don't shoot so much in low light.

Re the focus action you need to try the lenses out to maybe tell which you prefer - some people don't like the "stiction" of the heavier brass-bodied lens which is added to the extra effort due to the floating rear group, so it needs more effort to get it moving. The problem is a new black one could seem stiffer than a used silver chrome one till it's been used for a while....🤔

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8 hours ago, NigelG said:

My black anodised has a lighter focus action than the silver chrome - which has a tiny “inertia” when you start to turn it but then “feels” more precise when you then dial the focus in. It feels somehow more mechanically solid. The finish on the silver chrome is also much more robust.

I have found the opposite with respect to 'stiction' - that the black, anodised version I had exhibited inertia when starting to turn it, and that the silver chrome version was much smoother.

The silver chrome version feels incredibly dense - more so, to me, that the 130g might imply.

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3 minutes ago, sinjun said:

The silver chrome version feels incredibly dense - more so, to me, that the 130g might imply.

How does it feel to you in terms of balance on the camera both when it’s on a strap and in your hand for shooting? Is the density a positive or negative for you?

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4 minutes ago, eyeheartny said:

How does it feel to you in terms of balance on the camera

It makes the camera 'nose heavy'. Worn on a strap round the neck it will tip the camera forward. That said, I have never found it a big deal or troublesome.

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12 minutes ago, eyeheartny said:

How does it feel to you in terms of balance on the camera both when it’s on a strap and in your hand for shooting? Is the density a positive or negative for you?

Both the black anodized and silver chrome versions cause the camera to tip forward onto the end of the lens when an M9 is set on a flat surface. On a strap and in hand for shooting neither feels unbalanced. On a strap with the camera hanging against me the weight of the silver chrome version does not cause it to rotate to a lens-down position. Overall the silver chrome version exudes quality and precision and a preference may come down to aesthetics. However, if these qualities are not important to you, the black anodized version is probably more practical simply because of the lower weight (rather than better balance).

I do appreciate the lack of stiction on the silver version over the black, though I'm not sure this is a universal thing from what NigelG has said.

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I didn’t like the somewhat ‘sticky’ focus action on my standard black 50 Summilux ASPH. Leica couldn’t adjust it, so I sent it to DAG Don Goldberg) and he made it buttery smooth with some Leitz grease that he still stocks. No problem now for years.  Back to me in 10 days, $90, including shipping.
 

My 50 Summicron APO, however, is black chrome, as I greatly prefer its fully knurled focus ring, solid aperture clicks and overall ergonomics compared to the standard black version. Its hood is not as convenient as the built-in one, but it’s more effective (although rarely needed). 

Jeff

Edited by Jeff S
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Only thing universal in Leica's mediocre QC imo. My regular black 50/1.4 asph was stiff when i bought it and is now butter smooth but i had to have it fixed twice by Leica and it took several months for that. Same issue with the 75/2 apo more or less. Both FLE lenses but another FLE lens (35/1.4) was butter smooth from scratch... except that my dealer returned two copies to Leica before delivering mine... 

Edited by lct
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I have tested this for you earlier this year. On the Aus Leica website, the silver 50 lux is listed as same weight as the black one. I called and a representitive comfirmed on that. So I pulled the trigger hoping to replace my older silver chrome version. But, when the lens arrived, I put it on the scale and found it was exactly the same weight as my old chrome lux 50. So, no, it is still silver chrome not anodised silver. 

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4 minutes ago, JimmyCheng said:

I have tested this for you earlier this year. On the Aus Leica website, the silver 50 lux is listed as same weight as the black one. I called and a representitive comfirmed on that. So I pulled the trigger hoping to replace my older silver chrome version. But, when the lens arrived, I put it on the scale and found it was exactly the same weight as my old chrome lux 50. So, no, it is still silver chrome not anodised silver. 

Ouch, that's an expensive way to find out.

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