24mm Summilux no longer available - will it be refreshed?

[Stevejack]

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As per the title, does anyone know if they are re-doing the 24mm Summilux lens?

It can't be ordered from Leica anymore, so I'd like to know if it will be re-released sometime soon or if it's now just obsolete?

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[dritz]

It's definitely not obsolete. They just don't manufacture it any more!

Wonderful lens.

[beewee]

Both the 24mm lux and SEM were discontinued due to lack of demand, along with the 18mm SEM. They were never popular with M shooters despite the both SEM being a real gems, especially the 24mm SEM. I have both the 18mm and 24mm SEM. The 24mm SEM is optically superior to the 24mm lux but the lux has a wider max aperture.

For full frame M camera photographers, the 24mm was just wide enough to need an external view finder which can be annoying for some people but not hugely wider than a 28mm. For this reason, I think most people ended up going 28mm instead and then if they wanted something wider, they would choose a 21mm to compliment the 28mm.

I’m sure if you look at more obscure/smaller Leica stores, you can probably still find some new old stock 24mm lux.

Edited February 4, 2021 by beewee

[jaeger]

Leica is a for profit company, if there is enough demand they will do it.  It's just discontinued few months ago... it will take some time for resurrection.  It maybe better off finding yourself a nice used one.

Leica San Francisco used to have 4 used 24Lux but as soon as Leica has ceased production, all of them were gone in few weeks.  Damn collectors!

Edited February 4, 2021 by jaeger

[Stevejack]

18 minutes ago, dritz said:

It's definitely not obsolete. They just don't manufacture it any more!

Wonderful lens.

 

16 minutes ago, beewee said:

Both the 24mm lux and SEM were discontinued due to lack of demand, along with the 18mm SEM. They were never popular with M shooters despite the both SEM being a real gems, especially the 24mm SEM. I have both the 18mm and 24mm SEM. The 24mm SEM is optically superior to the 24mm lux but the lux has a wider max aperture.

For full frame M camera photographers, the 24mm was just wide enough to need an external view finder which can be annoying for some people but not hugely wider than a 28mm. For this reason, I think most people ended up going 28mm instead and then if they wanted something wider, they would choose a 21mm to compliment the 28mm.

I’m sure if you look at more obscure/smaller Leica stores, you can probably still find some new old stock 24mm lux.

 

15 minutes ago, jaeger said:

Leica is a for profit company, if there is enough demand they will do it.  It's just discontinued few months ago... it will take some time for resurrection.  It maybe better off finding yourself a nice used one.

Leica San Francisco used to have 4 used 24Lux but as soon as Leica has ceased production, all of them were gone in few weeks.  Damn collectors!

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info.

I did actually purchase a used lens from the other side of the country earlier this week, but the rear element is loose. You can wiggle it forward and back, and when I tilt the camera you can hear and feel the lens "knock" as the weight shifts. 

I can send it back for a refund and keep looking, or otherwise get them to repair it. I can't get a new one these days so a good used copy is about all I can hope for!

[andybarton]

ffordes in Scotland currently have a new one and a used one in stock.

[UliWer]

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vor 39 Minuten schrieb andybarton:

ffordes in Scotland currently have a new one and a used one in stock.

There are plenty of Leica 24mm lenses (Elmarit asph, Summilux and Elmar asph) on the second hand market - all of them for prices which are - comparatively - low. This is another sign of lacking demand for 24mm lenses. Therefore I do not think that Leica will start again to produce anything with this focal length in the near future.

 

[andybarton]

There are lots of 24 Elmarit-M ASPH's about. I have one and it's a superb lens and very cheap (by Leica standards), these days. Mine is uncoded, which is a shame, but it's not a problem.

More often than not, it's the lens that is on my camera when I pick it up.

[jaeger]

10 hours ago, Stevejack said:

 

 You can wiggle it forward and back, and when I tilt the camera you can hear and feel the lens "knock" as the weight shifts. 

 

leica can tight it up mostly for free even if it's out of warranty, mine did it too.  3 out of 4 leica lenses have the same issue in my case. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by jaeger

[jaapv]

Hanging on to mine  

[jaapv]

10 hours ago, Stevejack said:

I did actually purchase a used lens from the other side of the country earlier this week, but the rear element is loose. You can wiggle it forward and back, and when I tilt the camera you can hear and feel the lens "knock" as the weight shifts. 

I can send it back for a refund and keep looking, or otherwise get them to repair it. I can't get a new one these days so a good used copy is about all I can hope for!

Often this is just the mount screws working loose. Mine did that twice, the second time I torqued the screws to 35 Ncm and it remained fixed ever after.

[newtoleica]

24mm and 35mm are my preferred focal lengths - 28 is sort of in between...

24 on an M is easy, just go a bit wider than the frame. I rarely need precise framing and if I do I slip on a finder.

I have a 24 Elmarit ASPH coded and just acquired a mint used 24 Summilux at a good price. I may keep both as the smaller lens is a good one to 'tuck in' when the wider max aperture isn't needed.

Here's a shot from the 24 Lux on the M9M when I last had one in 2015.

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[Stevejack]

10 hours ago, jaapv said:

Often this is just the mount screws working loose. Mine did that twice, the second time I torqued the screws to 35 Ncm and it remained fixed ever after.

I did look at this when I first noticed the issue, but all screws are nice and tight. I didn't check with a torque wrench mind you, so I may need to loosen them off and re-torque.