Add a Lux 35 FLE to my Cron 35 asph v1?

[Patrik]

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I have loved my Cron asph v1 ever since starting to shot Leica M6 in the 90’ies. But yearning to add a FLE. But what do I gain more than an extra stop?
Big minus for me is the weight and viewfinderblockage. 
Hoping to find one at €3000 now that the APO has arrived. 
 

Thanks

Edited March 27, 2021 by Patrik

[Patrik]

I know, but neither with the Cron which intend to keep. 
Need more meat on my bones than that...

[evikne]

1 hour ago, Patrik said:

I have loved my Cron asph v1 ever since starting to shot Leica M6 in the 90’ies. But yearning to add a FLE. But what do I gain more than an extra stop?

A 35 FLE will give you a lot more than just an extra stop. It will also be a lot sharper at f/2 and further, and give your images a more modern look. It's a lens you can trust in all kinds of challenging situations where an older lens might have had problems. 

That being said, the modern perfection is not always what I want. So I combine a 35 FLE with an older 35mm lens too, because they complement each other so well.

[Patrik]

5 minutes ago, evikne said:

A 35 FLE will give you a lot more than just an extra stop. It will also be a lot sharper at f/2 and further, and give your images a more modern look. It's a lens you can trust in all kinds of challenging situations where an older lens might have had problems. 

That being said, the modern perfection is not always what I want. So I combine a 35 FLE with an older 35mm lens too, because they complement each other so well.

Thanks! Can the Cron asph v1, be considered as classic or only pre-asph?

[colint544]

The only reason to add a 35 FLE to your Summicron ASPH, would be if you need that extra stop. Aside from that, everything else is a disadvantage. As you mention, size, weight, and expense.

I have a 2011 copy of the 35 FLE. I can't say I love, it, but I've come to like it. If you could only have one Leica M lens, this might be it, because if you don't mind the size and weight, it's very useful. I find  it renders beautifully on film, so if you're shooting on an M6, it could be a great lens to have. 

I don't know if they've addressed the build quality issues in recent years. I bought my 35 FLE new, and out of the box, it had a rattle, and the aperture ring felt loose, and had barely a detent. Eventually the focus ring started to jam before infinity, and I had to send it back to the factory for a repair. They fixed everything, and it's fine now, but I'd carefully check any copy you intend to buy. Others here have complained of similar issues with their 35 FLE lenses.

If you do buy it, and appreciate its plus points, you might find your Summicron ends up gathering dust.

On a side note, it occurred to me that I've had my 35 FLE for ten years now. It cost an eye-watering £3650, but that equates to exactly £1 per day, so I guess the longer I keep it, the cheaper it gets.

Good luck, whatever you do.

[evikne]

9 minutes ago, Patrik said:

Thanks! Can the Cron asph v1, be considered as classic or only pre-asph?

I was perhaps a little too fast with my answer. I thought you had a pre-ASPH. With an ASPH v.1 the FLE will still be an upgrade, but less prominent. If you decide to buy an FLE, keeping your old lens would probably not feel so necessary.

[Patrik]

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8 minutes ago, colint544 said:

The only reason to add a 35 FLE to your Summicron ASPH, would be if you need that extra stop. Aside from that, everything else is a disadvantage. As you mention, size, weight, and expense.

I have a 2011 copy of the 35 FLE. I can't say I love, it, but I've come to like it. If you could only have one Leica M lens, this might be it, because if you don't mind the size and weight, it's very useful. I find  it renders beautifully on film, so if you're shooting on an M6, it could be a great lens to have. 

I don't know if they've addressed the build quality issues in recent years. I bought my 35 FLE new, and out of the box, it had a rattle, and the aperture ring felt loose, and had barely a detent. Eventually the focus ring started to jam before infinity, and I had to send it back to the factory for a repair. They fixed everything, and it's fine now, but I'd carefully check any copy you intend to buy. Others here have complained of similar issues with their 35 FLE lenses.

If you do buy it, and appreciate its plus points, you might find your Summicron ends up gathering dust.

On a side note, it occurred to me that I've had my 35 FLE for ten years now. It cost an eye-watering £3650, but that equates to exactly £1 per day, so I guess the longer I keep it, the cheaper it gets.

Good luck, whatever you do.

Many thanks for the pros and cons!

Have found a MP after years of seaching for one with old iso dial so idea is to have it mostly on that once I can travel to the UK to collect it. The idea that one or the other might be collecring dust has been on the minus side as well. 
 

Hmmm...

[ibramr]

With excellent advice already rendered above, my few lines may sound flippant, but this is not the intention at all.  I have done exactly the opposite two weeks ago as I have added the current 35mm Summicron Asph to the already lightly used Summilux 35mm FLE.  The current prices for the Summicron are very attractive and the notion of trying the lens—at the risk of selling it later close to the purchasing price if I didn’t like it—was a very viable proposition to ignore.  As for the Summilux 35mm FLE, and despite the clear preference to 50mm, it is the one-camera-one-lens solution I always follow whenever I travel overseas.  The bottom line is, Patrick, with good prices for the Summilux FLE, carpe diem and go for it, particularly, if you are like me—65 years old and counting.  Regards.  

Edited March 27, 2021 by ibramr

[Patrik]

11 minutes ago, ibramr said:

With excellent advice already rendered above, my few lines may sound flippant, but this is not the intention at all.  I have done exactly the opposite two weeks ago as I have added the current 35mm Summicron Asph to the already lightly used Summilux 35mm FLE.  The current prices for the Summicron are very attractive and the notion of trying the lens—at the risk of selling it later close to the purchasing price if I didn’t like it—was a very viable proposition to ignore.  As for the Summilux 35mm FLE, and despite the clear preference to 50mm, it is the one-camera-one-lens solution I always follow whenever I travel overseas.  The bottom line is, Patrick, with good prices for the Summilux FLE, carpe diem and go for it, particularly, if you are like me—65 years old and counting.  Regards.  

Thank you!

Turnung 50 this autumn...😉

[Jeff S]

I’ve owned the Summicron ASPH v.1 for many years, and only recently added the Summilux ASPH (FLE).  No compelling reason other than curiosity. I had read about all sorts of differences, both obvious (speed, size, weight, etc) and nuanced, such as flare propensity (less with FLE?), focus shift (my v.1 shifts marginally at f2.8-f4), color rendering (Summicron more pinkish), field curvature (mentioned with FLE), bokeh (FLE can be ‘nervous’ in some circumstances), sharpness, etc.  

Frankly, nobody will notice or care about any of these matters when viewing my prints.  And I can’t say that I’ve reached any compelling conclusions, having infrequently photographed due to the pandemic.  I’ll probably decide in a year or so to either keep both or sell one, not to mention the 35 f2.8 Summaron that I picked up inexpensively just for the fun of it. All are very capable tools that can produce superb, or mediocre, pics and prints. As usual, it’s more about me, my execution and whether I enjoy the experience.
 

From a technical standpoint, the new 35 APO Summicron looks to be an ideal blend of compactness and optical performance (at least measurement-wise), but it is priced in another realm altogether.  And if one wants specific ‘character’ (‘flaws’), well that’s another matter. One can learn to work with any choice.

Jeff

[Patrik]

56 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

I’ve owned the Summicron ASPH v.1 for many years, and only recently added the Summilux ASPH (FLE).  No compelling reason other than curiosity. I had read about all sorts of differences, both obvious (speed, size, weight, etc) and nuanced, such as flare propensity (less with FLE?), focus shift (my v.1 shifts marginally at f2.8-f4), color rendering (Summicron more pinkish), field curvature (mentioned with FLE), bokeh (FLE can be ‘nervous’ in some circumstances), sharpness, etc.  

Frankly, nobody will notice or care about any of these matters when viewing my prints.  And I can’t say that I’ve reached any compelling conclusions, having infrequently photographed due to the pandemic.  I’ll probably decide in a year or so to either keep both or sell one, not to mention the 35 f2.8 Summaron that I picked up inexpensively just for the fun of it. All are very capable tools that can produce superb, or mediocre, pics and prints. As usual, it’s more about me, my execution and whether I enjoy the experience.
 

From a technical standpoint, the new 35 APO Summicron looks to be an ideal blend of compactness and optical performance (at least measurement-wise), but it is priced in another realm altogether.  And if one wants specific ‘character’ (‘flaws’), well that’s another matter. One can learn to work with any choice.

Jeff

Many thanks for lengthy input Jeff!

[otto.f]

4 hours ago, evikne said:

A 35 FLE will give you a lot more than just an extra stop. It will also be a lot sharper at f/2 and further, and give your images a more modern look. It's a lens you can trust in all kinds of challenging situations where an older lens might have had problems. 

That being said, the modern perfection is not always what I want. So I combine a 35 FLE with an older 35mm lens too, because they complement each other so well.

Exactly the way I see it. And the FLE is not that modern that it starts to loose character