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Sell Leica 50mm APO for Leica 35mm 1.4 Summilux FLE?


Jan1985

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I Own a Leica 50mm APO since 2015. But Mostly I Use my 50mm Noctilux for Portrait Work and Weddings. What I am missing is a 35mm focal length in my set. Because this seems to be addicted for reportage and documentary. And I thought about 35mm Summilux FLE.

Would you sell your 50mm APO for this lens?

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really depending on how bad you need and may be want that particular lens, in my case im more a 50mm shooter and i have variety of glasses covering such length, including the 50 apo and the noctilux, while i’d only have one 35mm which is the cron and it suffice my needs

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I would not sell the apo… I’d keep it along with the noct.  Unless you sell the m summicron apo and buy an SL 50 apo with SL2 or sl2-s which you can also shoot the noct on with the m-sl adapter.  Win all the way around I say.

Otherwise, save up and add the 35 summilux.

Robb

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If you don't use the APO very much; if you believe that the Noctilux can do much the same for your needs as the APO and you don't think you need a 'spare' 50mm for your work then sell the APO and get the FLE.

Good luck.

Philip.

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I would not sell the APO unless you literally never ever use it. There are excellent Zeiss and Voigtlander 35mm's to consider at a lot less cost than the FLE, especially if you can manage without f1.4. The 35/2.8 Zeiss Biogon is a cracking lens, and there are excellent Voigtlanders. FWIW.

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I love my 50 APO, and would be very reluctant to sell it, but then I wonder if I’m a bit of a hoarder!

More to the point, why have you decided on the 35 FLE, or the 35 Summicron, for that matter?  There is a very helpful thread on which 35 in the M lens forum.  I’ve had the 35 Summicron ASPH, and 2 copies of the FLE, and never gelled with either.  I’ve turned down two APO 35 Summicrons as well, and probably won’t buy that lens. I have the 35 Summilux pre-asph v2, and it is a problematic child. Wide open it has the “Leica glow” (which I do not really see as a good thing), but like other Mandler lenses, it is delightfully soft at f/1.4, and sharp from f/4. You just need to manage flare and highlights. 

Like you, I concluded that I wanted another, complimentary 35.  The APO seemed the best bet, but stupid expensive for my needs, I didn’t see any point going back to the FLE or the Summicron, so I looked about and read that thread.  I know there are many who like the lenses I’d discounted, and I haven’t tried the 35 Summilux ASPH (pre-FLE) - focus shift isn’t my thing. Anyway, I came to the conclusion that the two best options were the Zeiss 2.8 Biogon, and the 1.4 Distagon. I went for the latter.

Zeiss lenses are generally cheaper than Leica and, in my experience, different but just as good. I had Zeiss lenses for my Hasselblad for a long time, and they were phenomenal. Generally, I find the colour cast of the Distagon slightly colder than the Leica offerings, and they have more micro-contrast (if there is such a thing).  It also seems to have a more even plain of best focus across the frame. There was a lot written about this lens when it was released (about the same time as the FLE, if I recall correctly).

The nice thing is you’ll have little trouble selling it if you decide you do want the Leica …
 

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14 hours ago, Gelatino said:

THE question is : "Do you need the money?"(to buy the 35)

IMO the Noctilux and the APO are two  different tools for different purposes and obviously the 35 is an other tool to achieve what the 50s can't...

I would say that is the central question.  If the answer is "no" I would keep the 50 APO regardless of how much or little you use it.

A parallel in my own circumstances:  I have a 50mm f/1.0 Noctilux.  I don't use it much, but I know if I were to trade it in on something else, it would not take much time at all until I was regretting it. 

I still regret trading in my pre-ASPH black paint 50mm Summilux, but at the time I needed the trade in cash to get my M-P 240. 

In my experience,  playing catch and release with M lenses is a losing game.

Edited by Herr Barnack
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