New edition of the Leica Summilux-M 1.4/35mm ASPH.

[Jeff S]

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I only use RF focusing, so not only is the close focusing wasted on me, it will surely add build complexity, and likely a price to match. Maybe the additional aperture blades will tame the sometimes nervous bokeh, but that’s avoidable. 

Smart for Leica (IF they can reliably and efficiently produce these close focusing lenses…I expect more). But pass for me.

Jeff

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Jeff S

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[darylgo]

4 hours ago, Herr Barnack said:

🙁  But everybody hates the retractable lens hoods...

It's a love/hate relationship, Leica is all over the place with hoods.  Series filters in hoods, ugh!!

[Herr Barnack]

1 hour ago, darylgo said:

It's a love/hate relationship, Leica is all over the place with hoods.  Series filters in hoods, ugh!!

No question on that.

The best hoods they have made are the metal screw on hoods like my 28 Elmarit and 50/2.4 Summarit have.  Why can't Leica just make those for every lens and be done with the experimenting??

[darylgo]

33 minutes ago, Herr Barnack said:

No question on that.

The best hoods they have made are the metal screw on hoods like my 28 Elmarit and 50/2.4 Summarit have.  Why can't Leica just make those for every lens and be done with the experimenting??

Agreed, my guess is that the hood is the least and last part of design, mechanical and optical.  M lenses are demanding, size and performance are jewels, priced accordingly.  After exhaustive research and years of work, many drinks to celebrate finalizing the lens the hood thoughts start.   A drunken design at best, perhaps an intern.  Seriously 😁

[lct]

46 minutes ago, Herr Barnack said:

No question on that.

The best hoods they have made are the metal screw on hoods like my 28 Elmarit and 50/2.4 Summarit have.  Why can't Leica just make those for every lens and be done with the experimenting??

Because consumers are never happy? I don't have the lenses you're quoting but what you're describing is pretty well the same hood as the FLE's we are discussing about here, or am i missing something?

[yanidel]

So basically my 35mm Summilux ASPH pre-FLE would still render the same as this new one, except for the focus shift? (which I have learnt to adjust for) 

[RexGig0]

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Well, the type of hood, that is on the current FLE, is something that I like. (I do not own an FLE, but have other lenses with this type of threaded hood.) I do not see the closer MFD as being necessary, for my shooting, with a 35mm lens. So, unless there is some other significant improvement in the optical performance, I am unlikely to want to acquire one of the as-yet-unannounced Summilux 35mm lenses. I really like the superb Zeiss Distagon f/1,4 35mm ZM, for much of my shooting, but the idea of adding a 35mm FLE has occasionally tempted me, for the times when its character would be desirable. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by RexGig0

[chasdfg]

I have always felt that the rectangle metal hoods were sturdier than the slide out ones (35FLE vs 50lux asph for example) and also work better against flare..and are also more user replaceable (until Leica stops making them). The rectangle hoods do make the lens about 1cm longer though, but on the flip side if I wanted more compactness I've always just swapped the hood for the hood protection ring (at the expense of more flare). I do the same with my 28cron. I suppose a slide-out hood is the middle ground and does make the lens more sleek. One peeve I have with the FLE after spending time with more compact 35mms and particularly the 35lux preFLE is that it can appear bloated, and the built-in-hood doesn't really get around that. I must add that the 35 FLE is already a small lens, so it's all relative.

Close focus is useful but I wouldn't pay a premium for it. When I used my FLE on a Sony body with a voigtlander helicoid adapter, the closer focus with the adapter was novel but that novelty wore off and I didn't engage the close focus so much in day-to-day shooting. I guess your mileage may vary.

I shoot my FLE wide open most of the time, so extra aperture blades shouldn't make a difference. When i stop down for more depth of field to give context i don't really care so much about bokeh. Again one of those "YMMV" things. 

It is a good update all around improving on an already decent lens design, but if they tweaked the optics like they did when the 28cron v2 came out then existing FLE owners like myself would really have something to consider. In some sense I'm happy nothing had changed optically (at least based on what i've read)...I can put my money elsewhere. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by chasdfg

[Crem]

3 hours ago, lct said:

Because consumers are never happy? I don't have the lenses you're quoting but what you're describing is pretty well the same hood as the FLE's we are discussing about here, or am i missing something?

The “old” FLE has the exactly same style hood as the current version 28 Elmarit 2.8. I have both lenses. They are different part numbers, but exact same design. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Crem

[Jeff S]

2 hours ago, yanidel said:

So basically my 35mm Summilux ASPH pre-FLE would still render the same as this new one, except for the focus shift? (which I have learnt to adjust for) 

Improvements regarding focus shift are secondary benefits of the floating element; the primary one being improved close focus performance. See especially comments in this old thread from Rick and o1af, as well as the Karbe quote I cited.

There are many other threads comparing the FLE to the prior 35 Summilux ASPH, including comments regarding bokeh and flare.  Emotions often run high on the rendering distinctions, so no need to rehash all that here.

Jeff

[jakontil]

5 hours ago, Jeff S said:

I only use RF focusing, so not only is the close focusing wasted on me, it will surely add build complexity, and likely a price to match. Maybe the additional aperture blades will tame the sometimes nervous bokeh, but that’s avoidable. 

Smart for Leica (IF they can reliably and efficiently produce these close focusing lenses…I expect more). But pass for me.

Jeff

 

I love the nervous bokeh at times, wouldnt mind it, i might consider getting back the FLE but wallet speaks louder

[lct]

8 hours ago, chasdfg said:

One peeve I have with the FLE after spending time with more compact 35mms and particularly the 35lux preFLE is that it can appear bloated, and the built-in-hood doesn't really get around that. I must add that the 35 FLE is already a small lens, so it's all relative.

Relative indeed. I am not prepared to pay Leica prices for anything larger, taller or heavier than the FLE (right). As far as M lenses are concerned, the example to follow is not the FLE or the pre-FLE imho, let alone SL lenses, but the Summilux 35/1.4 pre-asph (left). Cosina has well understood that with their Nokton 35/1.4 which has the same size as the Summilux pre-asph more or less. YMMV.

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[chasdfg]

1 hour ago, lct said:

Relative indeed. I am not prepared to pay Leica prices for anything larger, taller or heavier than the FLE (right). As far as M lenses are concerned, the example to follow is not the FLE or the pre-FLE imho, let alone SL lenses, but the Summilux 35/1.4 pre-asph (left). Cosina has well understood that with their Nokton 35/1.4 which has the same size as the Summilux pre-asph more or less. YMMV.

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I use the FLE as the benchmark for largest day-driver leica lens too (i have made exceptions to special lenses like the 75lux and noctilux f1, to the detriment of my bank account). I picked up a 35lux preasph recently as my small 35mm, to pair with my M11 (it is only 790g including the weight of a strap!). If the pre asph had a solution to use a filter without the hood (since it flares in its unique way with or without the hood - though I suppose the hood prevents flare in more circumstances? Never tested), one could really maximise the size benefit of that lens. It'd be half the FLE in height. 

I admire what Cosina has done with the 35 1.4 and 35 f2. I had the f2 for a while and couldn't complain about image quality in such a small package. Leica has done miniaturisation right with the 35apo (though I wish it was a smidge smaller) and 50apo especially compared to the equivalent VM lenses though. 

Am curious to know the weight of the new FLE.

[mrmalo]

25 minutes ago, Artin said:

https://leica-camera.com/en-int/photography/lenses/m/summilux-m-35mm-f1-4-asph-black

 

I guess still waiting for prices 

It's pretty much the same price as the FLE v1.

Edited September 15, 2022 by mrmalo

[elmars]

5650,- €

[BigBabyEarl]

Out at Leica Miami. Pre order. I have the APO. Should be an interesting lens with minimum focus creating wild bokeh for portraits. Not sure which one I’d use more tbh. 

[PCPix]

7 minutes ago, Artin said:

 

I guess still waiting for prices 

£4950 (UK)

[bdolzani]

19 minutes ago, Artin said:

https://leica-camera.com/en-int/photography/lenses/m/summilux-m-35mm-f1-4-asph-black

 

I guess still waiting for prices 

Leica Miami's email this morning says $5595 for silver and $5395 for black. I have no business looking into this but the fascination is real.

 

EDIT: sorry already been answered!

Edited September 15, 2022 by bdolzani

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[M11 for me]

I wonder if they are both same material and weight (the black or silver).

 

[lct]

5 minutes ago, chasdfg said:

If the pre asph had a solution to use a filter without the hood (since it flares in its unique way with or without the hood - though I suppose the hood prevents flare in more circumstances? Never tested), one could really maximise the size benefit of that lens.

Regular screw in filters could cause vignetting on a 35/1.4 that small so Leitz decided to remove the filter thread of v1 lenses in favor of Series VII filters dropped between the two halves of the 12504 hood. Would be less of a problem nowadays i guess knowing that the similarly sized Nokton 35/1.4 has a filter thread. The Nokton uses E43 filters though.