Review: The Leica Summilux-M 35 f/1.4 ASPH. by Jonathan Slack

[S Maclean]

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Well, for what is worth I got mine delivered from NYC ( ADORAMA) today.  Of course I happen to be traveling so I won’t get my hands on I my until next week.  I would have really enjoyed using this one on my travels but the cron 35 did really well.

[normie610]

I got mine yesterday and I was assured that this copy won’t have the aperture blade issue. Managed to do a couple of shots, and the close focus is really wonderful. I do notice one thing though. Somehow the in camera JPEGs of the new FLE don’t correctly show the distortion correction when compared to my Zeiss Distagon. I always use the Lux 35mm profile for my Distagon and the in camera JPEGs show barely any distortion. And with the new FLE, the distortion is noticeable in the JPEGs.

However, when I open the new FLE’s RAW files in Lightroom and lens correction is applied, the distortion is properly corrected. So I don’t know what’s going on with the in camera JPEGs, perhaps they need to update the firmware to rectify this as it also affects the image preview on the LCD. And I don’t have the previous FLE version so I don’t know whether it’s the same case or not.

Edit: I’m shooting with the M11 body.

Edited November 27, 2022 by normie610

[S Maclean]

Well, Returned from my tirp and the lense was here at home.  Excieted to get it but....It's busted.  The ring has to be forced to click at 1.4 and the blades seem damaged as they do not open uniforml.  Someitmes it's one of them and sometimes 2.

Also somehow it is not focusing accurately through rangefinder, although I can get good shrpness with the viewfinder.  I am not technical enough to uderstand why. (my other lenses seem fine unless my rangefinder got off wack through travel.  See images for blade issue.

 

 

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[anickpick]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb S Maclean:

Well, Returned from my tirp and the lense was here at home.  Excieted to get it but....It's busted.  The ring has to be forced to click at 1.4 and the blades seem damaged as they do not open uniforml.  Someitmes it's one of them and sometimes 2.

Also somehow it is not focusing accurately through rangefinder, although I can get good shrpness with the viewfinder.  I am not technical enough to uderstand why. (my other lenses seem fine unless my rangefinder got off wack through travel.  See images for blade issue.

 

 

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I still find it hard to believe. 
This is a disaster for Leica. 
 

[S Maclean]

4 hours ago, anickpick said:

I still find it hard to believe. 
This is a disaster for Leica. 
 

Yeah, pretty bad.  I suppose it happens.  This is the first time for me one of these lenses is off so iM not going to throw the baby with the bath water so to speak.

the worst part for me is not I have to wait a few months more….

Fortunately i just got a Summilux  21 mm 1.4 from Leica Madrid that I could not resist so that will keep me entertained.

[normie610]

16 hours ago, S Maclean said:

Well, Returned from my tirp and the lense was here at home.  Excieted to get it but....It's busted.  The ring has to be forced to click at 1.4 and the blades seem damaged as they do not open uniforml.  Someitmes it's one of them and sometimes 2.

Also somehow it is not focusing accurately through rangefinder, although I can get good shrpness with the viewfinder.  I am not technical enough to uderstand why. (my other lenses seem fine unless my rangefinder got off wack through travel.  See images for blade issue.

 

 

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I had to return mine as well. It didn't focus properly with rangefinder. Aperture blade was fine. Mine was silver and there was another one at the store but with black color. I did try that one and it seems all is fine. So I took up the offer to exchange the silver one with the black one but it might take a couple of days to do the exchange. It's a pity that the quality control seems very poor indeed.

[dickgillberg]

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My Leicadealer just told me that my black Summilux is on the way from Leica. Let’s hope for the best.😊

[normie610]

An update to my situation, just got my replacement lens in black (which looks a bit dull compared to the silver one), and thank God, all is well. Aperture blades are ok, focus through rangefinder is very accurate, image quality is remarkable. Let’s hope that it stays this way for eternity 😁

[S Maclean]

17 hours ago, normie610 said:

An update to my situation, just got my replacement lens in black (which looks a bit dull compared to the silver one), and thank God, all is well. Aperture blades are ok, focus through rangefinder is very accurate, image quality is remarkable. Let’s hope that it stays this way for eternity 😁

How long before you got your replacement?

[normie610]

6 hours ago, S Maclean said:

How long before you got your replacement?

The store has it in stock so it’s a matter of admin stuff that took just one business day to sort out. And I’ve tested the replacement before I decided to do the exchange (they literally open the sealed box of the black lens in order for me to try It).  

[S Maclean]

4 hours ago, normie610 said:

The store has it in stock so it’s a matter of admin stuff that took just one business day to sort out. And I’ve tested the replacement before I decided to do the exchange (they literally open the sealed box of the black lens in order for me to try It).  

Lucky

[normie610]

22 hours ago, S Maclean said:

Lucky

Not so lucky after all. It turns out after two days using it, the same exact problem happens. Can’t focus accurately through rangefinder. It’s weird because initially it was working fine. I suspect this has got to do with the close focus. Perhaps the focusing distance > 0.7m got misaligned once the close focus is frequently used/engaged. Here are the pictures of the rangefinder and the corresponding results:

Rangefinder IN FOCUS:

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Result: Blurry image

 

Rangefinder NOT IN FOCUS:

 

Result: Sharp image

[S Maclean]

25 minutes ago, normie610 said:

Not so lucky after all. It turns out after two days using it, the same exact problem happens. Can’t focus accurately through rangefinder. It’s weird because initially it was working fine. I suspect this has got to do with the close focus. Perhaps the focusing distance > 0.7m got misaligned once the close focus is frequently used/engaged. Here are the pictures of the rangefinder and the corresponding results:

Rangefinder IN FOCUS:

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Result: Blurry image

 

Rangefinder NOT IN FOCUS:

 

Result: Sharp image

What’s going on with this lens? I’m tempted to cancel my replacement order.  But I honestly can’t believe all these issues are happening

[normie610]

8 minutes ago, S Maclean said:

What’s going on with this lens? I’m tempted to cancel my replacement order.  But I honestly can’t believe all these issues are happening

Yeah it’s very frustrating. I’m returning the lens and won’t ask for a replacement. Not until I’m assured that all these issues have been resolved. It’s a shame really.  

[Ktsa5239]

5 hours ago, normie610 said:

Not so lucky after all. It turns out after two days using it, the same exact problem happens. Can’t focus accurately through rangefinder. It’s weird because initially it was working fine. I suspect this has got to do with the close focus. Perhaps the focusing distance > 0.7m got misaligned once the close focus is frequently used/engaged. Here are the pictures of the rangefinder and the corresponding results:

Rangefinder IN FOCUS:

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

 

Result: Blurry image

 

Rangefinder NOT IN FOCUS:

 

Result: Sharp image

This really worries me. My copy so far works as it should but it’s starting to feel like a time bomb that would break at anytime….

Edited December 3, 2022 by Ktsa5239

[anickpick]

Since Leica does not communicate, I have cancelled my order.

 

[normie610]

On 12/3/2022 at 1:45 PM, Ktsa5239 said:

This really worries me. My copy so far works as it should but it’s starting to feel like a time bomb that would break at anytime….

Hopefully your copy won’t have such issues 

[normie610]

On 12/3/2022 at 4:49 PM, anickpick said:

Since Leica does not communicate, I have cancelled my order.

 

Yeah I think it’s best to wait and see.

[hdmesa]

On 12/2/2022 at 6:59 PM, S Maclean said:

What’s going on with this lens? I’m tempted to cancel my replacement order.  But I honestly can’t believe all these issues are happening

On 12/2/2022 at 7:10 PM, normie610 said:

Yeah it’s very frustrating. I’m returning the lens and won’t ask for a replacement. Not until I’m assured that all these issues have been resolved. It’s a shame really.  

On 12/3/2022 at 2:49 AM, anickpick said:

Since Leica does not communicate, I have cancelled my order.

 

I was on the list with a retailer, and last week they offered me a black copy they just received. Nope, not until this is sorted. 

I do appreciate the crazy engineering and painstaking precision hand assembly it takes to put together some of Leica’s recent new lens designs, but I have to wonder if they have started to push themselves too far — flown too close to the sun so to speak. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by hdmesa

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[Jeff S]

18 hours ago, hdmesa said:

I do appreciate the crazy engineering and painstaking precision hand assembly it takes to put together some of Leica’s recent new lens designs, but I have to wonder if they have started to push themselves too far — flown too close to the sun so to speak. 

Complicated by a close focusing ‘feature’ that cannot even be realized using the RF.

Starting with the 35 APO Summicron, the reduced MFD wasn’t even included in its initial design spec by the marketing side; only later added when the tech side said it was feasible (per comments from a live interview with respective Leica management). Now it seems many new releases will follow suit.

I might have been interested in the 35 M APO had it come in a simpler design, with 70cm MFD, but otherwise improved optical performance (and better QC), even at a premium cost. 

Jeff