35mm f/1.4 ASPH.

[carstenw]

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Kevin, there is nothing stopping people from adding their own comments, even if only tangentially related, and that is good, since it does sometimes add value. "Heavy compared to what"? To the alternatives, clearly (except the Nokton). The 35 Summilux ASPH is the second-largest 35mm lens for the M mount. Don't get all upset and reply when you read something you don't like. The forums would fill up with annoyance very quickly. Just ignore the post, and if you repeatedly find yourself annoyed by the same poster, use the ignore feature.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

I recently posted on another forum that i have sent back 5 different m lenses for lubrication. Not only was the focus ring stiff but in several cases there was a noticeable screetching sound as with metal on metal. After servicing in Solms all the lenses are now perfect. So my advice would be if you are having stiff focus or noticeable metal on metal sounds, send the lens to Leica for service.

 

Woody Spedden

 

As Woody pointed out and actually was with him in Solms with some of his lenes were very stiff and just to remind folks some of your lenses like a 35 Lux if not new maybe pretty old and the lubrication starts to get stiff. You can have leica redo the lubrication on your lenses and they can also make it a tight focus or a loose focus within reason for you also. Really when buying a used lens you may nor be sure of it's history and such so always a good idea with all your glass to keep up on the maintenance with a CLA every so often. ( Clean ,Lub and adjust). i used to do this yearly with my Hassy gear and it needed it yearly too. So if a lens is really starting to feel stiff, than this maybe a good solution to get it back into shape.

[george +]

Kevin, I am sorry that my post, that was intended to be informative, keeps so upsetting you.

 

IMHO "bad" information is incorrect information. I do not think what I wrote qualifies as such; no matter how you twist it. But my apologies anyway.

 

By the way, do you possess either of the lenses discussed?

[lct]

Big and heavy??? Compared to what, a postage stamp. You are giving bad information.

One could learn a lot from George including respect IMHO.

This lens is indeed the biggest and heaviest 35/1.4 that Leica (and probably other makers) have ever made for M cameras so far.

Compared to the previous 'lux 35 it is about 50% larger and heavier actually.

[xrogers]

Having said that, there is a notable tightness in the focusing ring between about 3 feet and 5 feet, and at those distances, I have some focusing difficulties. It just seems like it needs some lubrication or something.

 

This happened to my 35 Lux Asph after having it coded; buttery before, slight binding after that made accurate focus frustrating. In fact, off the camera it seemed perfectly smooth, but was clearly wrong once mounted.

 

I'm not recommending this (especially if you aren't mechanically inclined), and you're on your own if you attempt it, but I must say it was trivially easy to fix. I slightly loosened the six mount screws, and put the lens on end (with the mount facing up). I then ran through the focus range several times, and carefully tightened the screws---a definite improvement. I did the same thing again, but ran a printer paper shim between the rear element and mount, and then tightened. Perfectly smooth both on and off camera. Took maybe five minutes.

 

Until later,

 

--clyde

[Jamie Roberts]

I think George was pretty clear: the lux is heavy compared with his 35 'cron, which he uses more often than the 'lux.

 

Anyway, I *love* my 35 Lux and it's chrome. It's absolutely tiny (but not the lightest M lens) compared with the Canon 35 1,4L, but like most M lenses doesn't focus as close (not that this matters to me).

 

But compared with other M lenses it is quite heavy. I actually like the heft; it adds some more stability to the whole package and I can shoot much slower with that lens than I could with a 28 Elmarit, for instance.

 

So the 35 chrome lux is still one of my best lenses on the m8, and always amazes me at what a wonderful "normal" FOV lens it makes.

[xrogers]

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I have both the 35 Cron asph and Lux asph (yeah, I'll get around to selling one someday), and agree with George. They both balance on the camera very well, but the cron balances better.

 

To me, an M with the cron feels light, and an M with the Lux feels heavy.

 

--clyde

[xrogers]

But compared with other M lenses it is quite heavy. I actually like the heft; it adds some more stability to the whole package and I can shoot much slower with that lens than I could with a 28 Elmarit, for instance.

 

Excellent point. With the Lux you get the extra stop plus another stop or two from a better left hand cradle and greater mass.

 

No wonder I can't decide which to sell...

 

--clyde