Current M lenses and Tradition

[pgk]

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I notice that there are a limited number of current offerings of focal lengths above 50mm and that many of more traditional more compact lenses are now missing from the lineup. Wide-angles are very well catered for though as are esoteric, ultra fast lenses which are difficult to focus with absolute precision with the rangefinder. Are we seeing a move away from the availability of compact lenses (the 90/4 remains the only longer lens to fit this requirement but is slow)? And are the more traditionally specified lenses now not perceived as being either needed or perhaps are not profitable enough?

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[pedaes]

17 minutes ago, pgk said:

limited number of current offerings of focal lengths above 50mm

Are you talking about Leica lenses? Which lenses are you thinking about? The number of 75-135mm Leica lenses available new has increased in the last ten years, including the Thambar, although none would meet the 'compact' definition.

[pgk]

1 minute ago, pedaes said:

Are you talking about Leica lenses? Which lenses are you thinking about? The number of 75-135mm Leica lenses available new has increased in the last ten years, including the Thambar, although none would meet the 'compact' definition.

Yes, Leica M lenses. In the past there have been a number of 90/2.8s and then the 90 & 75/2.4/2.5s but now only the 90/4 is left as a compact lens. Given the compactness of the M itself, it seems odd that Leica have moved to mostly larger lenser above 50mm, with only one small offering.

[KFo]

I think it's just commerce, not art.  There are some product managers trying to figure out how to maximise...something.

 

 

 

[Photoworks]

Leica technician said one day about the 2.4 questions.

"We don't do cheap well. they don't sell!"

but the new Leica 75/90 and quality 105%

[pedaes]

46 minutes ago, pgk said:

the 90 & 75/2.4/2.5s

The cessation of the Summarit range was a great shame, but presumably they didn't sell. Perhaps they will be reintroduced one day. At one time Leica Store Miami was running a petition to bring them back.

[TomB_tx]

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I also miss the compact "workhorse" lenses, having started with a 50 2.8 Elmar in the mid 1960s. Used the same Summicron 35 & 50 lenses (69 vintage) and a TeleElmarit as my only M lenses for about 40 years. Now my main lenses are 35, 50, 90 f2.5 Summarit, with a VC 21 f4 for a compact kit. Yes, I have Summilux & similar, but prefer the others.

But it's the fast and exotic that get people excited, and the target Leica customer doesn't mind the prices. We often see 1st time users buying the highest cost body with the priciest lenses. It was different when Leica was still a mainstream camera system and they offered lens lines for different users. The 2.8 Elmar was $78, Summicron was most popular, Summilux was, well, Lux and the Noctilux was unobtanium at $678. A Leica rep told me they all performed about equally except for speed and price - so they had a line for all users.

Now if people want small and compact it's a cell phone.

 

[spydrxx]

Time and preferences move on. That leaves bin pickers like me with occasional findings at reasonable prices.

[lct]

18 minutes ago, TomB_tx said:

Now if people want small and compact it's a cell phone.

Or Cosina who continues smartly the Leica tradition. 

[evikne]

1 hour ago, lct said:

Or Cosina who continues smartly the Leica tradition. 

They made the small 35/1.4 lens with improved wide open performance and shorter MFD, which I was hoping Leica would make. 

[lct]

24 minutes ago, evikne said:

They made the small 35/1.4 lens with improved wide open performance and shorter MFD, which I was hoping Leica would make. 

+1 and the Nokton 50/1.5 is even smaller than any Summilux 50 with the same compact size as the Sonnar 50/1.5 with a 0.7m MFD.