yaominator Posted January 19, 2024 Share #1  Posted January 19, 2024 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi there!  im currently deciding to buy my first summicron 50 v4, and have now 2 candidates. one is a canada tiger paw the other is a german made with digital font. the german one is about $150 more expensive.  in terms of performance and collectability/rarity which is a better buy ?  thanks so much for the help! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 19, 2024 Posted January 19, 2024 Hi yaominator, Take a look here Which v4 should i buy?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
shirubadanieru Posted January 19, 2024 Share #2  Posted January 19, 2024 Can’t say for collectibility as summicron 50mm don’t tend to be collectibles, but performance wise, the formula is the same. That being said, the German ones would be the most recent ones, potentially with better coatings VS the Canadian ones, especially the tiger paw ones as they are from the earlier batches. I’d pay the extra $ to go with the German one if optics condition is similar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spydrxx Posted January 19, 2024 Share #3 Â Posted January 19, 2024 Ditto Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danner Posted January 19, 2024 Share #4 Â Posted January 19, 2024 For that cost differential, I would also get the German lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaominator Posted January 20, 2024 Author Share #5 Â Posted January 20, 2024 Thanks for the replies, is the digital font a variant? Or are all really like this font? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherproof Posted January 20, 2024 Share #6 Â Posted January 20, 2024 Can you share a photo of the front of the lense? Otherwise the "digital font" you're referring to is probably Leica's LG 1050, which has been used on lenses since the early 90s. Â Â Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaominator Posted January 20, 2024 Author Share #7  Posted January 20, 2024 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1 hour ago, weatherproof said: Can you share a photo of the front of the lense? Otherwise the "digital font" you're referring to is probably Leica's LG 1050, which has been used on lenses since the early 90s.   Here’s the picture of it   Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/387486-which-v4-should-i-buy/?do=findComment&comment=4998251'>More sharing options...
hansvons Posted January 20, 2024 Share #8  Posted January 20, 2024 You are sure that these white little dots are nothing to worry about? The condition of the optics would be my decisive argument.  The V4 50mm Summicron is in my eyes one of the most Leica lens Leica ever made. For an unspectacular f2.0 fifty it’s spectacularly humble with a distinct personality. And it's the only 50mm Summicron with a focusing tab.  I own the Canadian version in a pristine condition that I bought a year ago. A bargain for what you get, considering it’s a staple in the Leica universe. Being more pricey, the German version is still relatively cheap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaominator Posted January 20, 2024 Author Share #9  Posted January 20, 2024 8 minutes ago, hansvons said: You are sure that these white little dots are nothing to worry about? The condition of the optics would be my decisive argument.  The V4 50mm Summicron is in my eyes one of the most Leica lens Leica ever made. For an unspectacular f2.0 fifty it’s spectacularly humble with a distinct personality. And it's the only 50mm Summicron with a focusing tab.  I own the Canadian version in a pristine condition that I bought a year ago. A bargain for what you get, considering it’s a staple in the Leica universe. Being more pricey, the German version is still relatively cheap. Oh i thought they were reflections of the ceiling light. Let mE post some more pics of the lens. Please let me know if you see any more irregularities because i almost bought it.   Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/387486-which-v4-should-i-buy/?do=findComment&comment=4998316'>More sharing options...
hansvons Posted January 20, 2024 Share #10  Posted January 20, 2024 1 hour ago, yaominator said: Please let me know if you see any more irregularities because i almost bought it. Don't buy. Seriously. There are literally hundreds of these little gems out there. This lens is not the best copy available. You see lots of "cleaning" marks (a euphemism for stripes that can't be removed). Probably at the edge of the lens, two little scratches and loads of dust. I'll post a photo of my Canadian copy for reference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 20, 2024 Share #11  Posted January 20, 2024 7 minutes ago, hansvons said: Don't buy. Seriously. There are literally hundreds of these little gems out there. This lens is not the best copy available. You see lots of "cleaning" marks (a euphemism for stripes that can't be removed). Probably at the edge of the lens, two little scratches and loads of dust. I'll post a photo of my Canadian copy for reference. And serious haze. The aperture ring screws are rusty and damaged. Agree, don't buy,. I wouldn't take it for post and packege. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted January 20, 2024 Share #12  Posted January 20, 2024 Not bad for a lens of this type. Not a good copy though, as @hansvons wrote above, if you can wait for better copy, just wait a bit. I have seen rusty screw, so I wonder why the rust, not good news. screw on aperture ring ... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/387486-which-v4-should-i-buy/?do=findComment&comment=4998364'>More sharing options...
yaominator Posted January 20, 2024 Author Share #13 Â Posted January 20, 2024 Thanks so much for all the help guys! Appreciate it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 20, 2024 Share #14  Posted January 20, 2024 2 minutes ago, a.noctilux said: Not bad for a lens of this type. Not a good copy though, as @hansvons wrote above, if you can wait for better copy, just wait a bit. I have seen rusty screw, so I wonder why the rust, not good news. screw on aperture ring ... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! The front ring has screwdriver damage as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaominator Posted January 20, 2024 Author Share #15 Â Posted January 20, 2024 If ever you find a store that selling a nice copy of a v4 please direct me to a link Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirubadanieru Posted January 20, 2024 Share #16  Posted January 20, 2024 Definitely hazy. That’d be the main concern. Anyway it’s not a rare lens, you can find it at leica classic online (always reliable), eBay (as long as you buy from a reputable seller, ideally a shop), etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaominator Posted January 20, 2024 Author Share #17 Â Posted January 20, 2024 Just checked leica classics. Just noticed that the canadian tiger paw are now more expensive than the german made? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansvons Posted January 20, 2024 Share #18  Posted January 20, 2024 Attached is my Canadian copy. Phone shots, no cleaning, just picked it from the shelf in an OK shooting condition. I'm not picky about the housing's wear and tear, a rusty screw, you name it. But optics must be as good as it can possibly get at a particular price point. This includes the focus damping and aperture movement.  Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!  Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!  ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/387486-which-v4-should-i-buy/?do=findComment&comment=4998379'>More sharing options...
yaominator Posted January 20, 2024 Author Share #19 Â Posted January 20, 2024 https://www.ebay.com/itm/196142198952?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=H3upCPIuSh6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=JMINvpdERoK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Â can anyone help me? Any comment on this copy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansvons Posted January 20, 2024 Share #20 Â Posted January 20, 2024 3 minutes ago, yaominator said: Just checked leica classics. Just noticed that the canadian tiger paw are now more expensive than the german made? Yes. The 35mm Summicron V4 and V1 are more expensive than the ASPH version, which is much better in many regards and full of personality. It's because they get nicknames like King of Bokeh (BS) and Eight Elements (true, but what the heck?). The same can be said about Tiger Pawn. It's just the tab; arguably, the conventional tab is better ergonomically. The Leicaverse is full of myths. It's kind of entertaining and sometimes a bit annoying. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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