How about a really new lens again?

[3D-Kraft.com]

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AFAIK the Hologon 15/8 (and 16/8) are Zeiss lenses (originally for Ikon and Contax G) and you find some adapted to M-mount.

Edited February 24 by 3D-Kraft.com

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[lct]

Hologon 1:8/15mm, Leitz order # 11003, M mount here:

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[3D-Kraft.com]

vor 6 Stunden schrieb lct:

Hologon 1:8/15mm, Leitz order # 11003, M mount here:

That's pretty interesting. It was manufactured by Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, on the front it carries the inscription "CARL ZEISS HOLOGON 1:8/15 FOR LEICA-M 5XXXXXX" and was sold in a box from Ernst Leitz, Wetzlar, see:

http://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/15mm_f/8_Hologon

https://classic.leica-camera.com/de/Carl-Zeiss-f.-Leica-M-Hologon-8-15mm-11003/35432-1

So, for me, it's a Zeiss lens, even when 500 pieces were sold also with a catalog number and a box from Leica.

But you are right: It is an M-mount lens without RF coupling.

By the way: The Hologon 8/16 looked pretty also on my Sony A7S:

 

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

 

Edited February 25 by 3D-Kraft.com

[caranatar]

Honest question: within a single mount (i.e., ignoring changes between [D]SLRs and mirrorless), how much does, say, Canon or Nikon change their optical formulas between versions of their lenses versus changes to autofocus performance etc?

[dkmoore]

On 2/22/2025 at 8:13 PM, 3D-Kraft.com said:

If I have followed the "roter-punkt-kamera.de" database and the press releases of the last years correctly, the Noctilux-M 75/1.25 ASPH (2018) was the last fundamentally newly developed lens in the M lineup.

Otherwise, we had the APO Summicron 35 (VII) in 2021 with a more fundamental redesign.

The Summilux 35 was modernized somewhat in 2022 - but ultimately probably only in terms of the reduced close-up limit, number of blades and lens hood. The Summilux 50 was also only slightly revised in 2023 (close-up limit, blades, lens hood, may be better coating). The Summicron 28 (III) also seems to have received only a slight revision (close-up limit, lens hood) in 2023.

Otherwise only limited special editions and meanwhile 5 re-issues of some classics. Please correct me, where I am wrong or where I missed something.

Compared to the number of new releases from Voigtländer or, more recently, Thypoch, what is happening at Leica seems rather slow to me, considering that the M series still seems to have the greatest relevance for them.

It may be that the limited number of frame lines of the rangefinder limits the development dynamics, but in the past we have also had various focal lengths below 28mm or, for example, 40mm outside the frame line grid. So there is at least the hope that the lens development engineers will be inspired by a Leica EFV-M to develop new things outside of this framework.

35 APO was a completely new lens. 

[Einst_Stein]

On 2/23/2025 at 12:31 AM, 3D-Kraft.com said:

There are several lenses in the M portfolio that can no longer compete with new releases from Voigtländer. If you look at other brands like Sigma, then you can see the improvements that could be achieved in computer based lens design especially during the last years.  

Isn't it a good thing that other, and cheaper, lens makers can make lenses cheaper and even better than Leica? If you really believe that. What are your complaining?  

Edited February 25 by Einst_Stein

[3D-Kraft.com]

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vor 5 Stunden schrieb Einst_Stein:

Isn't it a good thing that other, and cheaper, lens makers can make lenses cheaper and even better than Leica? If you really believe that. What are your complaining?  

In the long term, this is not a good thing for Leica. In the past, they were able to survive through superior optical, sometimes mechanical (in-house) performance and sometimes even through designs that represented a milestone. That hasn't been the case for a long time and they won't be able to live off that reputation forever. Even relabeled teddy bears costing 800 euros won't change that. I complain, because I like the brand and their achievements and do not want to see them getting disrupted.

Edited February 25 by 3D-Kraft.com

[dkmoore]

2 hours ago, 3D-Kraft.com said:

In the long term, this is not a good thing for Leica. In the past, they were able to survive through superior optical, sometimes mechanical (in-house) performance and sometimes even through designs that represented a milestone. That hasn't been the case for a long time and they won't be able to live off that reputation forever. Even relabeled teddy bears costing 800 euros won't change that. I complain, because I like the brand and their achievements and do not want to see them getting disrupted.

Leica is doing great and isn’t go anywhere anytime soon unless they choose too. 
 

some of these other manufacturers are producing high quality lenses but most are hideous, and that matters. 
 

Similarly, there still is no similar experience to the M, which matters. 
 

Having third parties manufacture lenses only helps Leica in my opinion because not everyone can go out and buy an M and 5 lenses. Many more people can buy a Leica M and a bunch of third party lenses and work toward a collection of M lenses if desired. 
 

plus, some competition will only fuel Dr K and team to bring us more APO lenses. 

Edited February 25 by dkmoore

[FrozenInTime]

12 minutes ago, dkmoore said:

plus, some competition will only fuel Dr K and team to bring us more APO lenses. 

Voigtländer just announced a 28mm Apo-Lanthar ( and reworked 35,40,50 f/1.2 Noktons with blacked chrome rims )

[dkmoore]

On 2/25/2025 at 7:13 AM, FrozenInTime said:

Voigtländer just announced a 28mm Apo-Lanthar ( and reworked 35,40,50 f/1.2 Noktons with blacked chrome rims )

We (I mean I) very much want a 28 APO from Leica. 

[davidmknoble]

I think it is also important to note that Leica achieves several design constraints, not the least of which is making a compact lens. Some of the Zeiss ZM lenses were really nice, but larger.  For example the Zeis 35mm f/1.4 is much longer than the Leica 35 summilux.  Also, many of the Voitlander and Zeiss lenses have more technical out of focus areas where the Leica typically has smoother out of focus areas.  There are differences even when the lenses carry nice designations.  IMHO.

[adan]

Just some historical notes.

1) Between 1980 and 1990 (a full decade), Leica did not introduce ANY new lenses for the M system.

In a flurry of activity, once Leitz Wetzlar abandoned the plan of cancelling the M system altogether (1976), Dr. Mandler and Leitz Canada introduced the "Class of 1979-80" lenses for the M (21 Elmarit-M, 28 Elmarit-M III, 35 Summicron-M IV, 50 Summicron-M IV (a remounting of the 1976 50 Summicron-R), 75 Summilux-M, 90 Summicron-M III). And then rested on their laurels (and Dr. Mandler retired in 1985). The first new-design M lenses since 1980, introduced by the Solms factory in 1990, were the 35mm Summilux-M hand-ground double "Aspherical," and an adaptation of the R system's 90mm f/2.8 II (designed 1980) to M mount.

2) With reference to the 90 Summilux f/1.5, this is not the first time Leica has rapidly abandoned a lens for being "uneconomical" (cost more to make than sales could support). Examples - the original hand-ground 50 f/1.2 Noctilux (aspherical); the also-hand-ground 35mm Summilux (double) Aspherical (replaced within 4 years by the molded single-aspherical Summilux ASPH I); a 35-70 f/2.8 Elmarit-R Macro ASPH (lasted only three years 1998-2001: ~200 made).

 https://www.overgaard.dk/leica_35-70_Vario-Elmarit-R_28.html

That of course leaves aside the f/2.x Summarits, the 18mm Elmar ASPH, and all of the 24mm M lenses - which lasted a little longer.