Steel Rim or keeping the KOB

[WvE]

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I recently tried the 35mm Steel Rim (reissue) on my M and it looked really nice. However, I'm not convinced if I should trade it in for my 35mm KOB (German version with 6-bit). I need to trade in to pay for the Steel Rim. The Rim seemed to have, or had, some QC issues, and I'm a bit put off by the MFD and this funny infinity lock. Also, I understand that as of, say, f4 it is clinically sharp. Any ideas or opinions?  

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[jakontil]

48 minutes ago, WvE said:

I recently tried the 35mm Steel Rim (reissue) on my M and it looked really nice. However, I'm not convinced if I should trade it in for my 35mm KOB (German version with 6-bit). I need to trade in to pay for the Steel Rim. The Rim seemed to have, or had, some QC issues, and I'm a bit put off by the MFD and this funny infinity lock. Also, I understand that as of, say, f4 it is clinically sharp. Any ideas or opinions?  

Even f2 is already sharp, im not aware of the QC issues that bugging practically.. i have mine since early release, but i dont use hood though.. the reason why i love this is to keep it most compact

mFD is okay, of course it would have been better… but the 35 KOB is great too.. 

[Ray Vonn]

With rangefinder and other systems, it's not unusual to have two lenses of similar or same focal length with there being a necessity to keep both and I think this is one of those cases.  These lenses differ in too many ways sufficient to warrant keeping both (I'm not going to waste time opining on which one is "better", I really wouldn't swap one for the other.

Edited 12 hours ago by Ray Vonn

[costa43]

1 hour ago, WvE said:

I recently tried the 35mm Steel Rim (reissue) on my M and it looked really nice

Are you referring to the lens itself or the images? You lose circa 20cm MFD but gain f1.4, a very specific f1.4 though. If you like the look then it's worth considering a trade, if this is not a big driver for you then maybe it is just you wanting to try something new for the sake of trying something new. A feeling I know all too well. A german 6 bit coded v4 is a lovely lens though. You may miss it 🤷‍♂️

[WvE]

1 hour ago, costa43 said:

Are you referring to the lens itself or the images? You lose circa 20cm MFD but gain f1.4, a very specific f1.4 though. If you like the look then it's worth considering a trade, if this is not a big driver for you then maybe it is just you wanting to try something new for the sake of trying something new. A feeling I know all too well. A german 6 bit coded v4 is a lovely lens though. You may miss it 🤷‍♂️

Yes, I can't deny that there is a bit of GAS involved, after having the KOB for almost 30 years now. I took some test photos with the SR, but I'm not fully convinced; it would require a more side-by-side comparison of shots.  

[costa43]

5 minutes ago, WvE said:

Yes, I can't deny that there is a bit of GAS involved, after having the KOB for almost 30 years now. I took some test photos with the SR, but I'm not fully convinced; it would require a more side-by-side comparison of shots.  

There are some dedicated threads on this forum for both lenses, it’s not the same as your own comparisons but it might give you a feel. 

[rcusick]

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I don’t like the extreme aberrations of the new steel rim compared to the original.  Also the new coating doesn’t seem right.  The KOB is better controlled at f2 and the colors are wonderful.   The optics are the same except for the KOB only opening to f2. 

Edited 2 hours ago by rcusick

[steve edmunds]

i would stick with the summicrom , the reissues are ok because they help leica make profit but feel a bit fake to me, you own a classic lens so why buy an approx copy of a classic lens?

[lct]

I'm not good at comparing lenses of different apertures. Would have been easier with two 35/1.4 or two 35/2 lenses. Now assuming you have to sell the 35/2 v4 to get the 35/1.4 reissue, it is a subjective thing obviously. Personally i own the same coded German 35/2 v4 as yours and i would not part with it. As for the Reissue, it is a matter of taste, i don't like its OoF rendering personally but your own preferences might be completely different. Never sell a Leica lens my grandmother said (or is said to have said) you may miss it some day and it could be more expensive then. Just my 2 cents.