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35mm/f1.4 titanium summilux ASPH


wlaidlaw

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Wilson,

 

It would be foolish to wait for an up-grade of the 35/1.4 ASPH, as, handheld, it exceeds all of our capabilities. I had one, but sold it because of its size and imaging qualities. I use a ver. 1 35/2 and a 50/1.4 Nikkor. The logic being, in my mind, that I need a higher shutter speed with the 50 vs. the 35. I'm DONE searching for the holy grail of lens selection, performance vs. size/weight being paramount, as I have been traveling for work since 1990. In the beginning I actually brought along with my Leica kit, a Hassy set, and a Nikon F2 set. After a trek in Northern Thailand after a job in the area I sold all of the mentioned gear. Now, all my gear fits into a Domke F-X5B (?), even that is too much for daily use. Please e-mail me for details.

 

KISS (keep it simple stupid for you Int'l readers).

 

???

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Wilson,

 

It would be foolish to wait for an up-grade of the 35/1.4 ASPH, as, handheld, it exceeds all of our capabilities. I had one, but sold it because of its size and imaging qualities. I use a ver. 1 35/2 and a 50/1.4 Nikkor. The logic being, in my mind, that I need a higher shutter speed with the 50 vs. the 35. I'm DONE searching for the holy grail of lens selection, performance vs. size/weight being paramount, as I have been traveling for work since 1990. In the beginning I actually brought along with my Leica kit, a Hassy set, and a Nikon F2 set. After a trek in Northern Thailand after a job in the area I sold all of the mentioned gear. Now, all my gear fits into a Domke F-X5B (?), even that is too much for daily use. Please e-mail me for details.

 

KISS (keep it simple stupid for you Int'l readers).

 

I was flying a kite in the hope that it might solicit a response along the lines of: "It's funny you should say that about the 35 Lux. During the course of a night out with the boys after a factory visit to Solms, they let slip that ..........etc, etc."

 

I too try to limit myself to three lenses if I am hand carrying. If I am car borne, I can put the two extra AVEA pockets on my Billingham M and carry 5 lenses. Murphy's law will of course, always dictate that you will not have the perfect lens for your shot, with you. However you can always do like my father suggested when first seeing the Angenieux Zoom lens on my uncle's Voigtlander SLR in about 1960 - "George, what's wrong with the zoom that god gave you - your feet?"

 

In getting a 35 Lux I am hoping to get a single lens with nearly the speed of my 35 Nokton but without its tendency to flare and veiling glare when used in bright sunlight and with close to the contrast and sharpness of my 35 Biogon at f2.8 and smaller.

 

Wilson

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I am hoping to get a single lens with nearly the speed of my 35 Nokton but without its tendency to flare and veiling glare when used in bright sunlight and with close to the contrast and sharpness of my 35 Biogon at f2.8 and smaller.

 

So...why arent you getting the 35CronASPH?

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So...why arent you getting the 35CronASPH?
Because my favourite times of day to take photos are dawn and the evening and that extra stop matters. It was why I got the Nokton, which is excellent for that, with very gentle contrast gradation in shadows, against the overly black shadows that the Biogon produces. However as I posted above, the Nokton, I feel, is not an all rounder. In very bright sunlight, particularly contre jour, it can completely fall apart with veiling glare reducing the contrast almost to zero and horrible flare artifacts. I would not change my Biogon for a Cron because I think the small advantage of the Cron at f2 is cancelled out by the Biogon's extra edge definition and contrast at f2.8 to f8 but really they are very similar.

 

Wilson

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I dont think the stop will help you much, its pretty much neither here nor there. You still have depth of field and other considerations that will usually haul you away from f/1.4. More likely to be the lens properties, and that the lens is built to work in low light. God knows what optic trickeries Leica weave to make it happen. I am finding Lux doesnt like harsh light, which induces effects or characteristics I previously might have blamed on film selection, incompetence, whatever. Even dropping exposure away for hightlights and using fill flash I still get marginal results pointing it upsun or anywhere near. Its also knocking slide film on the head a bit for me with it lifting highlights I need range of colour neg. Even at night I am likely to get better results using 100iso than climbing away from that, providing I can work around movement within the frame. I can understand the Lux being quite a valid lens in your neck of the woods, understand you dont get much sunshine in pom. Be intereseting to see how you find the lens in practice. Ive only had it a year so I am still learning. Beautiful lens, I dont think it is forgiving in extreme conditions.

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You, as I previously did, are obsessing too much. I have done my share of "testing", but inevitable stuck with what pleased me, even though much better results could be had with my former SWC. Money is better spent on lessons of prof. critique, not with new gear.

 

If everyone believed you Steve, it would put Leica and most of the rest of the top end camera companies plus every golf club company in the world out of business. Of course we all (or most of us anyway) would like to think that that new lens/club is instantly going to turn us into H C-B/Tiger Woods. In our heart of hearts we know it isn't but it's fun trying anyway.

 

Wilson

 

PS I teach digital photography during the summer in France, now that I am retired from my day job.

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If everyone believed you Steve, it would put Leica and most of the rest of the top end camera companies plus every golf club company in the world out of business.

 

Didn't someone quite high up in the Leica management a couple of years ago say that their lenses were better than most of the photographers using them? I seem to remember he came in for a lot of criticism for saying that. The truth hurts sometimes.

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The gods must be smiling on me today. My 35 Chrome Summilux 35 ASPH arrived and it's like new. It is a late one with a black and silver box and a 392... serial number. Most importantly it focuses perfectly with none of the black 35 Luxitis that many seem to have suffered over the last 15 months. Its aperture shift back focus is well within limits, as the images below will show. I got it for the very reasonable sum of £1,370 including P&P. Another recommendation for Commercial Cameras in Church Stretton - could not have been nicer to deal with. Now it's off to play.

 

Wilson

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The gods must be smiling on me today. My 35 Chrome Summilux 35 ASPH arrived and it's like new. It is a late one with a black and silver box and a 392... serial number. Most importantly it focuses perfectly with none of the black 35 Luxitis that many seem to have suffered over the last 15 months. Its aperture shift back focus is well within limits, as the images below will show. I got it for the very reasonable sum of £1,370 including P&P. Another recommendation for Commercial Cameras in Church Stretton - could not have been nicer to deal with. Now it's off to play.

 

Wilson

I'm happy for you Wilson, isn't it a jewel?

You're a lucky man.

 

May you tell me the weblink to their page, please?

 

Best

 

Maurizio

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I'm happy for you Wilson, isn't it a jewel?

You're a lucky man.

 

May you tell me the weblink to their page, please?

 

Best

 

Maurizio

 

Maurizio

 

It is here Commercial Cameras - UK Dealer in fine New and Used Photographic Equipment

 

Wilson

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Some information on the M titanium series can be found on my webpages. The first titanium series are indeed a titanium finish, while the later titanium lenses offered as part of the commemorative kit for the M7 titanium contain titanium parts.

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Some information on the M titanium series can be found on my webpages. The first titanium series are indeed a titanium finish, while the later titanium lenses offered as part of the commemorative kit for the M7 titanium contain titanium parts.

 

Pascal,

 

Thank you for that information and the link - I have bookmarked it.

 

Everyone should have the Leica Song on their iPod - wonderful ;-}}

 

Wilson

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