Is the Elmarit 28/2.8 asph under-priced?

[biglouis]

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I've been using this lens since last October and my conclusion is that if there is a better deal in the Leica lens stable, then it is hard to think of one.

 

The lens gives outstanding results, even wide open. Sharp from edge to edge, fantastic colours, good contrast. Wide open it has a summicron type ambience in my humble opinion, stopped down it is much more like the sharpest of elmarits.

 

How come this lens is half the price of other prime lenses? Either Leica is over charging for the other lenses or this is a loss leader.

 

I know it is frowned upon to post pictures in the forum but to illustrate my point, this is a test shot at f8 iso320, with no manipulation other than to resize. Does it get better than this, at the price?

 

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[Photon42]

I like mine very much, too. Not only for its optical performance, but also, sometimes even more, for its footprint. Along with a Elmar 50, it is a very nice and compact outfit.

 

Cheers

Ivo

[sean_reid]

It is a good lens but no, nothing Leica makes is under-priced.

 

Cheers,

[georg]

I don't know US-prices, but when the 2,8/28Asph replaced the 2,8/28 it was 600€ cheaper while the 24mm got 600€ more expensive. It's some kind of entry-lens for the M8 (it was also introduced at PK06).

[offshore]

I purchased the lens, with my M8, two years ago and have to agree with you regarding its performance. Why it's priced the way it is, in comparison to other ASPH lenses in the Leica lineup, is like trying to figure out how different the next David Lynch movie is going to be.

[sean_reid]

Leica is aiming to have a line of more affordable lenses for the M8/M8.2 and other RF cameras. Essentially that now includes:

 

24/3.8 (not cheap but less expensive than the others while being a stellar performer)

28/2.8 (created before the Summarit series was begun)

35/2.5 Summarit

50/2.5 Summarit

75/2.5 Summarit

90/2.5 Summarit

 

Interestingly enough, that set covers every frame line option in the M8 finder.

 

This is Leica's way of allowing one to own an all-Leica, factory coded, lens kit without spending (for example) $4 - 6 K per lens. It's partially their answer, I believe, to less expensive competition from CV and Zeiss. The Leica lenses are not as affordable as the competition but they're more affordable than the faster lenses. I am one of several people who encouraged Leica to expand their options of more affordable lenses so that the total price of a Leica M kit was a bit less astronomical. These lenses are not under-priced but they are meant to be good values, within the context of Leica pricing.

 

Best of all, all six of these "more affordable" lenses are excellent performers and some of them are exceptional. As the old saying goes, some of them "punch beyond their weight". Unfortunately for Leica (but not for us), that is also true of many Zeiss and CV lenses.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

Edited April 23, 2009 by sean_reid

[dcoombs]

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I think it's a great idea. Let's just hope everyone will buy two. One to use and one to collect....

[Overgaard]

Interesting thread because I was surprised to discover that in my R lineyp my 35/2.8 Elmarit-R lens was in fact a bit better the the 35/2.0 Summicron-R.

 

Sean Reid, interesting that you point this out. Just checked the price list and now I see a "parallel universe" of lenses.

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Hallo,

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[dpattinson]

It seems a pretty sweet lens. I was going to buy one, but a nice second-hand 28 'cron came up first.

 

I might buy the 75 summarit for the M8 though, I don't get much use from my 90 cron - so it could be a better option both for fov and carrying weight.

[sean_reid]

Sean Reid, interesting that you point this out. Just checked the price list and now I see a "parallel universe" of lenses.

 

Hi Thorsten,

 

Yes indeed. Some of Leica's marketing firms refer to these as "starter lenses" but that's just nonsense. These lenses have nothing in common with the cheap kit lenses that are bundled with some DSLRs - they're very good in their own right and all of them are built to last for decades.

 

What they lack, frankly, is status and snob appeal but photographers who don't care about those things really might want to consider these excellent, more affordable, lenses.

 

Cheers,

[delander †]

I bought the 28 elmarit ASPH and the 50 cron with my first M8 now more than two years ago. I have since bought some more lenses but these two remain among my favourites. They are both small which I very much like and I agree with Louis that the elmarit is a great lens.

 

Back then the elmarit was difficult to get hold of as it had been recently introduced.

 

In December when there was a cashback on lenses I bought the 28 cron, also a very nice lens, but I will still keep the small, almost tiny, elmarit.

 

Jeff

[offshore]

Hi Thorsten,

 

Yes indeed. Some of Leica's marketing firms refer to these as "starter lenses" but that's just nonsense. These lenses have nothing in common with the cheap kit lenses that are bundled with some DSLRs - they're very good in their own right and all of them are built to last for decades.

 

What they lack, frankly, is status and snob appeal but photographers who don't care about those things really might want to consider these excellent, more affordable, lenses.

 

Cheers,

 

Personally I think we should keep this to ourselves so we can corner the market.

[alun]

What I really like about the Elmarit is its ergonomics -- it feels remarkably like the classic Summicron 35/2 fourth gen. to use.

[wattsy]

What I really like about the Elmarit is its ergonomics -- it feels remarkably like the classic Summicron 35/2 fourth gen. to use.

 

Yes, it is a very nice size.

 

Size/ergonomics aside, I was rather disappointed with this lens. Plenty of sharpness but, on the M8, the results all looked a little bit too 'digital' for my taste.

[Doc Henry]

I've been using this lens since last October and my conclusion is that if there is a better deal in the Leica lens stable, then it is hard to think of one.

 

The lens gives outstanding results, even wide open. Sharp from edge to edge, fantastic colours, good contrast. Wide open it has a summicron type ambience in my humble opinion, stopped down it is much more like the sharpest of elmarits.

 

How come this lens is half the price of other prime lenses? Either Leica is over charging for the other lenses or this is a loss leader.

 

I know it is frowned upon to post pictures in the forum but to illustrate my point, this is a test shot at f8 iso320, with no manipulation other than to resize. Does it get better than this, at the price?

[ATTACH]137542[/ATTACH]

Louis,

It's a good question ...

 

Optics Leica are always of excellent quality

It is made with a rigorous manufacturing method along the assembly line.

This work made for every optics is paying because every optics Leica looks of excellent in quality of sharpness and contrast.

I always had optics Leica and nothing the others.

At the hospital all good optics Leitz is used in ananatomo-pathology or in cyto-genetics, or in instrument of opthtalmology for surgery .......

It is true that Elmarit 28 f: 2,8 has a good price (1590 Euros) compared with the other optics!

I have a Summicron 28mm Asph but it's more expensive (3150 Euros)

Best regards

Henry

Edited April 26, 2009 by Doc Henry