To trade or not to trade (cron 35mm & lux pre-asph 35mm)

[valdas]

here is the question I face - should I trade one of the lenses I love (which is 35mm cron v4 made in Germany in chrome and pre-asph lux 35mm) and get something I don't have yet. the thing is that I'm not sure I need both - I find their performance very similar at f2.0, so maybe I should keep lux and sell cron (yes, it's considered king of bokeh, but pre-asph lux also have quite nice bokeh). what would you do?

 

[Roger Hicks]

I had exactly the same choice and sold my pre-aspheric Summicron. I have not regretted it for an instant since (several years now).

Cheers,

R.

 

[sanmich]

Questions I think should be asked:
Are the images equivalent enough?
Is there a characteristic that enoys you in one of them:
Flare? (lux)
minimum focus distance? (lux)
slower? (cron)
throw length? (no idea if there is a difference)

 

[peter_n]

Michael has good points to consider, to which I would add do you really need the f1.4 or will faster film do?

 

[valdas]

Michael has good points to consider, to which I would add do you really need the f1.4 or will faster film do?

really good points to consider... I don't need 1.4 often, but at f1.4 this lux is really soft and this glow is sometimes nice (i really mean sometimes).

 

[peter_n]

If you really mean sometimes, are those times few enough that you can live without it?

 

[rbrooks]

I have both. Haven't decided yet. At the rate I'm going I probably never will. Buy and keep them both.

 

[lawrence]

I have both. Haven't decided yet. At the rate I'm going I probably never will. Buy and keep them both.

This is the correct answer. It doesn't matter which one you sell, you are bound to regret it sooner or later. If you want a rationale for this, keep the 'cron for daytime and the 'lux for night time.

 

[maddoc]

I had first the 35mm Summilux-M, later bought the 35mm Summicron-M and after using both some time in parallel, I sold the Summicron. No regrets at all ....

 

[DennisPT]

I am opposite, I sold lux and bought a pre Asph cron. Not saying the lux is inferior, I just need the 0.7m close focus for my 35 (as well as for my 50). In fact I'm facing a similar situation whether I should keep both Summicron and 35/2.8 summaron. At this moment, I tend to keep both.