Will you pay $7,195 for the new 50 'cron Asph?

[J J Kapsberger]

I'd hoped Leica would bring out such a beast , and they have, according to the latest email from the Leica Boutique (Montréal).

It's not hard for a lens company to come up with an f/2.0 lens with top-notch performance. A 50 summicron Asph, which will continue that model's very proud tradition, should be absolutely elite.

Me want.

But at a cost of $7,195? For an f/2.0 lens? I dunno.

You?

 

[KarlG]

Not a chance - there's nothing about that lens (or any lens really) which justifies a price tag that high.

Quite happy with my v4 50mm Summicron and, even if the price were $2k less, I still wouldn't consider trading up.

 

[Tim Gray]

HAHAHA. No.

I already have a 50/1.4 ASPH, bought for new for 1/3rd of the APO Summicron's price. It's plenty good enough technically for me, is a stop faster, and much cheaper. Absolutely no point in it for me.

If I were a rich enough man where $10k wasn't a big deal to me, sure why not? But I'll never have a fraction of the money required to do that.

 

[enenrf]

I'd rather buy a Noct. F0.95 ASPH.

 

[rover]

I am not a member of Leica's target market.

 

[stephen.s1]

No way!!! My Zeiss 50mm F2 does as well, at a fraction of the price.

I am thrilled over the monochrom box tho.... my M9 suddenly got worth more.

 

[jippiejee]

It's like the world upside down when the summilux is cheaper now than that new summicron. Can't wait to read some reviews explaining the special quality of this new Leica miracle.

 

[Merkin]

Utter lunacy.

For the amount of money that the black and white digital M and this new summicron costs, I could buy the following:

A 35mm camera of my choice with a couple of lenses
A rolleiflex or hasselblad
A few years worth of film, paper, and chemicals
A complete darkroom setup with a 4x5 enlarger
And...
A good used car to take me from shoot to shoot.

 

[thirtyfivefifty]

$7,195?!?! WHAT THE HECK?!?! Better be so amazing that all Noctilux and Summilux owners flood the used lens market just to get their hands on this.

But yeah... no.

 

[Merkin]

If it only stuck out from the camera body a half inch and it was literally the sharpest lens at f2 ever made, it would still be 2 to 3 thousand bucks too expensive, at least.

 

[boomguy57]

Does Leica have a target market? This is crazy!

Even if it's the greatest lens ever made, I could get myself a used M9 and a used 35 cron ASPH for same money. Or any number of other kits...forget this stuff!

 

[marcr1230]

see the definition and explanation of Veblen good:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good

 

[lcpr]

It's a technical show off lens like the 50/0.95, Leica can now say they have the fastest and sharpest 50mm lenses in production. I haven't heard any word that the regular 50/2 is gone, and even the APO's spec sheet says the old 'cron is still available today.

But to answer the question: hell no.

 

[JayM]

Seems like they're just making a lot of "special edition" type stuff for collectors and fans of owning "the best." The new digital M9-M and Summicron lens without a doubt fall into this category.

Hopefully they make lots of money this way and put it into something photographically noteworthy 🙂

 

[kbb]

The price makes it jewelry.
It's the perfect lens for well-to-do doctors, dentists, successful(not incarcerated)hedge fund managers, and former Russian presidents.
I'm sure it has a very high level of aberration correction.

 

[seakayaker1]

NO!


. . . . . . and I mean it.

 

[BobYIL]

Decided to wait for the collapsible version.

 

[plummerl]

Umm, I'll stick with my 35mm/F2 ASPH.

 

[srtiwari]

I don't see what the issue is. If your $4000 'Lux Asph is not good enough, the new offering should definitely be in your sights !

 

[hausen]

If I were to spend type of money a 50mm it would have to be a nocti.