35 Summicron prices are now officially "insane"

[rover]

rover is selling a 50mm lens?

wassup?
joe

Time to consolidate. Need to sell to buy.

 

[Keith]

Remember a year or so ago, when someone on RFF was advocating that we replace the obscure term "bokeh" with the more self-evident acronym SOFA, for Soft Out of Focus Areas? And someone else pointed out that a lens with especially good SOFA might be termed the "SOFA King"... from which it followed logically that such a lens would likely fetch high prices, making it "SOFA King expensive"...

And now that long-ago thread comes true. RFF foretells the future!

That is 'Sofa King' clever that I think they all missed it ... or maybe it was blurred in the 'bokeh' 😀

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[Xmas]

Part of the problem is some of the Leitz kit is low volume, so (any increased) demand will rocket the $ (or £). The good news is the lux lenses are not in demand by shooters otherwise Saturn V time - they are even lower volume. The bad news is that the cron 35mm is getting cult status from shooters, so the collectors will buy so you get a $ x $ effect. The 5cm crons in good condition are also ok lenses, but they are almost like J8s (on Kievs) for supply and demand, - compared with some of the other M lenses. Leitz screw adopters wont be any cheaper either.

If people buy Zeiss bodies and Leitz glass the effect may not improve.

Hopefully the M8 people will buy new lenses?

Noel

 

[kevin m]

Anyone want mine for $1,499.99 US?

No kiddin'! I sold mine for $700 a couple of years ago and was glad to be rid of it. I never dreamed it would become 'collectible.' 🙄

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[dreamsandart]

The 35 Summicron like any Summicron is a fine lens, and the photographer is more the limiting factor in the equation. 'boken' is more than just out-of-focus area, its the smooth transition of that focus which is a beauty in its self, sometime ultimate sharpness and super high contrast isn't all there is.

The 4th version is the best of the pre-ASPH, its very compact, handles well ( for my hands ), and if you think about it would be a nice 'standard' lens on a digital body as the image fall off in the outer areas would be trimmed with an M8/Epson crop factor. The chrome version is very solid brass barrel, made in Germany, and was made in limited numbers, it combines a lot of positive things for those that want them, and so the high cost these days.

BTW: I'll have a like new one in chrome boxed and all in the classifies soon if you feel you need one ;-!)

 

[nightfly]

How do you tell which version you have?

Forgive me if this is a dumb question.

 

[dreamsandart]

If you don't know by looking: generally chromes are mostly 1st version and few 4th. Serial numbers are easy to see, starting numbers/version

1st: 1630501
2nd: 2307451
3rd: 2312751
4th: 2974251
asph: 3767100

 

[Captain]

As others have pointed out I think you will find its the much rarer chrome version. Then add that mint in box then that explains the price. However the version 4 35mm Summicrons have always been over priced on the used market.

For M8 users with the 1.33 crop factor the ideal choice is the 40mm Summicron. for $300 USD you will have a 53mm lens. With the edges cropped it will be every bit as sharp as a 50mm with film and extremely compact to boot. Prices havent seemed to have been forced up with this lens yet. Its definately the perfect buy for a standard lens for your M8.

 

[peter_n]

I would have thought the CV 40/1.4 Nokton would be the best buy for a standard lens. 😉

 

[kevin m]

... sometime ultimate sharpness and super high contrast isn't all there is.

Agreed. The pre-asph Summilux 50 is perhaps my favorite lens and it has precisely those qualities. But it's better at f1.4 than the Summicron 35 is at f2.0. It is also supremely resistant to flare, unlike the Summicron, which makes it more useable in difficult lighting situations. And more to the point, it is priced reasonably on the used market relative to its performance. It doesn't sell, as the 35 Summicron does, for almost as much as its Aspherical replacement.

The 4th version is the best of the pre-ASPH, its very compact, handles well

It is compact, and it does handle well. It's the ideal sized lens for an M, I think. But it's not particularly well-built. The lens group has the unfortunate tendency to come loose from the focusing mechanism under normal use.

I'm not picking on the lens. If you enjoy its results and can afford it, then I have no argument with that. The only argument I'm making is that the price of the lens is largely the product of internet mythologizing about 'magic' and 'bokeh', and not actual performance.

 

[kevin m]

...the 40mm Summicron....Its definately the perfect buy for a standard lens for your M8.

Or the Rokkor 40, for that matter, on a film M body, too. They go for $250 with a little wear, are even smaller than the 35 Summicron, and deliver very similar results for a fraction of its price.

For better performance on a budget, I'd recommend the 40mm Nokton. The f1.4 performance isn't up to Aspherical Leica standards, but it's better at f2.0 than the Summicron 35.

 

[venchka]

If you don't know by looking: generally chromes are mostly 1st version and few 4th. Serial numbers are easy to see, starting numbers/version

1st: 1630501
2nd: 2307451
3rd: 2312751
4th: 2974251
asph: 3767100

Noting that the 2nd and 3rd "versions" are optically identical. The difference is in the external housing.

 

[Ben Z]

I bought a 3rd version some years back for $450 in "user" cosmetics, last fall I got an KEH EX+ (equal to ebay "Mint Plus Plus" 😀 ) 4th version for $949 (before KEH started really inflating their Leica prices). Comparing the two in normal shooting I came to the conclusion that if there were differences they weren't showing up in my use, but the 3rd version side by side in the hand is heavier and visibly more solidly built and smooth, so I kept it and sold the 4th version for $1100. I agree with the original poster, it's a little out of whack from the norm considering it isn't a low-production lens.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

sometimes photos are more instructive than words 🙂

actual photo from the 4th 35cron

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=36210&si=summicron tokyo&perpage=12

credit: Byungin Kim

you can judge for yourself whether it deserves the moniker King of Bokeh 😎

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

btw, Byungin is an afficianado of the 35 crons. He has other shots made with the 35 cron-asph in his gallery as well. Also those made with the 1st version 8 element cron 35.

Bottom line, if you think the asph photos look better, go for it. If you like the 1st or 4th, go for it. For those who subjectively prefer the 4th look to the asph look, and are willing to pay for it, more power to them. To each their own 🙂

 

[SolaresLarrave]

As long as the 'luxes remain as expensive as ever...

Funny thing this internet mythologizing. I've seen a similar trend with the Hexanon 35, which I own. When I purchased mine, back in 2004, I didn't even know Konica had that focal length for their Hexar. Suddenly, I announced my purchase and heard only wonderful things about the lens.

I like it, of course, and it has a wonderful sharpness all throughout the frame even at f2, but then most RF lenses have that particular sharpness.

We'll see if the madness subsides and 35's become less unaffordable later.

 

[sharpf8]

35mm Summicron

35mm Summicron

No kiddin'! I sold mine for $700 a couple of years ago and was glad to be rid of it. I never dreamed it would become 'collectible.' 🙄

Now, I really feel bad, because exactly two years ago, I sold mine for $650.00 at Buena Park Camera Show in California.:bang:

I recall that several months ago, I had seen one at the camera show for $780.00, my mistake, however, was I didn't buy it. But, I never knew that prices would be ridiculously insane. 🙂

I still believe though, that what goes UP, must come DOWN:angel:

 

[RdEoSg]

so what you are saying is when I paid $1500 for a 35 Summicron ASPH and an M6 body, it was a good deal? 😛