Has Leica quit making lenses?

[antistatic]

I was printing some photos as a favour for a friend over the weekend. The shot were taken with good Canon glass. I then did some prints of some of my own stuff taken, yes you guessed it, hand held, on TriX with a 50 lux asph. The Leica glass left the Canon in the dust. It is a magic bit of gear. I hope the wait is not too long for those looking for it.

 

[yanidel]

I read that Leica produces lenses in batches. Meaning they will do 1000 x 50mm Lux, than 1000 x 75mm Cron, and so on to standardize work processes. Summarit for examples were made in thousands in one batch (probably why so much inventory remains all over the world). It is not a production line where you will see a 28mm, than a 35mm than a 50mm queued up based on dealer demand.
So my guess would be that Leica was due for a 50mm Lux batch when the M9 was released. 50mm being a favorite focal length on full frame, it depleted the remaining inventories and caused the current shortage. My 2 cents.

 

[peter_n]

As well as batch production and the advent of the M9, both valid I think, there were other factors too. They apparently had manufacturing problems with the new 21/24 and Noctilux lenses, they stopped production at the beginning of the year for an inventory audit, and now they're coming out with the new 35/1.4 ASPH which will also be in very high demand.

 

[dogberryjr]

I don't mean to threadjack, but obviously I haven't been paying attention. What is the buzz on the new 35 Summilux? Kinda hard to imagine it was due for updating.

 

[greggebhardt]

I read that Leica produces lenses in batches. Meaning they will do 1000 x 50mm Lux, than 1000 x 75mm Cron, and so on to standardize work processes. Summarit for examples were made in thousands in one batch (probably why so much inventory remains all over the world). It is not a production line where you will see a 28mm, than a 35mm than a 50mm queued up based on dealer demand.
So my guess would be that Leica was due for a 50mm Lux batch when the M9 was released. 50mm being a favorite focal length on full frame, it depleted the remaining inventories and caused the current shortage. My 2 cents.

That sounds right. I would also assume they would make them in large batches and hope a batch is on the way.🙂

 

[bluepenguin]

That is why you got to buy when it is available and price is right! This happens so often and it will be harder and harder to find right lenses.

 

[ZeissFan]

I was told last week that my dealer was about to receive a large shipment of outstanding lenses this weekend/Monday on the west coast.

So, where does Leica send its mediocre lenses? I wonder if those are less expensive than the outstanding lenses. (humor intended)

 

[ferider]

Just like German beer, the mediocre lenses are for export only 🙂

 

[rxmd]

I don't quite follow you.

Never mind. You just staggeringly reminded me of somebody who wrote the same things you write in more or less identical wording, and while I remember a number of rather interesting exchanges with said person I also remember said person to have great trouble conceding a point. It would have just made it easier to know where we all are, but for the moment I don't really care much whether you're the same person or not.

The supreme Leica optical designs are unsurpassable for heir rich complexity and endless nuance, a veritable orgy of sublime, vivid tonality.

Well that kind of statement is not only pointless, but also rather uninviting as a starting point for a discussion. Your wording certainly don't sound particularly dispassionate; if you are as emotionally uninvested as your claim to cruelly dispassionate, unbiased judgement suggests when backed up by statements about unsurpassable veritable orgies of tonality, I don't really see much ground to engage in an exchange of views.

 

[peter_n]

I don't mean to threadjack, but obviously I haven't been paying attention. What is the buzz on the new 35 Summilux? Kinda hard to imagine it was due for updating.

A number of folks on the LUF have been complaining about this lens for a long time. It is reputed to have focus shift issues on the M8/9 and also flare. I'll take their word for it but I never experienced either of these problems with mine on film bodies. The new lens is thought to have a floating element and a new screw mount lens hood and filter mount. It looks to be maybe a bit shorter and very slightly wider than the current model, and it will almost certainly be more expensive than the $4495 being asked for it.

 

[dogberryjr]

Ah, thanks. Here I was feeling pretty good about the price I paid for mine last month. My luck they'll get dumped on the market for half what I paid.

 

[greggebhardt]

I read that Leica produces lenses in batches. Meaning they will do 1000 x 50mm Lux, than 1000 x 75mm Cron, and so on to standardize work processes. Summarit for examples were made in thousands in one batch (probably why so much inventory remains all over the world). It is not a production line where you will see a 28mm, than a 35mm than a 50mm queued up based on dealer demand.
So my guess would be that Leica was due for a 50mm Lux batch when the M9 was released. 50mm being a favorite focal length on full frame, it depleted the remaining inventories and caused the current shortage. My 2 cents.

Your batch information must be right as my dealer got one in this last weekend shipment and moved me up to the next 50 Lux with a deposit. I talked to another dealer and his contacts told me that the 50mm Lux would be making a come back soon! 🙂

 

[parsec1]

After 35 years pro shooting for National Newspapers and some colour magazines with Leica's. ( and Nikons and Canons which were issued to me) .Still waiting for a picture editor to complain "Crappy picture because you obviously shot it with a Planar and not your Summi " and I won't be holding my breath waiting for that either.

 

[Nando]

Greg,

I wouldn't worry too much. You'll get one eventually. The lens is worth waiting for.

I had to wait three years for mine. Not because there were none available but because I had to save up for it. While I waited, I primarily used an old Jupiter-3 repaired by Brian Sweeney. I had fun with it. Then I sold the lens to a friend for what I paid for it.

 

[greggebhardt]

Greg,

I wouldn't worry too much. You'll get one eventually. The lens is worth waiting for.

I had to wait three years for mine. Not because there were none available but because I had to save up for it. While I waited, I primarily used an old Jupiter-3 repaired by Brian Sweeney. I had fun with it. Then I sold the lens to a friend for what I paid for it.

I will wait, I know it is worth it. My M9 arrived today and it is shocking at the difference in the viewfinder in comparison to my M8.2! My 35mm bright lines are near the entire field of view in the M9 finder! LOL! At last my 35mm lens is a 35mm lens!😀

 

[jonmanjiro]

This has nothing to do with believers, but with seeing: dispassionately, even cruelly if you will. And the true 'jury' - the unsuspecting layman - corrobarates this after test upon "blind" test. Just like in the Courtroom. The supreme Leica optical designs are unsurpassable for heir rich complexity and endless nuance, a veritable orgy of sublime, vivid tonality.

I couldn't necessarily afford these optics, but I used my eyes and saw what every unbiased man sees.

😀

We're gonna spell lens in a way that's better,
So when I say get on up, you just shout the letter,
Get on up, L,
Get on up, E,
Get on up, I,
Get on up, C,
Get on up, A,
What's that spell?
LEICA!
What do we do?
SHOOT!
One more time,
LEICA, L-E-I-C-A, LEICA!

 

[thompsonks]

Well, that's a hard post to follow!

I was going to say something off the beaten path, anyway:

We're always frustrated when we can't have the toys we want to play with, but certainly there are alternatives to frustration – you can buy a number of fine lenses to use while you wait for that 50 Summilux.

I have a couple of current-model aspherical lenses, but these aren't really my favorites. My favorite 50 is a pre-ashperical Lux, which is neither as sharp wide-open nor as contrasty as the one you want – but IMO somewhat the better for those 'failings.' For a reasonable amount you can buy an f2 Zeiss to use while waiting, and it will be as sharp & contrasty as the lens you're waiting for. Or for chump-change you can experiment with Noktons. The 1.5 is under $400, & you can keep it for use in sand, thunderstorms, & threatening neighborhoods, when you don't want to take out the Lux. Or maybe play with the 1.1 Nokton, for 1/10 (!) of the price of a Noctilux, just to see what it'll do.

Another fine lens at give-away price is the 40mm Summicron-C.

In other words, there's lots to do besides fret until the next state-of-the-art lens arrives. I'm in the same position: 35mm is my preferred focal length, so I'll probably try out the next version of the 35 Lux. But I'm not inhibited about using fine older lenses in the meantime (35 Cron v1, an amazing lens; 35 pre-a Lux that wins no medals for resolution, but its wide-aperture images have a special quality).

All of these will bring you good interim experiences with your M9.

Kirk

 

[Krosya]

😀

We're gonna spell lens in a way that's better,
So when I say get on up, you just shout the letter,
Get on up, L,
Get on up, E,
Get on up, I,
Get on up, C,
Get on up, A,
What's that spell?
LEICA!
What do we do?
SHOOT!
One more time,
LEICA, L-E-I-C-A, LEICA!

After this post this thread will have the same fate as "Camera T-Shirts" thread for being sexist, LeicaIST or whatever "IST".....😉

 

[jonmanjiro]

After this post this thread will have the same fate as "Camera T-Shirts" thread for being sexist, LeicaIST or whatever "IST".....😉

Ummm well, the post I quoted came across to me as nothing more than cheering for the home team (Leica in this case).

Hence my response :angel:

Ahh well, I'm sorry you didn't appreciate my poor attempt at humour.

 

[Krosya]

Ummm well, the post I quoted came across to me as nothing more than cheering for the home team (Leica in this case).

Hence my response :angel:

Ahh well, I'm sorry you didn't appreciate my poor attempt at humour.

I did appreciate, but I'm afraid somebody else may not. 😉