Hexanon-M 50/1.2 vs Summilux 50/1.4 pre-asph

[Alex Krasotkin]

Guys, is it worth to sell Summilux 50/1.4 pre-asph for buying Hexanon-M 50/1.2 from below prospectives:


1) Lens signature
2) 50/1.2 vs 50/1.4
3) price difference of $600
4) retaining value


Appreciate your ideas.

 

[thomasw_]

Hey Alex,

I take delight in viewing much of your work!

In Reply:

1. At bottom this comes down to preference. I prefer the II/III Lux 50's rendering.

2. Will the extra half a stop make much of difference? Not to me, but perhaps it will for you.

3. The savings....buy more film or something else 🙂

4. Hard call. Leicas retain their value better in general, but the Hex is a rare bird, so it may in time accrue more in monetary value.

Are you open to buying another 50mm like the L 50/1,4 asph? It is the finest 50mm lens i have used.

Good cheer, Thomas

 

[pfoto]

I use the Leica pre-ASPH 50 and if a Hexanon 1.2 came along I wouldn't be interested, and I say that as a previous user of 3 of the M-Hexanon lenses. I just love the signature of the Summilux and that's enough for me. 🙂

 

[Krosya]

I really think it's apples and oranges. Both are great lenses with different personalities/signatures. Comes down to your personal preference. I think it's worth having both. But if you have to choose.....good luck in your quest!
If you have a chance to try out the Hexanon before buying it - I'd do that and go from there.

 

[Didier]

There's no reason not to own BOTH...
🙂
Didier

 

[awilder]

The best thing to do if you already have the Summilux is to buy the 50/1.2 Hexanon, use it and compare it with the Summilux. If you prefer one to the other after a little while, sell the one you like least. Either lens will easily sell on this forum so you won't be taking any financial hit in the long run. If the Summilux is the E43 version that only focuses down to 1 meter, the Hexanon already has a small leg up by going down to 0.9 meters.

 

[Hacker]

Here is a link of some samples I uploaded recently.

I would say that the Konica M-Hexanon is tack sharp and not as contrasty as the ASPH Lux (not a bad thing, just different). However, some very early lenses seem to have focusing issues but the later numbers seem to be fine. A friend just sent one to DAG.

Either lens I would think would be great. The Hex 50 surprisingly, exhibited no vignetting that I can detect on the M8. Handling is very good and much easier than say the Noctilux.

I do think that both lenses will hold steady in its price range, but the Leica seems to have more samples as more people use them, while the Hex 50 will always be a niche lens due to fewer people knowing about the lens or experiencing it.