Is $1,400 a good price for a used 28MM Elmarit ASPH?

[jjcha]

I live in Japan and saw this ad.

Current generation 28mm Elmarit ASPH. Well used it seems. But looks to me to be in reasonably good "user" condition. Text indicates that you can see some dust inside of it, but it doesn't impact the image.

It's also missing its proper lens hood -- the one on it is an old style for the 35mm 'cron.

Still, I've never see them go for less than call it $1,700 as a great price for an excellent condition one with hood.

But there have been no takers. The prior auction expired and the seller has since reposted his ad.

Am I missing something? Or is this a good "user" price?

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v726465487

 

[keytarjunkie]

That's the 1st generation Elmarit ASPH, they usually sell for $1200-1400 USD depending on condition and accessories. The 2nd generation Elmarit ASPH has a metal screw-on hood, and doesn't have the little V-indents for the old style hood. The 2nd ASPH sells for about $1700-1900, you're right.

 

[Freakscene]

It’s not the current one (11677) it has the old style hood (11606).

But it’s still a good price.

Marty

 

[pyeh]

I'd say that's the first gen 28/2.8 asph. The hoods are not interchangeable between the two models, or certainly the hood of the 2nd can't be put on the 1st version lens.
Optically I've read that the 2nd model is better on digital cameras newer than the M9. On the M9 and on film there's no difference.
Price wise they were $1600 used one year ago so $1400 is better, but then each of these lenses is a year older and now 'superseded'.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I would be very surprised to see any 28 ASPH for 1200-1400 these days.
If here is real listing for this price on commonly accessed web site, please, share.

 

[keytarjunkie]

I would be very surprised to see any 28 ASPH for 1200-1400 these days.
If here is real listing for this price on commonly accessed web site, please, share.

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1637997/

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1637971/

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1631101/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-Elma...295463&hash=item5232839de8:g:vY8AAOSwAppeh31K

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-Elma...295463&hash=item216d7b78fe:g:ZxwAAOSwbBxeesCR

 

[Tim Gray]

Seems like a reasonable price. I think you can snag the first version Summicron for less than $2k now. I want to say I’ve seen them for as little as $1700. That is a great lens for a great price.

 

[shimokita]

At the moment Map Camera in Shinjuku has three used (5/5 stars) 11606 at Yen 199,800 with 10% points including the correct hood (12526), hood cap, lens cap, and rear cap. The newer version (new) at Yen 282,139.

I have the 11606 version on my MP and love it...

 

[Ko.Fe.]

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1637997/

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1637971/

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1631101/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-Elma...295463&hash=item5232839de8:g:vY8AAOSwAppeh31K

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-Elma...295463&hash=item216d7b78fe:g:ZxwAAOSwbBxeesCR

Thank you.
All of them are sold in January, early March. Kind of water under the bridge. Just one was in April. One ebay listing is within USA only. Another is $250 for shipping and some odd charges.

 

[keytarjunkie]

Thank you.
All of them are sold in January, early March. Kind of water under the bridge. Just one was in April. One ebay listing is within USA only. Another is $250 for shipping and some odd charges.

I'm sorry for not meeting your strict conditions. I don't sell them, I just watch them.

 

[Ccoppola82]

I grabbed the 28mm Summicron v1 last year and chose it over the Elmarit. I didn’t like the contrast in the Elmarit. For the extra few hundred, to me it was worth it. If you can get one for $1700, it’s a very very nice lens. It’s in my “never sell” category now.

 

[Huss]

I'm sorry for not meeting your strict conditions. I don't sell them, I just watch them.

We went through a similar thing when Kostya was shocked to find out that one could buy an M10 for $4k.

 

[Huss]

I grabbed the 28mm Summicron v1 last year and chose it over the Elmarit. I didn’t like the contrast in the Elmarit. For the extra few hundred, to me it was worth it. If you can get one for $1700, it’s a very very nice lens. It’s in my “never sell” category now.

I guess I'm one of those that absolutely loves the contrast of the 28mm Elmarit Asph. Images pop from it.
It's funny, if this lens was made by any other mfg people would be praising the contrast!

Are Leica owners the only ones that like low contrast lenses? Is it that fabled glow we are talking about? (that usually ends up being because the lens is hazy and needs to be cleaned).
😉

This lens is also the only Leica lens that I have (modern and old) that is fantastic in handling conditions that would normally cause flare. And it's size is perfect.

 

[Emile de Leon]

Size is great..
$1400- seems about right these days..

 

[Tim Gray]

I guess I'm one of those that absolutely loves the contrast of the 28mm Elmarit Asph. Images pop from it.
It's funny, if this lens was made by any other mfg people would be praising the contrast!

Are Leica owners the only ones that like low contrast lenses? Is it that fabled glow we are talking about? (that usually ends up being because the lens is hazy and needs to be cleaned).
😉

This lens is also the only Leica lens that I have (modern and old) that is fantastic in handling conditions that would normally cause flare. And it's size is perfect.

Never used the 28/2.8 ASPH. I personally don’t have a problem with high contrast lenses, just ended up with the Summicron which I really like. I think it meshes well with the 50/1.4 ASPH. I wouldn’t call it a low contrast lens, just maybe less than the Elmarit.

 

[jordan.dickinson]

seems like a good price to me. I bought one at that price awhile back

 

[Ccoppola82]

I guess I'm one of those that absolutely loves the contrast of the 28mm Elmarit Asph. Images pop from it.
It's funny, if this lens was made by any other mfg people would be praising the contrast!

Are Leica owners the only ones that like low contrast lenses? Is it that fabled glow we are talking about? (that usually ends up being because the lens is hazy and needs to be cleaned).
😉

This lens is also the only Leica lens that I have (modern and old) that is fantastic in handling conditions that would normally cause flare. And it's size is perfect.

I use it on an M6 as well as the MP240, so the lower contrast and extra stop of the Summicron makes for better/easier negatives. I generally don’t like overly contrasty images. I find them more difficult to process. I can always add contrast in post. Can’t take it away.

 

[jjcha]

Thanks everyone. Other than the lens hood, I didn’t know there were small differences between the first and second generation ASPH. Seems to me $1,400 is a good price, though one could find for a bit less (though probably not in Japan...)

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

I use it on an M6 as well as the MP240, so the lower contrast and extra stop of the Summicron makes for better/easier negatives. I generally don’t like overly contrasty images. I find them more difficult to process. I can always add contrast in post. Can’t take it away.

And there is a superb Zeiss lens with all the pop and the contrast in the world for one hell of a lot less.

I buy Leica stuff for Leica characteristics. Printing is so much easier.

 

[Freakscene]

And there is a superb Zeiss lens with all the pop and the contrast in the world for one hell of a lot less.

Yes, but the Zeiss disengages focus at 0.7m, needs an expensive custom 6-bit coding to get it to work at its best, and it gets you thinking it hardly flares at all until you get reflections off the chrome hood bayonet and it flares like crazy.

I buy Leica stuff for Leica characteristics. Printing is so much easier.

I find having a set of lenses that produce a similar contrast profile helps a lot with printing consistently. Leica asphs are all fairly similar, but they now span over 30 years of design from the 35 Summilux aspherical (1990) to the 90mm Summilux (2019); there was a marked change when they introduced floating elements, and there are a few outliers, including the 28 Elmarit asph.

Marty