New 50 Lux ASPH challenges

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msbel

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Recently purchased a new 50 Lux ASPH (thud - that was my bank account.) Wanted to invest in a new 50 as the anchor for my kit, and I know this one is special.

Opened it up last night and the focus ring was stiff as a board. Man, you could move it but the resistance is very noticeable. I worked it a bit today, and still a tough glide with a hard patch along the way.

I know this stiff focus ring has been a challenge with this lens in the past, and has nothing to do with the incredible glass. Still, you have to be able to focus the thing to take the image!

I also know this lens is a hard one to hunt down these days, and have heard horror stories about owners with the same problem sending them back to Solms and waiting months to get it back only to be marginally improved or a replacement with the same challenges. Thus, I am reluctant to send it into the void of Leica Germany servicing and longing for my new baby.

So...any 50 Lux ASPH owners run across this lately, and how did you come to solve it? I know it needs break in time, but this is more than a virgin ring warming up.

Hard enough putting the funds together to by the thing.

Thanks in advance...
 
Hmm... well if worse comes to worse I say return it and buy a new one. Sure it may take a while to get a replacement possibly but... at least your not losing money.

No sense in keeping something that isnt working right. You paid for a lens that performs propely (both in optics and mechanics) so I would without hesitation send it back where you bought it or whatever you can to get your money back or an exchange.
 
The focus ring action is a problem with these lenses it seems. I had it too with mine at the beginning, but if I read you correctly, not as severely as you do. I 'd personally keep the lens only if the resistance of the focus ring was uniform and not impending in any serious way immediate use (for instance, the way the focus ring turned on my lens was mildly annoying - especially the fact that I had to exert a tiny amount of extra push to get it started, which always landed me a little further on the distance scale than I really wanted - but it was not impossible to work around with). I 'd be particularly worried of the 'hard patch' you talk about. It really shouldn't be there, and nobody can know if it will go away with use.

PS. Even if returned, it's well worth trying to find a good sample of this lens. It's that good.
 
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I would insist on an exchange for a much better one, or a full refund. At the price it is unacceptable to have such as fault.

I bought one in the black paint (heavy) mount because the normal ones were out of stock. It is as smooth focusing as any lens I have ever used. I wonder if these "collectors' items" are better finished, or did I just get lucky this time? Also, it focuses as perfectly as I can detect, not like my 35mm ASPH which is in Germany awaiting adjustment.
 
John I have the silver version of yours (E43 filter) and it is reasonably smooth focusing. I don't trust it yet though. Lots of these ASPH lenses are problematic, and the problems are all over the map, not just the focus ring.
 
oh boy, wait till Don (xray) finds this.....


I was tinkering with a 50 asph in a camera store and it didnt feel good, not like the 50 cron tabbed I had monkeyed with before, just something missing in that new one....
 
peter_n said:
John I have the silver version of yours (E43 filter) and it is reasonably smooth focusing. I don't trust it yet though. Lots of these ASPH lenses are problematic, and the problems are all over the map, not just the focus ring.
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It's enough to dissuade one from buying new toys! Actually, I have had some GAS and am in rehabilitation, and I know now that I have enough gear. But seriously, does Leica think that their customers will just fondle their expensive lenses and not use them? The horror stories are surprisingly frequent. I have more confidence in the Zeiss lenses actually. Now that I come to think of it, my Volkswagen dealer told me last week "off the record" that Toyota and Honda are definitely much more reliable than any German car make.
 
A lot of Leica purchasers are in it for the fondle. You buy Leica from the 50's/60's/70's and it is great. The modern stuff is different. Personally speaking the bad experiences I've had have been with the mechanics of the lenses. Optically they are tremendous but they are mechanically very poor. I have to say that I've bought five modern Leica bodies and all of them have been perfect (so far). It's only the lenses I've had problems with.

WRT cars, look where Mercedes is on the Consumer Reports reliability charts. Mostly near the bottom.
 
Just got mine a week ago and did not notice anything weird about the focus ring. I just compared it to my 50 cron and the 50 lux is just a "touch" harder to move, but very smooth. I actually wouldn't have noticed the difference if not for this post.

Gorgeous and well built lens. Only regret is not buying it sooner.
 
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I have the lux asph LHSA which I guess means brass, but it is very smooth. Slightly heavy compared to some of my lighter lenses but not overly so. No rough spots.

I would take this lense back. It should not be rough for any reason. Stiff may requier bedding in, but rough sounds all wrong.
 
telenous said:
The focus ring action is a problem with these lenses it seems.
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I do not think this is an issue at all. I compared mine with some users, and the 50 Lux ASPH has a little resistance compared say to the 28 or 35, and a bump near the end of one turn. I understand that there is a pin which is engaged. No one I know so far has any complains about the lens misfocussing or not being tack sharp when focusing near (focus shift issues).
 
msbel said:
Opened it up last night and the focus ring was stiff as a board. Man, you could move it but the resistance is very noticeable. I worked it a bit today, and still a tough glide with a hard patch along the way.
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May I ask what lenses are you comparing with? I find that there is a variety of focusing smoothness for the Leica lenses. But 50 Lux ASPH is considered at the stiffer end of the range.
 
Thanks for everyone's feedback.

What I gleaned as a whole here is that I may want to break her in a bit (you know the drill while watching tele), and see what happens. Want to make sure the "hard patch" is not my OCD imagination.

The comment about having to give the throw a good push to get it going is probably most accurate.

Love the lens. The extra speed and the way the glass draws has truly freed me up to get more creative with available light - highly recommended. I had to move a few bank accounts around, but heck, I would have blown it anyway on one thing or another.

Far as overall mechanics of the modern lenses being a bit shoddy, totally agree though I do not own a suite of asph lenses. They just don't have that same solid smooth feel - the feeling the lenses of the Leica lore harness. I could hurl my Summitar at the wall and it would get a ding and work. If I threw this 50, I would be using a dustpan to sweep up the parts.

I have never tried the chrome or black paint/brass versions, and could certainly see the point that these most likely have better build quality.

Hey - happy and safe holidays to all.
MB
 
Indeed LOL! I haven't seen him post (rant? ) for a while here now I think about it...
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Kinda catty, isn't it? The man's a professional photographer with an impressive body of work, yet when he reports problems with a particular Leica lens (which have been repeated by others) then he's "ranting?" 😕 😕 😕
 
To Hacker's inquiry, comparisons would be a 28/2 asph that has seen some action and a pre-asph v.4 35 cron just serviced. Those are my pieces with tab rings at the moment. My other recent lenses have no tab, so probably not the best to compare on that end I would guess.

So no apples to apples here...have not held another new 50 Lux asph. Just feels how I described it - a hard glide. I'll stick with her for now though...a little mesmerized by how good this thing draws (gasp)

MB
 
kevin m said:
Kinda catty, isn't it? The man's a professional photographer with an impressive body of work, yet when he reports problems with a particular Leica lens (which have been repeated by others) then he's "ranting?" 😕 😕 😕
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That's how it impressed me too. Part of the reason I rarely post here now.
 
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