New Summarit-M Lenses

ZeissFan said:
Competition is good for the marketplace and the rangefinder segment.

The sale of used Leica lenses, new and used Cosina Voigtlander lenses and new and used Carl Zeiss lenses generates $0 for Leica.

Even among this forum, it seems that the majority of Leica bodies and lenses are bought used -- with the exception of the M8, of course, generating very little money for Leica to remain in business.

I think it's a good move. Although the pricing is high compared with the competition, it's not outrageously high, depending on your disposable income.
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I agree, and we need to thank Herr Kobayashi and others for stirring market forces. f2.5 is a good compromise. It's good to see Leica do this, like someone over there doesn't have their head in the clouds.

:)
 
Originally Posted by FrankS
In fact, over-correction of spherical aberration produces some ugly OOFA.

Magus: No it doesn't - to the contrary.


I believe I've read this in a Brian Sweeney post.
Guess who's opinion about optics I've got greater faith in? :rolleyes:
 
FrankS said:
Originally Posted by FrankS
In fact, over-correction of spherical aberration produces some ugly OOFA.
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There's fact here and value judgement here... It does appear to be optical fact that over-correction of spherical aberration results in ring-bokeh in background highlights. ( http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/bokeh.shtml )

Whether ring-bokeh is unpleasant is the value judgement. I agree with Frank and many others that it is indeed unpleasant, but Magus may not see it that way... wish that opinion had been expressed more pleasantly.
 
I wonder if we will see a Leica CL2 priced around the ZI? Perhaps a 28 and a 24 around 3.5 or so keeping them small. Would be a heck of a carry package no?

I do hope that Pres. K will take off the gloves and come out with some more aggressive lenses as these are aimed right at his sweet spot, with everything but price that is. Over a grand!! Perhaps he will come out with a 75 1.9 lens at a reasonable price.

A CL2 would give them some cash they need. Perhaps help buy some time for a full frame digital.....

B2 (;->
 
peter_n said:
I think there is a hope that these new lenses, because they are spherical, will produce images that are "old fashioned" in look.
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richard_l said:
I hope not! :(

Richard
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Mehinks it depends on what's meant as "old fashioned." Late-generation, pre-ASPH Leica glass, in the main, seems pretty good to me. The generation before that? Might be good as well, give or take a lens or two. I rather doubt Solms is going real deep into their back-catalog of optical formulae for this new set of glass. I still say this could be a Good Thing on a number of fronts, and gives the Leicascenti more grist to occupy their copious free time with, while the more down-on-their-heels among us (relatively specking, of course) just buy the lenses and use them. 'Twas always thus.

And, a "moderate-price" film-burner from Leica? You never know...


- Barrett
 
How much are these things going to be?
I want a 35mm, had been aiming for a Summicron ASPH used in preference to new, but these things might sway me if the images are nice and its flexible for the kind of work I want to do and be capable of being used professionally.
 
Zen-shooter said:
...If Leica's decision is to make TWO distinctive lens line-up, ones with high contrast and high resolution (ie. 'crons, ' lux, Asph, Apo, etc.) and ones with medium contrast, "value" lenses (ie, Elmarit, Elmar, Summarit), then I think it's a wise move on their part...
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Since when was the 50mm/2.8 Elmar-M a 'medium contrast' lens? I have both it and the latest 'Cron, and damned if I can see that one is less contrasty than the other.

Richard
 
Zen-shooter said:
True Richard about the modern Elmar and 'Cron. Both have impressive MTF graphs for sure. I was thinking more about the 1954 50/3.5 and 1958 50/2.8 Ver. 1, which compared to the 1995 Ver. 2, renders differently (to me less contrast with earlier versions).

If I offended you, then I apologize.
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Not at all. Thanks for the explanation. All too many people assume (and assert as a fact) that the new Elmar is medium contrast like the classic ones. The misinformation gets a little tiresome, so I tend to react even when it is not justified.

Richard
 
BillBingham2 said:
I wonder if we will see a Leica CL2 priced around the ZI? Perhaps a 28 and a 24 around 3.5 or so keeping them small. Would be a heck of a carry package no?

I do hope that Pres. K will take off the gloves and come out with some more aggressive lenses as these are aimed right at his sweet spot, with everything but price that is. Over a grand!! Perhaps he will come out with a 75 1.9 lens at a reasonable price.

A CL2 would give them some cash they need. Perhaps help buy some time for a full frame digital.....

B2 (;->
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My thoughts exactly, but I think they would go straight to digital. Bring out a dCL with a 1.6 sensor or wait until the M9 is near ready and bring out a dCL with the 1.3 sensor, and then the M9 with a full frame.
 
Looking at the samples, none of the lenses give an old fashioned look. Nice OOF areas too.

As for lack of aspherical elements, people sometimes put too much significance into cool-sounding particularities while ignoring the rest of optical design practice. While an f/1.4 lens might require aspherical surfaces, it can be possible to correct abberations of a 2.5 lens to same magnitude with ordinary elements. Modern doesn't equal aspherical.
 
I actually would love new lenses with retro rendering! like sonnar ZM, if these summarits render in same manner.....
 
Nachkebia said:
I love 50 ASPH Summilux sample on Leica site, reminds me of Antonioni (RIP) :(
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If you like that sample you really should check out the website of the guy who shot the picture .......... awesome stuff ...........http://www.rax.is/
 

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Thank you for the link, Yes I have seen his pictures, excellent photos, no words to add... I love that particular sample shot, it has something special :)
 

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When I open the sample DNG from the 50mm in GIMP using the UFRaw plug-in. the black areas (tabletop) have red spots all over it ... looks like chicken pox. Anyone know what that's all about?
 
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