[New test photos released] Leica Summicron 35/2 Eight Element copy made in China

[oldwino]

I've received my lens. I didn't pay for it until it was ready to ship, so I had nothing but emotional investment in this until my lens shipped.
I received a very well made product that does exactly what was promised - it is an excellent copy of a lens most of us will never own. The resulting photos look like a vintage Leica lens, so I am happy.

Regarding the time it is taking to produce these lenses - I have no idea how many people are working on this project, but consider that they seem to be able to produce lenses at a faster rate than Leica. So many are still waiting for the promised SL lenses due out this year, and very occasionally a SL35 or SL50 cron will pop up in a shop. So it is difficult to understand the anguish the production rate on these replicas is causing, especially when you haven't paid a cent upfront.

Purely speculative, but I suspect they are producing the V1 at a loss, or perhaps break-even. $499 is not a lot of money for a specialty product. The V2 sales may be financing the whole project.

 

[astrobuoy]

There is nothing "racist" about being cautious..esp in business..esp overseas..

I don't want to hijack this thread, or fall down a hole of finger-pointing or politicizing. That's not what this thread is for or about. But I do urge everyone here to examine the beliefs that might underlie some of what's been said. Emile, while I'm not the one who can positively say that this is the case or not for you (only you can), I do think that there's a potential for a prejudiced belief when "cautiousness" gets applied with a broad brush to manufacturers in China, India, Nepal, etc., but somehow not to manufacturers in other countries; when we might encounter bad experiences with makers in the U.S. or Europe for example, but believe them to be isolated cases, and yet if we have a bad experience with a maker in China, somehow ALL Chinese manufacture become suspect. I just find that problematic, as well as illogical, and think it's worth exploring.

Even though I grew up in Canada and live in the U.S., my family is Indian, and many in my family own and run businesses in India. They're honest, hardworking people, and it would bother me deeply if their work was met with distrust or even an excess of caution SIMPLY BECAUSE they happened to be Indian. Sure, it might make sense to be cautious in ANY business dealing you have, but when we're willing to trust an American maker at face value while distrusting or assuming a need for caution around a Chinese maker, then something else is at work here. Besides, your Chinese billionaire friend can't really speak for every single Chinese manufacturer.

It's also worth asking what it means to be "cautious" in this case. What does "cautiousness" look like here; how can you exercise it in this case? You haven't been asked to put any money forward, and all you're losing is time if it doesn't work out for some reason. Sowing baseless conspiracy theories (not saying you are specifically, just saying that it's visibly happening on this thread) doesn't feel like caution to me, it feels like distrust mixed with impatience, and it's just not that constructive.

Perhaps rather than sit and worry over if we'll get our lens, we should think of it as a nice surprise if and when it eventually happens. Regardless, it's best to stay respectful to those making it and those involved in making it, since it's abundantly clear this has been borne out of passion, and that we're lucky to be a part of it.

 

[raid]

Kevin I'll be more than happy to share photos once I get my brass lens!

😀😉

Be well

Huss

Images taken by a brass lens are much better than those taken by a chrome lens.😀

 

[Erik van Straten]

I wish that I could order a second lens myself. This time in chrome. I know that many people here are waiting for their lenses. My target next will be a replica Noctilux.

Would that be a 50mm f/1 or a 50mm f/1.2, Raid? I would like to have a replica Noctilux 50mm f/1.2.


Erik.

 

[froyd]

Images taken by a brass lens are much better than those taken by a chrome lens.😀

Thought you were going to tell us that black was best IQ of all, Raid. Isn't that what you got after you gave up on brass?

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Also, how often do you get the chance to have the name of your second favourite Wagnerian heroine engraved on the lens beauty surround? (Isolde - Brunnhilde was too many characters and my elderly Mercedes coupe got very jealous).

 

[MaZo]

Would that be a 50mm f/1 or a 50mm f/1.2, Raid? I would like to have a replica Noctilux 50mm f/1.2.


Erik.

It's 1.2/50 Nocti in the plans as Kevin once informed us.
BTW V1 Noctilux is currently on sale, you know where. I'm really curious what the final price will be
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Leica-M6-Noctilux-50mm/402310041692

 

[f.hayek]

What’s everyone going nuts about? Not 8 Lenses shipped and unreleased ones showing up on eBay and all of a sudden “it’s racist” to wonder out loud? And someone advises caution and he/she’s knocked. There’s clearly a final product but their failure rate must be high. At least they’re not dumping half baked junk for the hell of it

 

[raid]

Thought you were going to tell us that black was best IQ of all, Raid. Isn't that what you got after you gave up on brass?

This is why I did not say that brass lens images are better than black lens images. 😀😎

 

[raid]

Would that be a 50mm f/1 or a 50mm f/1.2, Raid? I would like to have a replica Noctilux 50mm f/1.2.

Erik.

Erik: Kevin clarified this point in one of the earlier posts here. It was the Noctilux that was rare and costs $20,000. It is the 50/1.2. I will take either one 😀😎

Kevin said: "Correct! The next project will be the hand-ground Noctilux 50mm f1.2 Double Aspherical."

 

[raid]

What’s everyone going nuts about? Not 8 Lenses shipped and unreleased ones showing up on eBay and all of a sudden “it’s racist” to wonder out loud? And someone advises caution and he/she’s knocked. There’s clearly a final product but their failure rate must be high. At least they’re not dumping half baked junk for the hell of it

The replica lens is hand made. As Erik said here, such lenses are one of a kind and they can differ from lens to lens a little.

 

[Erik van Straten]

It's 1.2/50 Nocti in the plans as Kevin once informed us.
BTW V1 Noctilux is currently on sale, you know where. I'm really curious what the final price will be
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Leica-M6-Noctilux-50mm/402310041692

Looks nice, how much will it fetch ...

This Noctilux has two aspherical surfaces that were ground by hand. There was in those years only one worker at Leitz who could grind the aspherical surfaces. This was done by hand. That is why every Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 is different from the others. There are 2.500 lenses made in three batches if I remember well, around 1968.

Erik.

 

[raid]

Maybe we will see a Made in China Noctilux 50/1.2 replica. That would be awesome.

 

[f.hayek]

Maybe we will see a Made in China Noctilux 50/1.2 replica. That would be awesome.

Mr Zhou seems to have had so much trouble with a symmetrical lens without special glass so I wouldn’t hold my breath, though moulded aspherical elements are much simpler to fabricate nowadays.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Mr Zhou seems to have had so much trouble with a symmetrical lens without special glass so I wouldn’t hold my breath, though moulded aspherical elements are much simpler to fabricate nowadays.

Yes, Leitz themselves returned to a non-aspherical design, the Noctilux 50mm f/1.

However, these early Noctiluxes are not very sharp, aspherical or not. A well known fact.

Erik.

 

[Archlich]

Obviously Chinese buyers at home had to wait over 2 months to get their copies as well.

But the omnipresent Breguet Camera always has its ways. I wonder if anyone had kept the count on the numerous uniquely finished "limited" Miyazaki lenses they offered throughout the years. Golden, red chrome, some special Japanese lacquer, you name it.

 

[Archlich]

BTW..back in the day..when I was selling ULF cameras..as a sideline..

I was thinking to do some business with the burgeoning camera companies in China..this was about 2005..

So I contacted a Chinese friend of mine with mucho business connections in that area of the world..

Just a reminder that 15 years equals to like half a century in Chinese time. Time flows faster there.

I mean, I know a Chinese journalist who shoot a FM10 for all assignments in the year 2000. That's all her agency could afford...

Definitely no private maker working on hobby lenses back then.

 

[Emile de Leon]

I did notice in the back pages of this thread.

 

[fish1991222]

Here are a few pieces of information that I got to share with those who have doubts in this project:

1. I confirmed with Mr.Zhou that Kevin does have the authority to fufill the oversea orders. Please take a relief that your orders are directly sent to Mr. Zhou with no doubts. The reason you have seen the V2 photo is because that right now the two versions are produced at the same time. Please be aware of that not only oversea users that are buying the lens, there are also many leica users in China preordered this lens too, although in a different social media platform. However, Mr. Zhou confrimed to me that all the V1 copies that you preordered through Kevin will be fulfilled.

2. I believe Kevin is doing everything he can to get your "preordered" (There is no payment until Kevin tells you that your lens is ready, correct me if I am wrong here) lens ready to ship. Just a easy logic here, if it were a scam, why didn't Kevin charge you full payment or at least a "kickstarter" fund at the very beginning?

3. While you can assemble the lens with your hand, the building material, glass manufacturing will depend on the supplier, which could be affected in current situation. COVID-19 in China is not very serious right now but there are difficulties for all those factories showing their full production capactiy.

Pesonally I am not related to this project, it just happens I have Mr. Zhou's contact. As a chinese I can't say how happy I am to see someone is doing such a good job in handcraft lens making. I would love to buy one, but Mr. Zhou told me right now he is not able to accept new preorders, as he needs to make sure to fulfill the previous ones. He simply didn't promise me anything he cannot do. That's my personal feeling that he is an honest man and he will not disappoint us.

I have to say that I envy you guys that on the list, as eventually you will get one.

 

[Emile de Leon]

Just a reminder that 15 years equals to like half a century in Chinese time. Time flows faster there.

If anything..