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

[Yokosuka Mike]

Nope,no way....because I think.. they/LLL (not Kevin.. as he is in the unenviable middleman position..) ...LLL should be actually apologizing to us..the people left holding the bag for flint..with no lens in hand or in sight..going on close to a year later..
Or... at the least.. LLL could be updating the delivery times..
But..

And as to the quality..
It looks good..the images that is..
But then..

In terms of the actual internal construction...that has not been fully proven yet..as in...
How is this lens going to hold up to heavy usage month after month.. year after year..
And...if and when... something goes wrong..
What happens then..?
..who is gonna service it..??

Will there be any quality service with this lens..?
Maybe yes..maybe no....but if you consider the waiting times..

And if you think Leica service is slow..
Well..
Buyers are gonna find all this out firsthand..
Basically..
Lets say you drop your lens..or similar..it winds up in the drink..
Or some other issue irises..in or out..of warrantee..
What happens then?

Is there a warrantee on this lens..and for what and how long..?
And you send in for repair/CLA 1/2 way around the globe..
Do you get it back a year or 2 later?
And then...
How much are you gonna get charged...?


So much we dont know..

Are you ok? Do you need some help?

"So much we dont know"

Yes indeed.

Take care
Mike

 

[nzeeman]

but im totally confused-as i understand nobody gave any money upfront. so emile is complaining that he waits for something that nobody force him to and he will not lose a dime in case that lens doesnt exist? and also complains that he dont know some stuff about service and all those things-but still he put himself on waiting list ?

 

[kiemchacsu]

but im totally confused-as i understand nobody gave any money upfront. so emile is complaining that he waits for something that nobody force him to and he will not lose a dime in case that lens doesnt exist? and also complains that he dont know some stuff about service and all those things-but still he put himself on waiting list ?

Everyone already explained this thing many times. As you can see hardly another reply to Emile to be found.
Update: today my lens was delivered successfully to me, after few days for clearing customs. 6 days after Kevin sent it to me. Really impressed. Thanks Kevin for great job. Again.
Will write more soon later.

 

[xmas_one]

Any news about the screw mount version? I’m still very interested in this, especially after using the M mount.

 

[kiemchacsu]

Just a quick shout here.
This is mine
Black paint 500124
The original Leica hood fits perfectly on the lens, filter also.
Load a roll and ready to shoot some first test.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Emile de Leon]

Legitimate questions still werent answered..
Is there a warrantee on this lens?..and for how long..and what are the service times..and possible costs..

Granted.most users will take a few pics of their cat & kid or the streets outside..or maybe a tree...and have a lil fun walkin around with their new toy..until the newness wears off..
Then..

Maybe take a pic of it ..lookin pretty good..and post it here..for fun and giggles..

Then call it a day..lens goes back on the shelf .. used once in awhile over the years..

But I use these lenses everyday as a working tool and need to know this kind of stuff..
Sorry if you dont agree..
And..I'm happy with 99% of the cams and lenses I own..make that 99.999%..
All reliable stuff..(because I thoroughly researched the purchase before hand...) most used day in and out..lots of Leica lenses..
But the new boy in town..well..there needs to be some input there..
Big boys can have issues with new products..Nikon/Canon etc.

 

[valdas]

Another happy customer...
(low rez iphone shot):

 

[astrobuoy]

Is there a warrantee on this lens?..and for how long..and what are the service times..and possible costs..

Let's be real here. These aren't bad questions to ask, although if they were real concerns of yours, why didn't you ask them a year ago? Before the order form went out and you put your name down? It's pretty clear that more than anything this is coming out of a feeling of impatience and being upset that your ticket hasn't been called (yet), and it sounds like you're just lashing out... at everyone. No one was promised a warranty, or that these could be sent back to LLL to service. For those of us who shoot vintage lenses we've gotten used to finding other sources (DAG, Youxin Ye) to have the tools we value and shoot with maintained, because they are not serviceable elsewhere. But nothing I've heard on this thread so far from people who've actually held and used the lens leads me to believe that there is any reason to be particularly concerned for its durability.

Granted.most users will take a few pics of their cat & kid or the streets outside..or maybe a tree...and have a lil fun walkin around with their new toy..until the newness wears off..
Then..

Maybe take a pic of it on their film M..lookin pretty good..and post it here..for fun and giggles..

Then call it a day..lens goes back on the shelf .. used once in awhile over the years..

But I use these lenses everyday as a working tool and need to know this kind of stuff..

Now you're just lashing out at the rest of us. Don't you think it's a bit arrogant to presume that the rest of us are amateurs seeking out a toy while you're the real pro wanting this as a tool? Be real: would you be saying all of this stuff on this thread if you had the lens in your hand? Or are your concerns just so much huffing and puffing, because you signed up a little later than others and are further back in the queue? If your concern is about the warranty and serviceability of the lens (not an invalid question), then why ask it NOW, ten months after you signed up to buy the lens, and why is it wrapped up in this nonsensical, needless dig at everyone else?

 

[chambrenoire]

Mine came today! Really nice, will shot some pics this weekend.

 

[chambrenoire]

How come the black one has scripting in Chinese and the silver one has Made In China? Just an odd detail.

 

[steveyork]

Legitimate questions still werent answered..
Is there a warrantee on this lens?..and for how long..and what are the service times..and possible costs..

Granted.most users will take a few pics of their cat & kid or the streets outside..or maybe a tree...and have a lil fun walkin around with their new toy..until the newness wears off..
Then..

Maybe take a pic of it ..lookin pretty good..and post it here..for fun and giggles..

Then call it a day..lens goes back on the shelf .. used once in awhile over the years..

But I use these lenses everyday as a working tool and need to know this kind of stuff..
Sorry if you dont agree..
And..I'm happy with 99% of the cams and lenses I own..make that 99.999%..
All reliable stuff..(because I thoroughly researched the purchase before hand...) most used day in and out..lots of Leica lenses..
But the new boy in town..well..there needs to be some input there..
Big boys can have issues with new products..Nikon/Canon etc.

Dude, just give it a rest. You're very much a broken record at this point. Your rantings tell us more about the subject than the object in question.

 

[David Murphy]

This is a super cool lens, particularly if they come out with an LTM version. And "Teddy", Jose, or whoever you are! ...That is a prize winning seascape! I'm sold on this lens - the photos posted here do the talking!

Regarding the bronze finished versions. Are we talking about bronze or bronze finished? - there's certainly a distinction. Bronze of course is an alloy of copper and tin (mostly) which I believe may tarnish somewhat over time, but like most tarnished metals can also probably be polished back to a nice finish (likely a hassle though). Bronze finish, might indicate a bronze tinted anodized finish formed on a polished aluminum metal parts, which would be tough as hell and very resistant to any sort of deterioration over time. The details matter here.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Jose/Teddy, that is a prize winning photo - this lens impresses me for one.

Regarding the bronze finished versions.

David, I recall 'brass'.... not bronze. I have no idea how the vintage brass Petzvals were finished, never having owned one. I assume some clear coat over the brass. I didn't pay much attention since i ordered a black one.

 

[wpb]

I believe the lens construction is brass and then left unpainted (except for the filling in of the markings) or un-chromed. Finding a suitable coating to keep the brass bright is the issue as cleaning it would most likely lead to some contamination making its way inside the lens.

 

[Archlich]

I believe the lens construction is brass and then left unpainted (except for the filling in of the markings) or un-chromed. Finding a suitable coating to keep the brass bright is the issue as cleaning it would most likely lead to some contamination making its way inside the lens.

And that odor of naked brass. I've owned a brass pen from Kaweco and it's just unbearable (to me).

 

[lcpr]

How about some more photos from the lens?

HP5/Tri-X in XTOL, M4 + LLL 8E 35/2:

Click each image for larger 1500px versions.

I also shot half a roll at f/2 (family stuff) and the focus was bang on.

 

[xmas_one]

Nice work, that first one with the umbrella is incredible!

 

[MaZo]

How come the black one has scripting in Chinese and the silver one has Made In China? Just an odd detail.

Not all chrome ones are like this. Mine:

 

[jshcrlsn]

I received mine a couple of weeks ago. It is serial# 254 and has the Chinese characters on the side. It has an amber coating.

Some initial thoughts:
- it is beautiful and well built!
- mounts very clean on the camera with no scrub or jerkiness
- focus and aperture clicks feel very nice like a Leica lens might...very tight couplings and not too loose but secure enough to stay put once set.
- I had no problems attaching and detaching regular Leica filters to the front
- frame lines pop as they should with no clipping of the viewfinder frame on my M2 as some 3rd party lenses tend to do

MY ONLY GRIPE SO FAR: I find the caps and case somewhat useless...they look pretty and are well made but I find the front cap falls off way to easily to be useful and both caps weigh a ton so they will not be in my camera bag and will sit in the equally useless leather lens pouch my lens came in. Its too big! The lens is compact for traveling small and the case is huge which doesn't make good sense to me. Some third party plastic caps and a neoprene case fixes this issue.

I have started into both film and digital shooting with it with multiple film types and will post some results when I can. In initial testing I find the lens functionally easy to use. I can nail focus quickly and I don't really find that the infinity lock gets in my way at all.

Kevin, you have been really great and easy to communicate with. I appreciate you caring about all of us and sharing this delightful lens with me. I will forever think of you when I use this lens. I think you have shown great integrity and conduct with this ad-hoc side project and that really does count for something in my book.

Now I will use the crap out of it and see how it wears in :]


LLL 35mm 8 element summicron clone by Joshua Carlson, on Flickr

 

[Platinum RF]

I received my two lenses today, they are well made, I ordered two copies just want to support this bold project, never think this lens became so popular now.

Many thanks to Kevin to help arrange transaction and shipment.

BTW DHL will file custom clearance and ask your SSN if goods from China over 800 and I paid near $120 import tax too.