Questions about black paint 50mm pee-asph summilux

[Atom]

I recently have been heavily obsessed with the black paint 50 summilux pre-asph with built in hood. Does anyone know the history behind this lens?I have read that it is lhsa, I've seen some limit it's production to 2000 units. Where does it come from? Is it some sort of special edition never to be made again? Or a complement to the millenium black paint M6, and similar cameras? Will Leica ever re-release this? I am not particularly interested in it's collectors value, I just want to know it's origins. I seem to getting a mixed message from my web search.

Can you, trusted rff forum members, answer any of my questions? I appreciate your wisdom.

 

[Atom]

I appologize for the use of the word "pee" in the title. I seem to be unable to edit the title. Oh well, I hope you know I meant "pre".

 

[sepiareverb]

This lens seems to be available in two versions- one from the MP3 and one from an M6 LHSA edition. A collector will likely fix my wagon on this one.

 

[awilder]

The lens you refer to appeared with various special editions of black paint M6 TTLs. The lens is a little bit heavier than the standard pre-aspheric 50 Summilux due to extensive use of more brass instead of aluminum in order to allow for application of the black enamel finish. The downside besides greater weight is that black paint wears much easier than any other finish and should be handled more carefully if you're a collector. I believe the MP3 version is a modern ASPH optical design housed in the early style E43 Summilux focusing mount that requires a detachable hood.

 

[peter_n]

awilder is correct. The BP pre-ASPH is identical to the v.3 pre-ASPH Summilux - the version just prior to the ASPH, except for the base metal and finish. It is a preferred version on this forum as closest focus on it is 0.7M as distinct from the 1M closest focus of the v.1 and v.2 Summilux. A really excellent lens!

 

[Atom]

Thanks for the info so far. Anyone have any ideas on the limited-ness of the lens?

 

[peter_n]

I don't think its limited at all. Personally I can't stand the slide-out hoods that Leica put on some of their lenses (many don't lock) but that's just me. It is not an ASPH lens but so what? I use a 50 ASPH and also v.2 of this lens and both are incredible lenses in their different ways. It focuses down to 0.7M which is excellent, it has brass rings and barrel so has a different user feel and is a little heavier than the regular black version of the lens. I have a BP 35mm ASPH and love using it. I don't see any downside to this unless the seller is asking a ridiculous price.

 

[peter_n]

Ah, my bad. That kind of limited didn't occur to me. 😱

Additionally, the black paint Summilux that came with the MP3 camera is an ASPH model in vintage clothing and without a pull out hood.

Indeed it is! 😀

 

[Bill Blackwell]

This lens seems to be available in two versions- one from the MP3 and one from an M6 LHSA edition. A collector will likely fix my wagon on this one.

The LHSA MP3 kit was offered with a 50mm ASPH Summilux in a mount nearly identical to the original 50mm Summilux produced in the early 1960s - right down to the E43 filter threads.

The BP lens in question is the last incarnation of the pre-asph Summilux (E46) with a collapsible lens shade.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

In the late 1990s Leica offered a "traveler’s kit" equipped with a silver chrome 50mm (pre-asph) Summilux with the E43 filter threads and reversible lens shade. This lens was nearly identical to the version produced (only in black chrome) in the 1970s and 1980s.

 

[JNewell]

I owned one and replaced it with the brass/aluminum version of the same type. The black paint brass/brass version was optically identical (and excellent) and SMOOOOTH but weighed almost as much as I do. To me, it balanced very badly, hence the swap.

 

[35mmdelux]

the BP is nice if you get a good deal on it. Otherwise as a shooter I am good with the standard 50 summi ASPH.

 

[Atom]

Thanks again for all of the info. It seems there are quite a few of the lens in question floating about in people's collection here on rff. It even seems a few are for sale. I picked one up very recently for $1900 at the Photovillage. It was in very excellent condition, and worth the price (according to my research and affirmed by this thread).

I am drawn to black paint cameras, my personal taste, so having a black paint summilux was on my list of dream items I never thought I could afford. I honestly didn't know this lens existed until very recently. I
was in Photovillage several months back and saw the MP3 Asph version. When I saw one of the lens in question here on the classifieds I was very excited that a more reasonably priced black paint summilux existed. I missed out on the one here. I took a random trip to Pvillage and thought I saw the same MP3 version on the shelf. So I asked to fondle it and came to find out it was the lens I had just missed here! To my luck, so I bought it. It was worth it for me. I haven't been shooting a lot of 50's in the past few years, so I wanted to use something fast and aesthetically pleasing to my M6ttl LHSA. It has been a treat on the R-D1 as well, giving me a focal length I've never used on a rangefinder before.

 

[awilder]

So let me understand, which BP version do you have? I thought the MP3 BP version was the asph. At a price of $1900, it sounds like the E46 pre-asph. version in BP.

 

[Atom]

I'm sorry if I was in unclear. Like the title of this thread I am speaking of the pre-asph E46 version.