Tsubasa Swallow 35mm f/2 lens for Leica M mount

[froyd]

From Leica Rumors

http://leicarumors.com/2017/01/05/tsubasa-swallow-35mm-f2-lens-for-leica-m-mount.aspx/#respond

Finally! It was about time somebody offer something in the 35mm focal lenght in M-mount.

I was growing really frustrated lack of choices... 😉

 

[xayraa33]

Very nice.

The external styling looks very vintage Angénieux.

 

[Corran]

$1,800?!?! And for such an ugly lens, IMO of course.

What's the benefit here?

 

[raid]

Is this lens somehow "better" than a CV 50/1.1?
$1800 is not a small amount of money.
If the price had been $800, it would be competing with CV lenses, if all lenses were equally good optically and build-wise.

 

[______]

You could have a nice 35mm Summicron for that kind of money - and it would hold its value.

 

[xayraa33]

You could have a nice 35mm Summicron for that kind of money - and it would hold its value.

I am sure photographers said the same thing in the 1950s when the 35mm Zunow lenses were offered for sale.

 

[sepiareverb]

Whoops, the aperture ring is on backwards.

 

[B-9]

I would be more interested in the rumored Elmar-M 28/5.6

 

[______]

I am sure photographers said the same thing in the 1950s when the 35mm Zunow lenses were offered for sale.

Last one sold on eBay for $900.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Worth to mention, not worth of buying or even talking about it.

 

[mpaniagua]

Sorry for the ignorance, but any background from Hawk Factory worthy of mention?

 

[spaceistheplace]

Crazy pricing... Although I love how it looks.

 

[xayraa33]

Last one sold on eBay for $900.

Either someone got a steal of a deal or it was in rough shape.

Zunows to fit Leicas regularly sell for 4 to 5 grand.

A very collectable and sought after series of lenses.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultra-Rare-...ome-for-Leica-L39-Screw-151222u-/222356836944

 

[raid]

Yes, I have seen such Zunow lenses sell for $4k+

 

[nasmformyzombie]

From Leica Rumors

http://leicarumors.com/2017/01/05/tsubasa-swallow-35mm-f2-lens-for-leica-m-mount.aspx/#respond

Finally! It was about time somebody offer something in the 35mm focal lenght in M-mount.

I was growing really frustrated lack of choices... 😉

You are kidding, right? How many choices do you need? Leica, Zeiss, Voightlander, and all of the various screw mount lenses from the past. Zeiss alone has three modern offerings, the Biogon f/2, Biogon f/2.8 and the Distagon f/1.4.

The new lens from Hawks is horribly overpriced. Perhaps what you meant was you needed more overpriced choices. 😉

 

[Corran]

Zunows to fit Leicas regularly sell for 4 to 5 grand.

A very collectable and sought after series of lenses.

In 50 years, I imagine Miyazaki's hand-made, limited production lenses will probably sell for a lot (one of the reasons I almost bought the 35/1.4, but didn't, and I regret it slightly). Generic 3rd-party lenses, not so much. Could be wrong but unless this company becomes really big and makes sought-after lenses for their signature look, I doubt it. What does this lens do that anything else doesn't, including those that are 1/4 the price?

Example images look very similar to my Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 SLR lens - lots of spherical aberrations and coma on the edges. The Nikkor is $300-400 used.

 

[xayraa33]

In 50 years, I imagine Miyazaki's hand-made, limited production lenses will probably sell for a lot (one of the reasons I almost bought the 35/1.4, but didn't, and I regret it slightly). Generic 3rd-party lenses, not so much. Could be wrong but unless this company becomes really big and makes sought-after lenses for their signature look, I doubt it. What does this lens do that anything else doesn't, including those that are 1/4 the price?

Example images look very similar to my Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 SLR lens - lots of spherical aberrations and coma on the edges. The Nikkor is $300-400 used.

I don't think you can go wrong buying these rare NEW lenses, from a photographic point of view, on how they draw photographically speaking and from an investment point of view, mostly for your heirs, if that matters to you.

People say, "wow 1800 bucks, man that is expensive", and it is for most people, but these things were never cheap to buy even in the 1950s when adjusted for inflation and to typical 1950s wages.

I am just glad that there are people still passionate enough to devote their time, energy and money to go on creating these jewels of photographic optical marvels in our own time frame, even if I may not buy them.

 

[Corran]

Future value aside, my point is that a 3rd-party optic made by a relatively unknown company better have a really good selling point, especially at almost $2k. Many of the big-name brands have flagship primes for that much or less, and even with a faster aperture.

The new, fast ultrawide SLR lenses for example being made by new companies are quite interesting, as there is nothing like them on the market otherwise. This has no uniqueness in specs, so again, I have to wonder what the point is. Certainly isn't performance, if the examples given are any indication. If it was a 35mm f/1 or something, okay now you have my attention, or maybe a super tiny 35mm f/2 with good performance and a budget price...but...

 

[Rob-F]

Seems to me that the strong front element curvature will make it flare-prone. I'm not sure I see why this lens is needed.

 

[xayraa33]

Future value aside, my point is that a 3rd-party optic made by a relatively unknown company better have a really good selling point, especially at almost $2k. Many of the big-name brands have flagship primes for that much or less, and even with a faster aperture.

The new, fast ultrawide SLR lenses for example being made by new companies are quite interesting, as there is nothing like them on the market otherwise. This has no uniqueness in specs, so again, I have to wonder what the point is. Certainly isn't performance, if the examples given are any indication. If it was a 35mm f/1 or something, okay now you have my attention, or maybe a super tiny 35mm f/2 with good performance and a budget price...but...

I think the special selling point of these lenses are that they are sold on the premise that they will produce an old fashion look to the photos taken with them.

It is a speciality market that has buyers apparently, as we see the J3+ and resurrected 58mm Primoplans and other new lenses that promise the photographer a less than modern perfect look to their images. They compete with used old lenses on the market that have become fashionable for their "look" in recent time.