Will you pay $7,195 for the new 50 'cron Asph?

Biggles said:
I've never paid that much for a car.
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My M6 was only a few gas tanks cheaper than my car...both are cheaper than my laptop. Priorities! :p

That said, Leica predicted that to improve the 50 summicron something like this would be needed. Well they proved their point, the original cron is so good you need to pull out all the stops, add APO, and you end up with something like this. This is the best 50mm they know how to build. While the original 50 cron is a lens everyone could own for their Leica, this is a lens almost noone can own.

They proved their point and I'm glad they did. I hope it kicks every other 50mm in the but.

That said, my opinion is that image quality has been good enough since 1960 (I shoot Tri-X). I like my pre-asph 50 lux, but would like an asph for the close focus (not for perfomance). This cron I don't see any use for.
 
If 7k was pocket change to me, then I probably would at least try it. A 50/2 is firmly in the most-used lens category for me, and this new APO is most likely the best there is. While there probably would not be any significant perceptual difference in most photos compared to the 50/2 I currently have, it doesn't hurt having the best lens. Of course, handling also matters greatly.

But I can't spend 7k on any lens, so the question is pointless for me.
 
They really killed off the 'lux with this. With a clean 8000 ISO, the demand for high speed should decline dramatically, leaving this new 'cron king of the hill!
 
I read the reviews and it looks impressive. I have always marvelled at leica technology. This lens has stretched my imagination beyond all reasoning.
 
matt335 said:
I read the reviews and it looks impressive. I have always marvelled at leica technology. This lens has stretched my imagination beyond all reasoning.
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Since I much prefer the 75mm lux over the 75mm apo cron, I don't think I will like this lens. But if I were interested in it, the price wouldn't be an issue. It's all about priorities and I value lenses above other spendings.
 
No I won't. I suppose I could in theory save up that kinda cash, but I would spend the money on travelling wayyy before I would on a lens. It would make for more interesting photos as well. This one is for the well to do cat/purebreddog/flowerbokeh Flickr explore Allstar photogs methinks.
 
I have six 50mm Summicrons; a collapsible, two DR, two V.3 and a V.4 (tabbed). For B&W film, especially tones, I do not think any other Summicron could serve me better than the DR. I like the collapsible for its portability + bokeh. For sharpness the V.4 is outstanding, fitting perfectly to digital.

If I would be looking for a better lens for digital I would rather be going with the Summilux asph. provided that the new Summicron was offered for the same price.

(But I accept that for some the price tag tells better than what their eyes see or logics dictate..)
 
Wasn't it always the case that, prior to the ASPH, the Summicrons were always a "better" lens than the Summiluxes, as far as overall sharpness etc went.

Isn't this just restoring the Summicron to it's natural position as the "best" lens available?

I won't be buying one (unless I can afford the M9M to go with it) but am really looking forward to seeing what capable photographers can do with it.

Unfortunately I fear the most capable photographers won't be able to get hold of one...
 
PhotoMat said:
This lens is nothing more than an object of desire -- people will buy it because they want it, not because they need it. I have yet to see a reasonably equipped photographer whose skill or personal vision is limited by their equipment.
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That can probably be said for nearly every Leica lens. I mean, compare the price of the 35 Summarit to the 35 Skopar, just for example.

Or how about a 50/1.8 Nikkor for $100 new, compared to the 50/2 APO ASPH. :)

This situation has existed for ages. It's a limited production item that offers the absolute best build quality and performance with no expense spared. Similarly, one can buy a 4 wheel vehicle (say, a Kia) at the bottom of the price curve, or a 4 wheel Maybach at the top...or a $2M Bugatti :)
 
No, but one has to admire Leica's business savvy. They'll probably sell enough of these to make it worthwhile, and that's the point of being in business. They know they can't compete with Canon/Nikon, so they invent a sort of new market combining cameras with jewellery.

The price is way more than I'd pay, but if you buy a new car for $50k, you'll lose that much driving it out of the forecourt. At least with the lens, it's value will only drop a little.
 
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