Re: [Leica] Seeking advice on lenses

[Alfred Breull <puma@hannover.sgh-net.de>]

Charlie,

you own 4 very nice lenses, of which you use 2 currently (I guess). 
Both, your Summilux and your Tele-Elmarit, agree to the actual 
versions (optical formula), and you'd get hardly any advantage 
if you changed them into i.e. the current Summicrons (50 and 90).

Additionally, the US prices for Leitz/Leica glass are rather down
(compared to the European ones), and you wouldn't get more than
USD 400 for your coll Elmar or USD 300 for the Summarit, according
to the IPG. 

So, what would you want to buy with the USD 700? A 90 M Summicron? 
- - It's known for it's creaminess, but at f 2.0 it's rather comparable 
to the f 2.0-results of your 1.5 Summarit. So I guess, you wouldn't 
like it, because you prefer the Summilux to the Summarit. And beyond 
f 2.0? - There your Tele-Elmarit shows comparable results. So, you 
would change 2 nice lenses for something which you already have. 
No deal, in my mind. You loose more than you win.

Further, I guess, you're not into M wide angles (2/35 with goggles, 
about USD 600-700, C condition), and the other interesting lenses 
are more expensive. 

So, without additional information, I would keep the lenses,
and change nothing - except using all (!) of them extensively :) 
And, if I remember correct, you still have your Leica III b
with the 2/50 Summar, which is eagerly waiting to be used :))

Alf
- --------------------------------------------------------------
At 00:09 03.01.1998 EST, you wrote:
>LUG friends;
>
>I am a retired engineer, so I don't make my living from photography; however,
>I do some professional photography using my Leicas, Nikon F3, Hassablad, and
>4x4 view camera.
>
>Please give me your recommendation on what I should do with my Leica lenses.
>For my two DS M3s, I have the following lenses:
>
>50mm F/1.5 Summarit - Wetzlar 956xxx
>90mm F/4.0 Elmar (Collapsible) - Wetzlar 1387xxx 
>50mm F/1.4 Summilux - Wetzlar 2629xxx 
>90mm F/2.8 Tele-Elmarit - M - Canada 3201xxx
>
>Of course, the ones that I use are the Summilux and the Tele-Elmarit.
>
>Should I sell all of these and buy the new 50mm ASPH Summicron or Summilux and
>the 90mm Summicron?
>
>Or, is the 90mm Summicron also made in ASPH?
>
>Or should I sell just the Summarit and the Elmar and keep the Summilux and
>Tele-Elmarit?
>
>Thanks for your input.
>
>Charlie
>