[Leica] SUMMILUX 50/1,4 Asph

[s.dimitrov at charter.net (Slobodan Dimitrov)]

See, this' what I hate about a rational and sensible post. Now I'm trying to
figure out how to squeeze that lens into a non-existent film camera budget.
Digital no problem, but for film, old eagle eyes on this end will spot it in
a second as she does the monthly paperwork.
I wouldn't mind taking one out for a quick roll. Might try that when they
have another Leica festival travelling through town.
S. Dimitrov

> From: TTAbrahams@aol.com
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 12:29:13 EST
> To: lug@leica-users.org
> Subject: [Leica] SUMMILUX 50/1,4 Asph
> 
> When this lens was announced I scoffed at the idea - a $2500 standard
> 50/1,4! I thought it was a joke, but I was sufficiently intrigued to ask 
> Leica
> for a 
> loaner at photokina. Big mistake! I have now used it since late September 
> and
> I have put 60-70 rolls of film through it (Tri-X) and a couple of 100 
> images
> in my loaner RD-1. Not only is it a major improvement over the old 
> Summilux (I
> have 2 of those), it beats the 50/2 hands down. The floating rear element
> makes a big difference in close shooting (a weak spot with the old version)
> and 
> its smaller size, compared to the older one, makes it comfortable to hold 
> and
> carry.
> Leica also managed to remove some of the unpleasant "Asph" jagged look that
> the 21/24/35's suffered from. Contrast is higher than the old version 
> (easy to
> do - they tended to be a bit "flat") but it is not so elevated as to make 
> it
> difficult to print. The extra stop over the 50/2 is a bonus, but even 
> without
> that I would still use it as my preferred 50. It might sound like heresy - 
> but
> it is that good. The pull out/locking hood is an improvement - I have been
> bugging Leica since the infamous 90/2 of 1980 to come up with that lock 
> (all
> my 
> "collapsible" hood lenses have holes drilled and tapped in them that locks
> them in a fully extended position. Oh, you can use gaffer tape too, but the
> glue 
> residue is tacky (pun intended).
> What is the result of this test - at LHSA in Williamsburg I asked Stefan
> Daniel to send me a bill for the lens - I am buying it! Stefan smiled and 
> said
> "I 
> knew you would".
> Any negatives? Well, nit-picking I would say that the lock for the hood is 
> a
> bit too short - it only turns about 1/8's of a turn and occasionally I have
> found it in my bag with the hood collapsed. A good ? turn would have been
> better. I am not getting rid of my old DR Summicrons or the nice chrome
> standard 
> Summicrons - they are the lenses that I have used for 40+ years and 
> sometimes
> one gets nostalgic and want that "look" - but for regular shooting it is
> 50/1,4 
> Asph!
> I use the 50 about 30% of the time - wider lenses (21/24/28) about 20% of
> the time and the 35's for the balance. The last month I have been trying to
> get 
> by with only a 50/35 combo - 35/2 or VC 35/2,5 on a M2 and the 50/1,4 Asph 
> on
> the MP. Nice "walk-about" package.
> All the best,
> Tom A
> --------------
> Tom Abrahamsson
> Vancouver, BC
> Canada
> www.rapidwinder.com
> 
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