Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Glass? Who said anything about GLASS ASPH?
From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 22:15:26 -0800

WILLIAM CALDWELL wrote:
> 
> SNIP --
> 
> Mark Rabiner wrote:
> > I hope you've got an asbestos spacesuit with a thick fireproof glass
> > visor because if you are insinuating the existence of plastic elements
> > in Leica M or otherwise glass you can say goody to your eyebrows.
> 
> SNIP --
> 
> Mark,
> 
> Hopefully I misread your post.  It is fairly common knowledge that the
> 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical Summilux-M has two ashperically ground glass
> element surfaces, and the later 35mm f/1.4 ASPH-M has a single aspheric
> surface of pressed plastic bonded onto one of the glass elements. It is
> one of the prime reasons that the earlier Aspherical is a collector (and
> that approximately only 2000 were made).
> 
> See, the "Viewfinder," Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997)at pages 14-15.  I am a user
> and owner of the later f/1.4 ASPH-M with the bonded plastic element.  It
> is great!  (And I am pulling on my asbestos suit.)
> 
> Best regards and good light tomorrow,
> 
> Bill Caldwell

I've read much info and Large books cover to cover about leica lenses
and lenses in general and I was under the impression that plastic was in
a different category optically than glass but I missed this one. I
thought saying there is plastic elements in a leica would be a huge
insult but I apparently put my foot in it. My apologies for another one.
I was out of school that day with the flu, whew.
Mark RAbiner