Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Austin Franklin quoted: "The first Summilux 35mm ASPH possessed two aspheric surfaces, polished with the normal technology available. It had 9 elements and had a limited production run of 2000 lenses at a price in 1990/91 that made Leica lovers faint. In 1994 The second version has been inroduced, now as a normal production lens. Still 9 lenselements, but a different design (different surface and different technique, pressed). pressing is cheaper than polishing, but the change from two to one surface has been explained by Zeiss, who maintain that two aspherics generate more problems than they solve. Leica now seems to agree. So...either both Zeiss and Leica are lying, or the first version IS optically inferior to the second version...." Austin I have not read this quote. What I have read is that the 1st version was originally announced as a series of 2000, later revised to 1000, and that fewer than that were actually sold. I have one on my M6 most of the time. I bought it used for about the same price (at the time) as the then new 2nd version (asph instead of aspherical). I have compared the two. I prefer the original. I have heard the story that the cheaper version is better but they would say that wouldn't they? The Zeiss quote that 2 aspherical surfaces are less good than one is new to me. If Leica now believe it we had better wait for the new tri-elmar with 1 rather than 2 aspherical surfaces;-) Incidentally I have never seen the spelling lense before. You learn something new every day. Cheers Frank