[Leica] 50 Summilux

[hellman at comcast.net (Jesse Hellman)]

A Glorious Fourth to you all!

Posting again to the LUG after my usual dearth of posting. Yesterday 
Mark Rabiner and I were emailing about the new 50 Summilux.

I'm in agony. Maybe that's why I can't sleep. I always said I'd get that 
lens and now it's here. ASPH! Floating rear element to give it great 
performance at close range! And the 50 is my favorite length, used for 
most of my pictures. Very Expensive, I'm sure.

But here's a story with a lesson, perhaps: got back from Italy a month 
ago. When I was in college I found a reproduction of a Greek statue - 
just the bust really - a Roman copy of the original. I have it in my 
study today.

But I always wanted a bust of Athena but could not find it (pre-Google 
days). Looked everywhere.

So there I was in the Vatican museum store and there it was. A 
reproduction in bonded marble of one their Athenas, and let me tell you 
they have a few gorgeous ones. Helmet, tilt of the head, etc perfect. 
Rospigliosi style, they called it. Roman copy of a mid 4th century Greek 
statue, attributed to Timotheus.

182 Euros! Shipping (it's marble) 140 Euros. $400 in today's exchange. 
Should I spend that much? Did I really need it? I went back and forth 
for thirty minutes, going back to see the original twice (it's an 
excellent reproduction).

So now it is sitting on my desk. Pallas Athena (I always had thought 
Paris had made the wrong choice, although now that I'm older I know better).

I love it. How could I have hesitated (cupidity, that's how, and radix 
malorum est cupiditas)? The goddess of wisdom, my favorite goddess! I 
waited 40 years to find it, and then I hesitated!

I should get that lens. I'll get it at some point before I die, for 
sure, so why not extend my use-time? And keep my Summicron (Mark's 
wisdom, and the reason I regretted trades in the past. Keep loved 
photographic equipment!

Athena was with Mark when he gave that advice.

Jesse