[Leica] Summilux vs Summicron; and LHSA

[sethrosner at direcway.com (Seth Rosner)]

Don, I have owned only one non-Leitz/Leica 50mm lens, the Nikkor 50/1,4. 
Have owned and used the 50/2 Summar, 50/3,5 Elmar, 50/2,8 Elmar, 50/2 
Summitar, 50/1,5 Summarit, 50/2 DR and Rigid Summicron, 50/2 Summicron-R 
(1964 and 1971 [?] versions), 50/2 Summicron-M 11817 and 11819 and the 1962 
50/1,4 Summilux. All wonderful lenses in their own styles and "fingerprints" 
as Erwin describes it.

And ten days ago at the LHSA meeting in Williamsburg I used a loaner 50/1,4 
Summilux ASPH loaner provided by Christian Erhard from Leica Northvale. 
Awaiting results although am persuaded from all feedback that this lens 
really is the ne plus ultra. That said, I am inclined to guess that it's 
image is still a little more harder and contrasty than I like and will 
probably remain true to the DR/Rigid both for imagery and the fortress-like 
integrity of their construction.

Reminds me to suggest to all that LHSA meetings habitually provide a 
marvelous forum and meeting-place as well as an opportunity to borrow and 
use the most recent Leica offerings. As well, in W'burg, Ralph Hagenauer 
from Solms led a small group in a Leica Akademie shoot and evaluation 
session on Thursday. We used borrower Digilux 2 cameras provided by Leica, 
Ralph burned CD's overnight for our critique Friday morning. We used digital 
due to a percieved concern that Ralph might not be able to find a store to 
process our film overnight for the next-day critique.

The LHSA 2005 Spring shoot will be in New Orleans (are you there, Sonny?) in 
late March or early April and the annual meeting in San Francisco in October 
'05 (though some possibility of last weekend in September). Leica and Ralph 
Hagenauer will be doing another Leica Akademie, we'll have a Napa wine 
country tour and hope to have a post-meeting three-day excursion to Yosemite 
about which I have already spoken with the Birdman of Sacramento, our own 
Doug - get-out-the-Leicaflex-SL's - Herr. For that, I may even have to add a 
400/6,8 Telyt to the arsenal.

Join LHSA early, join often! Even if you don't get to a meeting - which you 
should - the VIEWFINDER magazine is worth the annual dues. My god, if Marc 
James belongs, can you all be far behind?

See the website to join, tell them that LaK 9 sent you.

Best to all,

Seth

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Dory" <dorysrus@mindspring.com>
To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 8:03 PM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Summilux vs Summicron


> Ah, but I can tell you that it is a very sweet lens.  From 1.4 out very
> good image quality with very little flare; you can make it flare in the
> usual ways but it is hard to do.
>
> I probably have more 50mm lenses than anyone on the list except Dr. Yao
> (Please don't ask, I really am not a collector, maybe they breed when I
> am not looking) I have to say that when mine arrives I will have sale
> signs on Summicrons, Canons, and other respectable lenses.  The only
> ones I will keep are the ones with unusual attributes like the Summarit
> wide open.
>
> Yes, I did give one a six roll test drive.
>
> Don
> dorysrus@mindspring.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf
> Of Frank Filippone
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 7:38 PM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Summilux vs Summicron
>
> Even me, the cheapskate, would take a used M7 for $1400...
> Anyone game?
>
> On topic ( like that really matters around here)..... The old Summilux
> is
> selling for around $800-1000, and if you like the look of the lens, it
> is a
> good buy.  They were always over $1000 a few months ago......
>
> The new ASPH ( John Collier has one ( or at least thinks he still has
> it,
> but really Leica has it) and feels it is a wonderful lens) is $2500, and
> I
> think  you should take it out for a test drive beore you spend that kind
> of
> money for a 50mm lens.
>
> Frank Filippone
> red735i@earthlink.net
>
> used M7s, which are now selling for, what, around $2800, are only
> worth approximately 50% of their new priced once they've been driven off
> the lot.
>
>
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>
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