8 Elements Leica Summicron 35mm f2 replika

[Huss]

A more accurate representation of the finish.

 

[Huss]

Thanks.
Seems like a strange choice to me. The 35mm Summicron is at least fairly mainstream and useful. I suppose they’re going after the (assumed?) low volume, high margin portion of the market.
Thanks again for sharing your experience and photos.

I think they are going for the cult classic lenses.

 

[Lachlan Young]

I think they are going for the cult classic lenses.

I'd rather they did the classic 35 Summilux than a Noctilux.

 

[Huss]

I'd rather they did the classic 35 Summilux than a Noctilux.

They just released a 35mm lens, so they're not going to make another 35.

 

[Huss]

M3 does not have 35mm frame lines, just showing how it will look on a chrome body.

 

[howardpan]

My replika lens just showed up. Made by Light Lens Lab in China.
Craftsmanship is just superb. Focus ring and focus lock silky smooth. Snicks onto the camera perfectly. No play in the aperture ring. Even the hood is a piece of art.

The lens is offered in black (boooorrrrinnnngggg), chrome (zzzzzzzz), or bad boy blingy brass! Whooo mama!

Your brass version looks magnificent. I just received my black one, and now I feel like I made the boring choice.

 

[Steve Goldstein]

Your brass version looks magnificent. I just received my black one, and now I feel like I made the boring choice.

Boring, perhaps, but far less likely to draw attention!

 

[BradS]

@Huss Is the hood necessary? It seems to almost double the length of the lens.

 

[etn]

I'd rather they did the classic 35 Summilux than a Noctilux.

The Voigtlander 35 1.4 is supposed to go in the direction of the classic 35 Summilux. Not a replica, though.
(Been debating for ages to buy that voigtlander but haven't pulled the trigger yet)

 

[Larry Cloetta]

M3 does not have 35mm frame lines, just showing how it will look on a chrome body.

Huss,

That lens body combo would look a lot better if you stripped the chrome and nickel off the camera body, and took some Brasso to it. Go ahead, I want to see what that looks like. We miss you over at rangefinderforum.com, but I understand completely.
Keep up the good work.

 

[Lachlan Young]

The Voigtlander 35 1.4 is supposed to go in the direction of the classic 35 Summilux. Not a replica, though.
(Been debating for ages to buy that voigtlander but haven't pulled the trigger yet)

Not really - from what I've seen of it, it has far more barrel distortion and I feel it doesn't have as pleasant an optical signature as the 35mm Summilux overall - on the other hand, given that lack of distortion is really the decisive factor for me, I'm probably better off with the 35mm Zeiss C-Biogon - the extra stops of speed don't make as much of a difference to me, but if the overall 'feel' of the image isn't right, then it bothers me far more.

 

[Huss]

Boring, perhaps, but far less likely to draw attention!

Yes, it sure does attract attention! Almost like walking around with a Rolleiflex! I think that will dissipate once the brass starts to dull.
I have other lenses in black and in silver/chrome so I wanted this one to be different. It also makes it less of a copy cat lens as Leica never offered it in brass.
I have to re-iterate, the level of finish is stunning. And not with the disclaimer of 'for the price'. It is much nicer made than my way more expensive Zeiss ZM lenses, as well as Leica's Summarit line.

 

[Huss]

@Huss Is the hood necessary? It seems to almost double the length of the lens.

For me it is as it keeps my fingers out of the lens! I'll take a few pics when I have the time to test for flare w/ and w/o the hood. I also like to travel w/o lens caps, and keeping a hood on the lens adds physical protection to compensate.
This is the same hood used on many Leica lenses. On my 35mm Summaron 3.5, the hood more than doubles the size of the lens! But it works so well I don't mind, as the package is still very small.

 

[Huss]

Huss,

That lens body combo would look a lot better if you stripped the chrome and nickel off the camera body, and took some Brasso to it. Go ahead, I want to see what that looks like. We miss you over at rangefinderforum.com, but I understand completely.
Keep up the good work.

Here, hold my beer...

 

[etn]

Not really - from what I've seen of it, it has far more barrel distortion and I feel it doesn't have as pleasant an optical signature as the 35mm Summilux overall - on the other hand, given that lack of distortion is really the decisive factor for me, I'm probably better off with the 35mm Zeiss C-Biogon - the extra stops of speed don't make as much of a difference to me, but if the overall 'feel' of the image isn't right, then it bothers me far more.

Thanks for the feedback on that Voigtlander! (on the other hand, the Summilux 35 is 4* the price and filters are as good as unavailable)
The 35mm Biogon and C-Biogons are killer lenses. I have the f/2 and seen many pics by my in-law who has the f/2.8. If speed is no object the 2.8 is "even better" than the 2 (which is already darn good), much smaller and somewhat cheaper also. Really recommended!

 

[Lachlan Young]

Thanks for the feedback on that Voigtlander! (on the other hand, the Summilux 35 is 4* the price and filters are as good as unavailable)
The 35mm Biogon and C-Biogons are killer lenses. I have the f/2 and seen many pics by my in-law who has the f/2.8. If speed is no object the 2.8 is "even better" than the 2 (which is already darn good), much smaller and somewhat cheaper also. Really recommended!

It is puzzling - both the Summilux and the 35/1.4 Nokton have very similar cross-sections (and the Nokton has one more element, so should be better corrected) - I suspect a lot has to do with glass choice available, and the trade-offs incurred against reducing spherical aberration wide-open.
Most other Voigtländer 35's seem pretty excellent in my experience - and the ZM's are extraordinarly good, especially if you darkroom print/ scan the negs with a decently high end solution - but I quite like the Zeiss optical character.

 

[Guth]

To be honest, I'm not a fan of the design of this lens (the product design, not the optical design). To my eyes it doesn't gel with the M7 as pictured. Perhaps the black option would fare better with my visual preferences. However, the images produced using this lens look great. Of course, from what I've seen over the past few years Huss seemingly takes great images with every lens/camera combo at his disposal. The lens might be nice, but it's the skill set that I admire.

 

[Huss]

To be honest, I'm not a fan of the design of this lens (the product design, not the optical design). To my eyes it doesn't gel with the M7 as pictured. Perhaps the black option would fare better with my visual preferences. However, the images produced using this lens look great. Of course, from what I've seen over the past few years Huss seemingly takes great images with every lens/camera combo at his disposal. The lens might be nice, but it's the skill set that I admire.

You are too kind.

Here is what it looks like on a chrome body. The brass finish is unsealed so it will dull/tarnish given time.

 

[AgX]

@Huss Is the hood necessary? It seems to almost double the length of the lens.

For me it is as it keeps my fingers out of the lens!

Think in the SLR world of the CZJ Tessar and the KMZ Industar. Basically same lens in complete different barrel. One designed for shading and comfatrtabke operation (including semiautomatic diaphragm), the other designed for compactness.

 

[Lensbrain]

@Huss
...would love to see what your brass lens looks now after some initial "dulling".

 

[ic-racer]

I got a nice effect on my Anthony Landscape lens by leaving it outside in my backyard over the winter.

 

[Huss]

@Huss
...would love to see what your brass lens looks now after some initial "dulling".

Here you go. It is a rainy day today so I did not have the bright filtered daylight I had in the previous pic. But you can see the finish has become darker, richer and less shiny.

 

[Lensbrain]

Happy new Year!
Thanks–––very nice indeed!

 

[Huss]

Happy new Year!
Thanks–––very nice indeed!

Happy New Year!

 

[gone]

I much prefer the patina on ic-racer's lens. Never was much for Leica Glitterari, and truthfully, that brass lens on a silver body looks a little ridiculous. Bad art sort of deal. But art, like women and whiskey, is a personal thing. If it takes good pics that's all that counts. There's always shoe polish and clear lacquer.