If you were the top glass guru at Leica, what new lens (either for the R or M Series) would you put on the drawing board?

-- Frank Horn (owlhoot45@hotmail.com), November 28, 2001

Answers

In M I think Leica has the bases very well covered. The only additions I can think of would be a slower, smaller and cheaper 75, and a decent 2X extender with affordable finder, priamrily designed for use with the 90 and 135 lenses.

I can't speak to R as I don't know enough about it. Yet...

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), November 28, 2001.

I really like to see a fast version of the 28-35-50 tri-focal length lens with f=2.8 or 2

Of cause I'd like to see all new M lenses to be cheaper!

-- Fred Lee (leefred@cadvision.com), November 28, 2001.

24mm f2.0 Summicron-R.

MH

-- Michael Hintlian (michael@hintlian.com), November 28, 2001.

what about a trifocal 21-24-28? they already have the fitting finder!

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), November 28, 2001.

I second. I don't mind the slow f/4 for tri-focal wide-angle lens.

-- Fred Lee (leefred@cadvision.com), November 28, 2001.

50 Summilux-M upgrade to at least equal the performance of the R lens.

-- David (pagedt@chartertn.net), November 28, 2001.

Certainly (in my dreams) a 17-21-24-28-35-50-75-90 Octo-Summilux (or Octo-Noctilux) would be handy!

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), November 28, 2001.

For the M they should do a 75/2.0 APO-Summicron and recompute the Summilux. I'd just love to see a 35/75 f:2.8 Bi-Elmarit

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), November 28, 2001.

For the M:

Bring back the 90 collapsible Elmar and a 35 2.8 (Summaron?) in that incredible flat mount. Add the 50 2.8 Elmar and you have a travel outfit that will fit in a ladies purse...let alone a SMALL camera bag.

Oh. and how about a re-introduction of the 21 3.4 SA with a 46mm filter or smaller (Contax has a magnificent 21 with a 46 filter).

-- Todd Phillips (toddvphillips@webtv.net), November 28, 2001.

35-50-90 f:4 Tri Elmar.

-- Wilhelm (bmitch@home.com), November 28, 2001.

75-90-135/4.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), November 28, 2001.

35 f/1 !

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), November 28, 2001.

75mm Macro-Elmarit M? With close-focusing eyes. Not a full macro, but focusing to 19" like the DR Summicron.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), November 28, 2001.

75 and 135 Macro Elmarit M could be great!!!

-- PJ (piano_j@hotmail.com), November 28, 2001.

1. 75/2.8 Elmarit. Should be small, not much bigger than the 50 'cron. 2. 35/1 Noctilux. A surefire winner for indoor photography. 3. 35/50/75 or 35/50/90 Tri-Elmar. 4. 35/70 f2.8 Bi-Elmar.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), November 28, 2001.

1) 75mm Tele-Elmarit; 2) 35-75 Duo-Elmar; 3) 35-50-90 Tri-Elmar

-- Ken Prager (pragerproperties@worldnet.att.net), November 28, 2001.

A 24mm-R as good as the current 19mm-R would be nice.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), November 28, 2001.

Numerous excellent suggestions for the M. But, perhaps not challenging enough for the glass gurus in Solms.

How about a 21-200mm F2.0 zoom for the M, with matching zoom eyes alá the DR, with an MSRP of $1,295? ;-)

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), November 28, 2001.

1) 24-70mm/4 R zoom. 2) 35-50-90 Tri-Elmar-M. 3) 24-35-50-90-135 Penta-Noctilux-M (just kidding).

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), November 28, 2001.

APO ASPH SUMMICRON 50/1.4 with resolution in excess of 270 lpmm vs current 95 lpmm.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), November 28, 2001.

Martin, what is your 35mm film recommendation for a high resolution lens?

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), November 28, 2001.

Mani, Gigabitfilm

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), November 28, 2001.

That glass guru at Solms probably had to send out for another bottle of Schnapps! What I'd like is a 75mm Elmarit-M (E39), about the size of the 50 Cron. I'd like less pronounced aperature click stops. As it now is, you get past f8 and you can only adjust to the nearest 1/2 stop. My hh meter reads in tenths.>>>>I'd like to see the TO-R ocular attachment adapted for use with M lenses (makes lens a monocular)>>>>I'd like to see a short follow-focus lens, probably a 50 Cron, for the R Series. This would have a loop under the lens mount for a finger to move lens barrel in and out, instead of the usual twist-to-focus arrangement. (Verfluchten Schweinerei! Mehr Schnapps!)

-- Frank Horn (owlhoot45@hotmail.com), November 28, 2001.

21/f2 asph, 24/f1.4 asph, 50/1.4 asph, 50/f0.5 asph (exceeds RF limits wide open tho'), 75/1.0 asph (ditto), 90/f1.4 (ditto), 35/2.8 tiny, 28/2.8 tiny., 90/3.5 collapsible.

-- (astewart@gigaweb.com), November 29, 2001.

Of course I meant these for M, although the tiny lenses would be more flexible if in LTM

-- Alistair Stewart (astewart@gigaweb.com), November 29, 2001.

Mehr Schnapps! Gute Idee. Prosit! All Leica lenses, old and new, are fantastisch. But more collapsible versions would be a good idea - with the focus tab as of yore.

-- David Killick (Dalex@inet.net.nz), November 29, 2001.

Just for the sake of statistics (if you happen to collect them): I'd like to see a 'cron-M or Elmarit-M 75.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), November 29, 2001.

24/1.4 ASPH (Canon makes one i see no reason why Leica cannot) and a new 50/1.4

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), November 29, 2001.

19mm/2.8 M ASPH; 135mm/2.8 R APO

-- Bob Haight (rhaigh5748@aol.com), November 29, 2001.

16mm/f8 Leilogon -- like the Carl Zeiss T* Hologon

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), November 29, 2001.

The ability to shoot at f1 using a R lens and not just the Noctilux-M one :)...

Alfie

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), December 02, 2001.

35 f1 lux.

-- Travis koh (polar@cyberdude.com), January 19, 2002.

Bring back the 90mm Summicron-R (non-ASPH), the 135mm Elmarit-R, and make a 135mm f/2 R (priced under $1500).

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), January 19, 2002.