Hello,

I wish to know something about the different versions of M-Summilux 50mm lenses. Are there seriously differences between the 70ies version and the recent version? Please let me know. Thanks!

Kind regards, Andreas Schmidt

-- Andreas Schmidt (a_schmidt_ms@hotmail.com), May 14, 2002

Answers

Check out this site for the answer to your question: http://www.cameraquest.c om/mlenses.htm

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), May 14, 2002.

The chrome ones through serial #1844000 are a different optical formula with slightly less contrast and corner sharpness at f/1.4- f/2.8. #1844001 and above have the same optical design but the earlier mounts held E43 filters and accepted a clip-on shade whereas the current version uses E46 filters and has a built-in hood. Also the E46 version now focuses to 0.7m instead of 1.0m. Since the optical formula was not recomputed and was not originally computed for less than 1m I have always had my doubts that either there *were* changes made to the optics, or else focusing closer than 1m would benefit from stopping the lens down a fair number of stops.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 14, 2002.

Jay- Good point. Has anyone acually compared the newer version to the venerable E43 post 1.8 million version?

-- adam g. lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 14, 2002.

There is an article in the Viewfinder journal of the Leica Historical Society of America, Volume 31 No. 3, 1998, titled "{Legendary Leica Lenses: The 50mm f/1.4 Summilux" by Dick Gilcreast. He discusses the history and different versions of the lens. You can read the article on-line at URL: http://www.lhsa.org/

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), May 14, 2002.