I need an advice here. I have an older 50 mm Summicron that probably dates back to the mid-eighties. I like it a lot, no question about it. But would it be a wise decision to trade it for a more recent model, the one with the built-in hood, which I think they started producing in the nineties. Is there anything really better in the newer model, like in the coating, the quality of the glass, etc...? Thank you. BTW, same question goes for the 35 mm Cron non-asph.

-- Olivier Reichenbach (olreiche@videotron.ca), May 30, 2002

Answers

My Puts text on Leica lenses is at the house...but my guess is the latest 6 element 50mm Summicrons are all the same formula for the last 15 to 20 years..Why goof up a winner?

-- Kelly Flanigan (zorki3c@netscape.net), May 30, 2002.

Its not worth trading it in on a new one-no real difference in the lenses except the focusing style. The older lens is more compact and focuses quicker with the tab, the newer one has a bit more of a fine focus with the ring. I've used both and prefer the new one, but I still don't think it is worth trading for unless you do not care for focus tabs.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), May 30, 2002.

If your 50 has a finger tab for focusing it is an 11819 and optically identical to the current version. If your 50 does not have a tab, it's an 11817 which is a slightly different optical design but of all the versions of all Leica lenses the 11817 and 11819 are arguably the closest in performance...so close you really have to want to see a difference. As to the 35 non-ASPH, the entire 4th version production (Canadian and German)are the same lens.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 30, 2002.

The new LTM 50mm F2 Summicron I use is Leica #11619 ; It was made for the Japanese market a couple of years ago..It is chrome; made of brass and abit heavy..It has the lens hood on the lens....Its performance is great..

-- Kelly Flanigan (zorki3c@netscape.net), May 30, 2002.

I have a Cron that dates to the 1940's and it's beautiful!

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), May 31, 2002.

I think this wonderful forum should be divided into "vintage Leica" and "contemporay Leica." ;>)

These two are not the same!

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), May 31, 2002.

A real FWIW-answer: a couple of years ago, I bought a brand new 2/50 along with my TTL. I then bought a brand new 21 and then a brand new 2/35. I really liked (and still like) the 21's and 35's tabs and hoods. I didn't like (and still don't like) that 2/50's hood and non-tab. So I sold that 2/50 and bought a mint used penultimate last-group-issue 2/50. If you happen to be so particular too, just do it.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), May 31, 2002.

Thank you all for your help. It's funny because I think I couldn't do without the tab, so this seems to be the deciding factor. I'll keep my old beat-up Cron, with its irritating hood that keeps fighting me whenever I try to clip it on. ;-) But what about older pre-asph 35 Cron versus recent Cron? Now, this must be an easy one, right?

-- Olivier (olreiche@videotron.ca), May 31, 2002.

Olivier asks: "But what about older pre-asph 35 Cron versus recent Cron? Now, this must be an easy one, right?"

Look at this thread. Click

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), May 31, 2002.

But what about older pre-asph 35 Cron versus recent Cron? Now, this must be an easy one, right?

Not! Take this from someone who knows absolutely nothing about this from practical experience.
There seem to be a general agreement that the 35mm ASPH Summicron is better than the pre-asph in terms of the conventional idea of 'better' (=sharper). However, if you read the latest Mike Johnston the 37th Frame (#3) review on 35mm's you may want to keep it.
After listing all the flaws of this Mandler design (vignetting, distortion, soft wide open, not flare free) he concludes that this lens has "gobs of character", "is richly characterful", "perfect contrast at middel apertures", extraordinary "cohesive bokeh", "optically wonderfull but not by any means perfect", and apparently a lens you regret selling in favour of the ASPH (w. reference to a unnamed Magnum photographer).

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), May 31, 2002.

I use a 7 element collapsible LTM Summicron. Its reputed to be signficantly worse than even the first model 7 element rigid Summicron but its still a VERY sharp lens.

-- Robert Marvin (marvbej@earthlink.net), May 31, 2002.

Summicron from the 50's??

Methinks not. The earliest serial numbers are in the 920xxx range, 1951.

-- Marco Grande (hektor73@yahoo.com), May 31, 2002.

I could have sworn 1951 was in the 1950's; however I wasn't around until 1959 so won't argue.

I think the earlier reference was to the 1940's, though.

-- Paul Hart (paulhart@blueyonder.co.uk), May 31, 2002.

I now still own a 50/2DR and a current 50/2, DR has an unique image quality specialy at mid apertures, but is heavy and even cleaned by leica NJ still some fog marks can be seen. Newer one is opticaly superior, specialy wide open, I like focusing barrel, but also tabs, it don´t make much diference to me one or another, what really don´t like about newer one is the easy that can be to move f# setting by accident, without notice, such a sensitive ring.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), May 31, 2002.

Thank you all for your help. So, we can easily conclude that a 15 years old Cron is at least as good as the most recent models in more than a few areas, and even better in the case of the «tabbed» 50. The lesson seems to be to not rush and buy the latest. Also that Leica is one of the very few companies which made such good products that they're having a hard time improving on them. That says a lot about Leica quality, if not about their marketing methods. They sure don't go for «planned obsolescence».

-- Olivier (olreiche@videotron.ca), May 31, 2002.