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If you mean with "pre ASPH 'Cron" the Cron V4, I agree that this is a wonderful lens. I have used mine extensively during the past 15 month. Wide open it has a special signature that I like very much. On the M8 it was great for slightly wider portraits and on the M9 it is my main lens for street. However, during a recent trip I used it mainly for landscape shots and had problems with flare! Whenever the sun was close to the edge of the frame (just in the frame or outside) the flare was annoying. Below is an example with some magenta blotches that are difficult to remove....I kept my 35 pre ASPH 'Cron though, as it has none of the problems nor is it as "clinical" as the newer ASPH versions are. It's got plenty of contrast, no flare problems I've ever experienced ...
Rereading the above, I realize that I have inadvertedly exaggerated the focus shift by reading directly off the chart. The chart however isn't printed at 1:1, so compensating for this and mesuring along the optical axis, I find a net focus shift between f1,4 and f4 of about 7 cm. Still quite significant at 1,3m and easily visible in actual photographs.
I have also tested the Summicron IV at infinity, and it exhibits the same behaviour, with a central zone going out of focus (actually focusing beyond infinity) as the lens is stopped down.
FWIW, my third 35mm lens for the M9 is the Zeiss Biogon 2/35. No focus shift to speak of and well behaved at infinity.
Conclusions to the OP: if you can live with the primadonna nature of the Lux, it will give outstanding results, but the Cron is lighter on the nerves, wallet and shoulder and gives excellent images.
I've been thinking along the same lines. My understanding is that one of the goals for introducing a new version of the Lux was to implement a significant improvement re. focus shift. So I bought it on that assumption.Hi,
I also have the new 35/1.4asph and while I can confirm that in the past I often had to send lenses for calibration to Leica (even new lenses) I can not confirm such big focus shift with the new version of this lens (my sample).
While I never really managed the previous version I dont find focus shift to be a problem with the new version.
I think something is wrong with your lens and I woulde definatly send it to Leica.
Arne-I dont know her so I cant tell you. If you are not lucky with getting feedback then pm me (I am not related to Leica)I've been thinking along the same lines. My understanding is that one of the goals for introducing a new version of the Lux was to implement a significant improvement re. focus shift. So I bought it on that assumption.
I e-mailed Andrea Frankl on Aug.23 with test images, but so far no response. Do you happen to know if she is still in the Customers Relation department? I had som excellent service from her a few years back relating to a 180mm Apo-Summicron.
OK, thanks! Actually I'm in two minds about sending the lens to Leica. Presently it has better resolution in the outer fields of the image than any lens I have seen in this FL. Who knows what might happen if they start finetuning to reduce focus shiftArne-I dont know her so I cant tell you. If you are not lucky with getting feedback then pm me (I am not related to Leica)