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"NEW" Leica lenses announced..

aDam007

New member
Hi guys,

So the "new" lenses that were announced apparently have new optical formulas. But I'm thinking they're just the same lenses with cosmetic updates. Can anyone confirm this? Jonathan are you molesting any of the new lenses as I write this?

IF so deliver the goods.. I'm curious to see if there are any visual improvements/changes.

Leica M Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH (Lots could be improved with this fellow.)
Leica Summicron-M 28 mm f/2 ASPH (Could have updated coatings to play well with the M240 and newer sensors, since it's only good on the M9. Hopefully it's sharper wide open.)
Leica Elmarit-M 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH (Weird they'd do anything but cosmetics to this guy, he's perfect.)

Discuss away!
 

algrove

Well-known member
So it seems with the renewed popularity of the 28mm FL (with the Q having a 28 and the new 28/1.4) they are now focusing on 28mm, not to mention the venerable 35mm FL.
 

D&A

Well-known member
Hi guys,

So the "new" lenses that were announced apparently have new optical formulas. But I'm thinking they're just the same lenses with cosmetic updates. Can anyone confirm this? Jonathan are you molesting any of the new lenses as I write this?

IF so deliver the goods.. I'm curious to see if there are any visual improvements/changes.

Leica M Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH (Lots could be improved with this fellow.)
Leica Summicron-M 28 mm f/2 ASPH (Could have updated coatings to play well with the M240 and newer sensors, since it's only good on the M9. Hopefully it's sharper wide open.)
Leica Elmarit-M 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH (Weird they'd do anything but cosmetics to this guy, he's perfect.)

Discuss away!
Yes I'll be interested too. We could always tie Jono to a chair as they do in the gangster movies to get him to talk. The only difference is his hands would be bound with AA or Luigi leathsr neck strap and a small glass of his favorite alcoholic beverage would be held inches from his lips :).

The 28mm cron was always produced very natural images on the M9...and sharp corner to corner when stopped down a stop but not the often seen clinical sharpness one sees with some of the asphericals. On a M240, aomewhat different.

The current 28mm f8 has often been praised but for some, far too high a contrast of lens...excessive at times although some prefer its optical attributes.

Dave (D&A)
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Bummer! :(

I was hoping there is atleast one T/S lens and a new macro.
 
It seems important that they are offering new M lenses, which suggests future M bodies to put them on.

TechArt, which makes adapters to Sony for Contax G autofocus lenses, is working on an autofocusing M adapter. Maybe Leica will 'catch up' with an AF M body?

Kirk
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
It seems important that they are offering new M lenses, which suggests future M bodies to put them on.

TechArt, which makes Sony adapters for Contax G autofocus lenses, is working on an autofocusing M adapter. Maybe Leica can 'catch up' with an AF M body??

Kirk
Wouldn't that be something for my aging eyes!
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
It seems important that they are offering new M lenses, which suggests future M bodies to put them on.

TechArt, which makes adapters to Sony for Contax G autofocus lenses, is working on an autofocusing M adapter. Maybe Leica will 'catch up' with an AF M body.
Quite honestly, the last thing I'd want is an autofocusing M body.

I don't hate AF and I use it when it's available and works for what I'm doing, but one of the things I love about the M is how easy, direct, and precise it is to focus just as it is for lenses in its appropriate range. For the M, AF would be another layer of complexity beyond what's needed.

G
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
Here's what Leica is claiming are the technical improvements in the three new lenses:

28 summicron-asph: due to its recalculated optical design, which almost completely eliminates the astigmatic differences in the image field caused by the cover glass of the sensor

28 elmarit-asph: optimised for digital photography and has significantly reduced image field curvature in comparison to the previous model. This results in considerably improved image performance with high resolution and extremely impressive reproduction of details. The Elmarit-M 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH.is practically distortion-free

35 summicron-asph: The eleven blades of the iris of the new Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH. create a circular aperture

and they all are in new mounts, with the screw-in metal lens hood with an open corner for greater forward visibility.

I can't see what the 6-bit codes are, to tell if there will be new M firmware to support them with different corrections.

Except for the inference that the 28 Elmarit asph had field curvature issues which are now removed, I don't see big changes. But the new lens hoods are an improvement. New technical spec pubs not yet available.

scott

correction: technical data sheets for the new lenses are on the leica-camera.com website.
 
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Godfrey

Well-known member
Which might be why Leica gave us the option of the new M262 that does not have any additional non-rangefinder complexity...
Yes. I wouldn't call it "non-rangefinder", though; "non-still-camera" is more like it.

The M Edition 60 went even further in that direction. I'm still tempted by one of those, but having bought the SL there's no money in the pot for such an extravagance. The M-P does well enough, particularly if you disable the LV and video buttons.

G
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
I hope it is not the same metal hood design like used on the Summarits. Because it looses easy and then darkens corners if it doesnt sit right.
I think it is the screw-in hood used on all the Summiluxes. I have them, and the hood doesn't get loose. Anyway, someone on the LUF looked through the spec sheets and claims that there has been an optical redesign that moves the glass forward, away from the imaging surface, which should help with soft corners when focused on a distant scene in either the M or the SL.

scott
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I am more interested in the rears of these lenses. I hope they did not leave any shiny brass metal bits exposed to the sensor.

Considering this, pretty much all M lenses need to be upgraded.
 

aDam007

New member
I am more interested in the rears of these lenses. I hope they did not leave any shiny brass metal bits exposed to the sensor.

Considering this, pretty much all M lenses need to be upgraded.
I use to have a bunch of duplicate lenses. Some had metal some had the metal anodised.. They're inconsistent from batch to batch.. It should BTW be standard practise to blacken the elements as well as all the metal bits.
 
Here's what Leica is claiming are the technical improvements in the three new lenses:

28 summicron-asph: due to its recalculated optical design, which almost completely eliminates the astigmatic differences in the image field caused by the cover glass of the sensor

28 elmarit-asph: optimised for digital photography and has significantly reduced image field curvature in comparison to the previous model. This results in considerably improved image performance with high resolution and extremely impressive reproduction of details. The Elmarit-M 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH.is practically distortion-free

35 summicron-asph: The eleven blades of the iris of the new Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH. create a circular aperture

and they all are in new mounts, with the screw-in metal lens hood with an open corner for greater forward visibility.

I can't see what the 6-bit codes are, to tell if there will be new M firmware to support them with different corrections.

Except for the inference that the 28 Elmarit asph had field curvature issues which are now removed, I don't see big changes. But the new lens hoods are an improvement. New technical spec pubs not yet available.

scott

correction: technical data sheets for the new lenses are on the leica-camera.com website.
Having quickly compared the new vs old MTF's I see quite an improvement on the two 28's.
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
I can also see the change in the new vs old 28 Elmarit, but I don't have the technical data sheet for the old 28 Summicron. Can you give a link for that?

thanks,

scott
 

Taylor Sherman

New member
Having quickly compared the new vs old MTF's I see quite an improvement on the two 28's.
The 28 Elmarit looks essentially identical to me?

Also note, that they mislabeled the MTFs for the new 28 Cron at f/5.6 and f/2.8 (swapped the two). But the tangential MTFs have improved quite a bit near the corners.
 
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