Wednesday, February 8, 2023

LEICA INTRODUCES LIGHTWEIGHT SUMMICRON-SL 35 AND 50MM F/2 ASPH LENSES




By David Farkas, Leica Store Miami

Today, Leica has announced two new full-frame L-Mount lenses for the SL-System. The Leica Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH and Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH join the already outstanding roster of SL glass, offering more choices for SL users in the two most common focal lengths. The new lenses don't replace the existing and exceptional APO-Summicron-SL 35 and 50mm. Rather, they offer much lighter and compact alternatives with a more classic rendering.

Lightweight SL Lenses

At almost half the weight and 20% smaller size relative to their respective APO-Summicron counterparts, the new Summicrons clock in at a mere 400g / 13oz and just 83mm / 3.25in in length, addressing frequent requests from users for lighter weight lens options. To put the 400g weight of the new lenses into perspective, the Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH FLE II weighs only slightly less at 350g. Quite impressive considering we're comparing a weather-sealed autofocus SL lens against a manual focus M lens with a 46mm front diameter.

Full Featured

Just like the APO-Summicron-SL lenses, the Summicron-SL ASPH line features the same barrel dimensions between the two focal lengths, as well as sharing the E67 filter diameter across all Summicron-SL and APO-Summicron-SL models. AquaDura hydrophobic lens coating for easy cleaning comes standard, as does full weather and dust sealing. Silent linear drive focusing is quick and precise, equally suited for still or video applications. And despite their light weight, the Summicron-SL lenses are just as rugged as the heavier primes, with the same all-metal barrel construction and rubber focus rings. In order to lower the price point, Leica opted to manufacture these in their Portugal facility rather than Germany. Don't expect any sacrifice in quality though. This is the same state-of-the-art factory that produces all of the top-notch Leica Sport Optics binoculars and scopes.

Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH

Compared to APO-Summicron-SL 35mm ASPH


SL 35mm ASPH		APO-SL 35mm ASPH
Closest Focus0.24 meters0.27 meters
Reproduction Ratio1:4.61:5
ASPH Surfaces65
Weight400 grams750 grams
Length83mm102mm
Diameter74.5mm73mm
Filter SizeE67 (67mm)E67 (67mm)

Tech Specs

Order Number11192
View angle (diagonal/horizontal/vertical)
Full-frame (24 x 36 mm)		63.0°/53.6°/38.3°
Number of lenses/assemblies11/9
Number of aspherical surfaces6
Position of the entrance pupil before the bayonet61.8mm
Focus range0.24m to infinity
Smallest object fieldFull-frame: 110 x 165mm
Reproduction Ratio1:4.6
FirmwareLens firmware can be updated via the camera
Aperture Setting/FunctionElectronically controlled aperture, setting on the camera, half or third values can also be set
Smallest aperture22
CoatingHydrophobic Aqua-Dura® coating on external lenses
BayonetLeica L bayonet fitting with contact strip
Filter threadE67 (67mm)
Lens hoodMale bayonet for lens hood (included in the scope of delivery)
LengthApprox. 83mm/124mm (without/with lens hood)
DiameterApprox. 74.5mm/82mm (without/with lens hood)
WeightApprox. 400g/444g (without/with lens hood)
Scope of DeliveryLens, lens hood, rear lens cap, front lens cap, lens bag
MaterialMagnesium and aluminum full-metal housing, black anodized, dust and splash water protected

Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH MTF Chart

Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH

Compared to APO-Summicron-SL 50mm ASPH


SL 50mm ASPH		APO-SL 50mm ASPH
Closest Focus0.45 meters0.35 meters
Reproduction Ratio1:7.41:5
ASPH Surfaces64
Weight402 grams740 grams
Length83mm102mm
Diameter74.5mm73mm
Filter SizeE67 (67mm)E67 (67mm)

Tech Specs

Order Number11193
View angle (diagonal/horizontal/vertical)
Full-frame (24 x 36 mm)		47.4°/40.1°/27.4°
Number of lenses/assemblies9/8
Number of aspherical surfaces6
Position of the entrance pupil before the bayonet53.0mm
Focus range0.45m to infinity
Smallest object fieldFull-frame: 177 x 265mm
Reproduction Ratio1:7.4
FirmwareLens firmware can be updated via the camera
Aperture Setting/FunctionElectronically controlled aperture, setting on the camera, half or third values can also be set
Smallest aperture22
CoatingHydrophobic Aqua-Dura® coating on external lenses
BayonetLeica L bayonet fitting with contact strip
Filter threadE67 (67mm)
Lens hoodMale bayonet for lens hood (included in the scope of delivery)
LengthApprox. 83mm/124mm (without/with lens hood)
DiameterApprox. 74.5 mm/82mm (without/with lens hood)
WeightApprox. 402g/446g (without/with lens hood)
Scope of DeliveryLens, lens hood, rear lens cap, front lens cap, lens bag
MaterialMagnesium and aluminum full-metal housing, black anodized, dust and splash water protected

Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH MTF Chart

Pricing, Ordering and Availability

Initial deliveries of the new Summicron-SL lenses will start soon for a price of $2,195 for the 35mm and $1,895 for the 50mm. As with any major Leica launch supply will likely be limited for a while. If you are interested in ordering the 35mm or 50mm Summicron-SL, you can do so at Leica Store Miami by clicking the buttons below, calling 305-921-4433 or sending an email to info@leicastoremiami.com. If you are interested in trading in any other Leica equipment towards the purchase of the lens, you can note it during the pre-order process.

  


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Tuesday, February 7, 2023

THE FASTEST LENSES LEICA EVER MADE




By Heinz Richter

Leica has always had a very high reputation for making some of the fastest lenses on the market.  The current 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux is the fastest, full frame aspherical production lens available from any manufacturer.  But not only is it very fast, it is also an amazingly well performing lens, even wide open.  The performance at f/0.95 combined with some of the high ISO setting available on the latest Leica digital cameras, allows the photographer to shoot under available light conditions that were impossible to take advantage of in the past.

 
Noctilux 50mm f/0.95

The Noctilux f/0.95 replaced the famous Noctilus f/1 which was first introduced in 1975.  It too was an amazingly well performing lens, including the f/1 aperture, and many owners of this lens can consider themselves very lucky indeed.  The Noctily f/1 was one of the crowning achievements of Dr. Mandler, chief lens designer of Leica in the 70s and 80s.  He set out to design a replacement of the original Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 that was not only 50 percent faster but also better in overall performance, all without the aid of aspherical elements.  He succeeded to do so, but not until the Leitz glass laboratory was able to develop a glass that enabled the production of the lens.  To my knowledge, this glass is still of the highest refracting index ever produced and used in actual lens production.  The refracting index of ne 1.9005 was a previously thought of as unattainable .

 
Noctilux 50mm f/1

The predecessor of this lens was the original Noctilux 50mm f/1.2.  Introduced in 1966, it was the first production lens with aspherical lens surfaces.  At that time, this was an incredibly complicated process that required a fair amount of hand grinding of the elements.  Subsequently the lens was priced accordingly.  Even by today’s standards the lens was an incredible performer.


 
Noctilux 50mm f/1.2

But the Noctilux line of lenses are not the only extremely fast lenses ever made by Leitz.  There were several others which have come and gone.  These were mostly special application lenses that had only limited use for general photography.

One such lens was the ELCAN 90mm f/1.  ELCAN was the trade name for Ernst Leitz Canada, the Canadian branch established by Leitz in 1952 in Midland, Ontario.  The lens was made for the US Air Force as a special night photography application lens.  Since focusing is very critical at that wide an aperture, and since the lens blocked most of the viewfinder because of its massive size, the lens had no focusing mount.  Instead it came with three focus rings, engraved 50 meters, 100 meters and infinity.

 

    
ELCAN 90mm f/1 with the infinity focus ring installed and the
50 meter and 100 meter focus rings in the foreground

But there were lenses with even higher speeds like the Leitz-IR 150mm f/0.85 and the Leitz Summar 75mm f/0.85.  Very little is known about these two lenses.  Apparently the 75mm f/0.85 Summar was used for x-ray photography while the 150mm f/0.85, considering the IR designation, appears to have been used specifically for infrared photography.

 
Leitz 15cm (150mm) f/0.85

 
Leitz 7.5 cm (75mm) f/0.85

Finally, the two Leica speed champs were a 65mm f/0.75 and a 50mm f/0.75 lens.  Both appear to have been designed specifically for x-ray photography.  But I have seen regular color photographs made with one of them which looked quite interesting.  They were mostly close ups of flowers, taken wide open.  Needless to say, the depth of field was extremely shallow.  Yet the in-focus areas actually looked quite good.

 
ELCAN 65mm f/0.75


Thus we reached the end of this excursion into the world of super fast Leica lenses.  For a while it was doubtful that we will ever see anything faster than the Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 in the future, but the rumor mill seems to indicate that Leica might be working on additional f/0.95 or even faster lenses.  With the ever increasing high ISO capabilities of modern digital cameras, the need for any such lenses appear to be diminishing, on the other hand, the ability to isolate the subject from the background (and foreground) with such lenses has enabled an entirely different style of photography, previously unavailable.  Stay tuned.


For other articles on this blog please click on Blog Archive in the column to the right

To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.

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_______________________________________________________________________

EDDYCAM - the first and only ergonomic elk-skin camera strap     
 www.eddycam.com        

      



Buy vintage Leica cameras from 
America's premier Leica specialist 
www.tamarkin.com

 http://www.tamarkin.com/leicagallery/upcoming-show


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