Steve Spencer wrote:
I actually like the pull out hood on my 50 Lux Asph (I might be the only one who does),
Nope you are not the only one. I like the pull out hood on my 50mm Summicron too. But mine is nice and tight so stays where I put it and behaves nicely.
1bwana1 wrote:
Nope you are not the only one. I like the pull out hood on my 50mm Summicron too. But mine is nice and tight so stays where I put it and behaves nicely.
I appreciate the built-in hood convenience but in the case of the 50/1.4 Lux, it's too short and therefore not efficient preventing flare. It does protect the front element when extended but if it gets dented, it's not a cheap replacement. The 50/1 Noctilux v4's built-in hood is even more atrocious.
Hoping the new 35/1.4 has a longer more effective built-in hood.
Fred Miranda wrote:
For those who use LV a lot, it's a welcome upgrade. I do like the classic Leica hood design on wide angle lenses though.
Aesthetically I think the hoods are fine, but they are so dang long — just look what the hood does to the length of the 28 f/2.8! And was mentioned, they are not convenient for filter changes.
I hope the Q3 gets the same hood treatment, especially useful for the Q3M. With the Q2M and color filters, the hood is just an aggregation.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I appreciate the built-in hood convenience but in the case of the 50/1.4 Lux, it's too short and therefore not efficient preventing flare. It does protect the front element when extended but if it gets dented, it's not a cheap replacement. The 50/1 Noctilux v4's built-in hood is even more atrocious.
Hoping the new 35/1.4 has a longer more effective built-in hood.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I appreciate the built-in hood convenience but in the case of the 50/1.4 Lux, it's too short and therefore not efficient preventing flare. It does protect the front element when extended but if it gets dented, it's not a cheap replacement. The 50/1 Noctilux v4's built-in hood is even more atrocious.
Hoping the new 35/1.4 has a longer more effective built-in hood.
What are we going to call the new one? FLE II ?
The Leica Milvus-M 35/1.4? Mechanical and ergonomic changes, same lens, more money.
d.s. wrote:
Seeing as how Karbe suggested lens performance is strained on high res. sensors, it’s surprising the optics remain unchanged.
Especially since commentators have been saying for some time now that the Leica summilux 35 FLE isn't the best-in-class for detail rendition (that title going to the CZ 35mm f/1.4T). I still love my 'lux, but it is a little surprising that the optical formula remains unchanged given that other M-mount lenses best it in certain key areas. Maybe that's for the better though - it could be that making a lens suitable for modern internet-pixel-peeper tastes would've added a lot more weight and cost. One of the things I love most about the 35mm 'lux is how small and light it is.
On the subject of lens hoods, I've found that the bayonet mount design from Zeiss & Voigtlander to be pretty practical. Those hoods don't get in the way of filters / caps and are easy & cheap to replace if they got dented. The only visual drawback is the bare chrome ring on the naked lens (if used without hoods), but I'm sure Leica could implement a more elegant design if they chose to...
“New! Leica 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH FLE II Announced
Today, Leica has announced a new version of the 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH FLE. Featuring the same excellent optical formula as the current 35mm FLE, the new lens offers a few notable updates. Perhaps the most significant, like the APO-Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH, the revised 35mm Summilux-M features close-focusing down to 0.4 meters thanks to a newly developed patent-pending double cam unit. Also new are an eleven-blade aperture for improved bokeh when stopped down and a built-in retractable circular lens shade.
Initial deliveries of the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH FLE II will start within the next week, priced at $5,395 for black and $5,595 for silver anodized. As with any major Leica launch, and especially true for a high-performing lens like this, initial supply is expected to be limited.
Eleven Aperture Blades
With two more aperture blades compared to the current 35mm Summilux-M ASPH FLE, the new lens will produce slightly smoother bokeh. Naturally, this update won't impact bokeh when shooting wide-open at f/1.4 since the blades are fully retracted. Rather, the effect will be most visible when stopping down slightly in the f/2 to f/5.6 range. And while the bokeh on the outgoing FLE lens is already so pleasing, we're happy to take any improvement we can get.”
I love the built-in hood for my 50'lux so this is a welcome update. I know, I too adore "the look" of the squarish vintage looking hoods, but not as practical in real life.
I like the square hoods for a variety of reasons. Pretty much every Leica pull out design I've used has been wobbly and doesn't lock securely in place, whether in or out. I tend to handle lenses by the front a lot, whether that's right or wrong, and the loose feeling of such hoods gives me a sense that I don't have secure grip of a lens, which annoys me. The square design is another indicator of the lens's orientation for mounting to the camera, which I can partially determine just by touch when pulling it out of the camera bag. Makes for faster lens swaps.
