p.39 #6 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
Has anyone sent their SRR in for CLA? I don't have any major issues. The aperture ring is a very slight play, but I know this is the norm. I wonder if it's possible for them to make any improvements. I'd figure, I should do it before warranty runs out.
p.39 #7 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
gordec wrote:
Has anyone sent their SRR in for CLA? I don't have any major issues. The aperture ring is a very slight play, but I know this is the norm. I wonder if it's possible for them to make any improvements. I'd figure, I should do it before warranty runs out.
My experience after sending it into DAG for a CLA was exactly for this, I was curious to see if the ring could be tightned up a bit more. It was not bad but there was a tiny bit of play for sure. Don told me the tolerances were already very tight, he did his best and sent the lens back to me.
p.39 #8 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
ZdevilH1 wrote:
My experience after sending it into DAG for a CLA was exactly for this, I was curious to see if the ring could be tightned up a bit more. It was not bad but there was a tiny bit of play for sure. Don told me the tolerances were already very tight, he did his best and sent the lens back to me.
Honestly, I've tried 3 different 35/1.4 SR lenses and all of them had a slight play in the aperture ring. It's more of a vertical wiggle rather than rotational looseness, so it doesn't bother me at all, since turning the aperture on this lens is actually very satisfying with distinctive clicks.
What does bother me is play in the focus ring, since that affects fine-tuning focus...but none of the Leica 35/1.4 SR lenses I've tried, including my current one, have had any play there.
p.39 #9 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
Fred Miranda wrote:
Honestly, I've tried 3 different 35/1.4 SR lenses and all of them had a slight play in the aperture ring. It's more of a vertical wiggle rather than rotational looseness, so it doesn't bother me at all, since turning the aperture on this lens is actually very satisfying with distinctive clicks.
What does bother me is play in the focus ring, since that affects fine-tuning focus...but none of the Leica 35/1.4 SR lenses I've tried, including my current one, have had any play there.
Yeah, I don't have any issues with my copy in terms of focus tab. It tightens near Infinity lock. But I think this is normal behavior. I bought Alex Barrera's copy he used in this review. ?si=uGoHxTejO_p6_K9_. He said he tried a few copies and this is the best copy he tried.
Did you notice any image quality variances in the copies you have tried?
p.39 #10 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
gordec wrote:
Yeah, I don't have any issues with my copy in terms of focus tab. It tightens near Infinity lock. But I think this is normal behavior. I bought Alex Barrera's copy he used in this review. ?si=uGoHxTejO_p6_K9_. He said he tried a few copies and this is the best copy he tried.
Did you notice any image quality variances in the copies you have tried?
I had a copy that felt a bit tight or sticky when focusing toward infinity, so I sent it to Leica and they replaced it with another one that didn't have the issue. The new one is smooth all the way through, with no rotation variation. I think it just comes down to lubrication, and sometimes it's not perfect from the factory. It’s an easy fix with a simple CLA. My current copy was modified to focus down to 0.75m, and even at that range the rotation is smooth with a nice, consistent resistance. I've never seen variation in centering, but my first copy wasn't aligned properly with the rangefinder. I also own a Leica 35/1.4 pre-ASPH "brass" infinity lock version, which from the factory focuses down to 0.8m.
Aug 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM
rollei35_warton Offline [X]
p.39 #11 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
I think summilux 35 line is kind of accustoms to aperture ring wobbly, for example FLE version 1 is like that Fred Miranda wrote:
Honestly, I've tried 3 different 35/1.4 SR lenses and all of them had a slight play in the aperture ring. It's more of a vertical wiggle rather than rotational looseness, so it doesn't bother me at all, since turning the aperture on this lens is actually very satisfying with distinctive clicks.
What does bother me is play in the focus ring, since that affects fine-tuning focus...but none of the Leica 35/1.4 SR lenses I've tried, including my current one, have had any play there.
p.39 #13 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
Desmolicious wrote:
Such a cool look wide open in bright light. Sharp but yet glowy. ND filter?
Agreed. I've no hands-on experience with this lens, but my opinion going purely on the images I've seen here and elsewhere varies enormously. I certainly could do without the flare issues. That said, the performance wide open or stopped down a tad is something I'd love to be able to replicate without the use of filters on my mirrorless cameras. The nearest I've been able to achieve so far is using my Syoptic f/1.1 but it hasn't the same glow.
The lens has a love affair with shiny things, as can be seen in Fred's classic car shots, wonderful glow together with a remarkable level of sharpness.
p.39 #14 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
Desmolicious wrote:
Such a cool look wide open in bright light. Sharp but yet glowy. ND filter?
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KLaban wrote:
Agreed. I've no hands-on experience with this lens, but my opinion going purely on the images I've seen here and elsewhere varies enormously. I certainly could do without the flare issues. That said, the performance wide open or stopped down a tad is something I'd love to be able to replicate without the use of filters on my mirrorless cameras. The nearest I've been able to achieve so far is using my Syoptic f/1.1 but it hasn't the same glow.
The lens has a love affair with shiny things, as can be seen in Fred's classic car shots, wonderful glow together with a remarkable level of sharpness....Show more →
Stopping down to f/1.7 (half a stop) clears up most of the glow. It’s still there, but spherical aberration correction improves enough that I can use the lens for almost anything. The Leica 35/1.4 pre-asph, which this design is based on, is well known for its lower contrast and SA, yet it can still resolve fine detail even off-axis. That's one of the reasons I love it. A 50mm lens that shares this same character is the Light Lens Lab 50/2 SP2.
p.39 #17 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
for what it's worth, my SRR is perfectly smooth moving the focus tab in all directions and I don't discern any play in the aperture ring. I love this lens. Wide open it's glowy magic, stopped down to f4 and beyond it's a pretty sharp lens. Can't say enough good things about it.
p.39 #18 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
brick33308 wrote:
for what it's worth, my SRR is perfectly smooth moving the focus tab in all directions and I don't discern any play in the aperture ring. I love this lens. Wide open it's glowy magic, stopped down to f4 and beyond it's a pretty sharp lens. Can't say enough good things about it.
Nice shots. I really should use my Leica 35/1.4 SR more, but lately I've been reaching for the MS Optics 36/1.3 Apollon instead since it's so much lighter and gives a similar look.
p.39 #20 · Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim lens
Fred Miranda wrote:
Nice shots. I really should use my Leica 35/1.4 SR more, but lately I've been reaching for the MS Optics 36/1.3 Apollon instead since it's so much lighter and gives a similar look.
I'll take your "close focus" version Fred if you are not using it.
