nehemiahphoto wrote:
I tried to order through MKDirect, but it’s out of stock. Any idea when it’s back?
I think if you contact them by e-mail (mkdirect51 @ gmail.com (without the spaces, e-mail addresses in forum posts seem to get mangled)), they would get back and provide information about expected availability. Their website keeps listing Apollon as a "reservation product" and the black version was shown in stock only for about 2 weeks and silver version has never been shown to be in stock but they seem to get supplies gradually and they are shipping in order to those who have made reservations. I haven't seen any indications currently about when there will be new supplies next but I think they keep getting new supplies each month (delivery timings may vary between Black and Silver).
I also bought mine through e-mail communications (pre-order booking) and never submitted formal order form through their website.
Currently I.C.S. Used Camera Fair is happening at Ginza (2/16 to 2/21) and it seems MS-Optics directed some supplies to that Fair through fotoborse who are always participating there, and fotoborse have Silver version of Apollon available at the Fair + several other MS-Optics lenses (http://fotoborse.com/). Outside of this Fair, fotoborse hasn't been recently stocking MS-Optics lenses (they only seemed to have 1 remaining unsold H-Petz and 1 used Vario Petz). I think it's not feasible to get them from fotoborse without visiting the Fair though.
Juha Kannisto wrote:
I think if you contact them by e-mail (mkdirect51 @ gmail.com (without the spaces, e-mail addresses in forum posts seem to get mangled)), they would get back and provide information about expected availability. Their website keeps listing Apollon as a "reservation product" and the black version was shown in stock only for about 2 weeks and silver version has never been shown to be in stock but they seem to get supplies gradually and they are shipping in order to those who have made reservations. I haven't seen any indications currently about when there will be new supplies next but I think they keep getting new supplies each month (delivery timings may vary between Black and Silver).
I also bought mine through e-mail communications (pre-order booking) and never submitted formal order form through their website.
Currently I.C.S. Used Camera Fair is happening at Ginza (2/16 to 2/21) and it seems MS-Optics directed some supplies to that Fair through fotoborse who are always participating there, and fotoborse have Silver version of Apollon available at the Fair + several other MS-Optics lenses (http://fotoborse.com/). Outside of this Fair, fotoborse hasn't been recently stocking MS-Optics lenses (they only seemed to have 1 remaining unsold H-Petz and 1 used Vario Petz). I think it's not feasible to get them from fotoborse without visiting the Fair though....Show more →
Mine just arrived yesterday from mkdirect, but must have took a knock in shipping to the point that the aperture doesn't open or close. Kami and Miyazaki san were quick to respond to my email and it's on it's way back tomorrow for repair. Lovely looking lens, at least on the outside so far
SlowDriver wrote:
I got mine today from MkDirect. Seems to work fine. My credit card got charged $732.79. Big price difference with JCH...
Good to hear! MKDirect hasn't shown them as being in stock on their site for a long time but it seems they are still able to deliver them based on reservations then. I hope you like it! It has been one of my top favorites among MS-Optics lenses.
Juha Kannisto wrote:
Good to hear! MKDirect hasn't shown them as being in stock on their site for a long time but it seems they are still able to deliver them based on reservations then. I hope you like it! It has been one of my top favorites among MS-Optics lenses.
I contacted MkDirect way back in April and have been on a waiting list ever since.
At JCH prices I was probably going to pass on this one. I already have the Apoqualia 35mm f/1.3 II Slim and the Perar 35mm f/3.5 II and I recently also bought the LLL 35mm f/2 8E.
SlowDriver wrote:
I contacted MkDirect way back in April and have been on a waiting list ever since.
At JCH prices I was probably going to pass on this one. I already have the Apoqualia 35mm f/1.3 II Slim and the Perar 35mm f/3.5 II and I recently also bought the LLL 35mm f/2 8E.
I just ordered one from JE!
Thanks for posting your gallery samples Juha!
The MS 36/1.3 Apollon arrived today and I love the haptics. Very easy to rotate the aperture ring and the hood is reversible. I will try to take some sample images today.
Below are some examples captured with this lens. Due to lens back-focusing when focusing with the RF, I used the Visoflex for these shots. I really like how it renders, with manageable field curvature, a pleasant glow at f/1.3, and beautiful fall-off. Astigmatism is kept to a minimum, and while it may not boast high contrast, it delivers good sharpness at the center.
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 36mm f/1.3 Apollon lens36mmf/2.01/180s100 ISO-0.7 EV
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 36mm f/1.3 Apollon lens36mmf/2.01/60s160 ISO-0.7 EV
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 36mm f/1.3 Apollon lens36mmf/2.01/60s160 ISO-0.7 EV
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 36mm f/1.3 Apollon lens36mmf/2.01/60s320 ISO-0.7 EV
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 36mm f/1.3 Apollon lens36mmf/2.01/90s800 ISO-0.7 EV
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 36mm f/1.3 Apollon lens36mmf/2.01/60s800 ISO-0.7 EV
nehemiahphoto wrote:
Wonderful shots Fred. Now, will you please compare it to the SR?
Certainly! I'm curious about their optical comparison as well.
One of the significant distinctions is in weight, with the Apollon weighing only 72 grams, whereas the SR comes in almost 3x heavier at 207 grams. Additionally, the Leica features 10 'straight' aperture blades, while the Apollon boasts 14 'curved' blades, resulting in more rounded highlights when stopped down, so f/2 and f/2.8 will yield more natural specular highlights.
Furthermore, the Apollon has an impressive close focusing distance of 0.3m with Live View (LV), whereas the SR's minimum focusing distance (MFD) is 1m.
I have been interested in this lens since launch as you know. I like the images--Juha posted a great gallery earlier. Would love to see the comp of the SR. This lens look less corrected than the 35 Apoqualia, which is to my preference.
Desmolicious wrote:
It seems that while MS lenses have rf coupling, they don't actually calibrate them? So they do not focus accurately using the rf? Am I mistaken?
I wouldn't go that far, but many of them have focus shift, sometimes to an extreme extent, and I wonder if Miyazaki thinks most people will use these lenses with Live View.
I've gotten some nice sharp perfectly focused photos with my Apoqualia 28/2 at f2 on a Leica M2R film camera. I think I'll use that lens wide open at f2, and stopped down to f8 or f11, and nothing in between. Similar in that regard to the Zeiss Sonnar C 50/1.5, which has strong focus shift between f2 and 5.6.
The 73/1.5 Sonnetar also has focus shift plus you have to add in the uncertainties with the coma adjustment setting so I don't think I'll even bother trying that one on film; film is too expensive!
SlowDriver wrote:
I got mine today from MkDirect. Seems to work fine. My credit card got charged $732.79. Big price difference with JCH...
Just checked.. MKDirect (but not sure if it is in stock) has it for $686 now.
Japan Exposures (out of stock) $816.
I could not find it on Japan Camera Hunter, but I did see that they have a mint M4 for $7200 and a BP M4 for $16000.
The going rate for those cameras that I have recently seen, are $3500 and $8000. If you're wondering about JCH's mark-up.
Desmolicious wrote:
Just checked.. MKDirect (but not sure if it is in stock) has it for $686 now.
Japan Exposures (out of stock) $816.
I could not find it on Japan Camera Hunter, but I did see that they have a mint M4 for $7200 and a BP M4 for $16000.
The going rate for those cameras that I have recently seen, are $3500 and $8000. If you're wondering about JCH's mark-up.
Currently not in stock anywhere. The Apollon 36/1.3 seems to be very popular in Japan.
Desmolicious wrote:
Just checked.. MKDirect (but not sure if it is in stock) has it for $686 now.
Japan Exposures (out of stock) $816.
I could not find it on Japan Camera Hunter, but I did see that they have a mint M4 for $7200 and a BP M4 for $16000.
The going rate for those cameras that I have recently seen, are $3500 and $8000. If you're wondering about JCH's mark-up.
IIRC JCH had it for $1,200. $686 versus $742 could just be exchange rate fluctuations.
