Fred Miranda wrote:
Skip the 1934 time-travel "11K fee" and just hunt down a used 75/2 APO. Real espionage demands extra 9mm FL and actual corner-to-corner sharpness. Or better yet, go with the tiny CV 75mm f/2.8 APO... it's so small you will completely blend into the shadows.
the enemy won't even see you coming!
Before the mission don’t forget to add black tape over any red dot camera logos.
Last month I did buy the 75/2.8 Voigtländer ( having sold the Leica 75/2 in January).
Still, as a novelty, I would probably have bought the 66/2 were it priced similarly to the 35 and 50 classic Summiluxes ( which I did buy).
The 66’s 1m MFD, aperture ring direction, and hood choices might have been bearable, but are not with a $6k luxury up-charge.
Andreas Voll may soon be realising that price-demand curves for the Leica M system are more elastic than for the luxury watch sector.
FrozenInTime wrote:
Before the mission don’t forget to add black tape over any red dot camera logos.
Last month I did buy the 75/2.8 Voigtländer ( having sold the Leica 75/2 in January).
Still, as a novelty, I would probably have bought the 66/2 were it priced similarly to the 35 and 50 classic Summiluxes ( which I did buy).
The 66’s 1m MFD, aperture ring direction, and hood choices might have been bearable, but are not with a $6k luxury up-charge.
Andreas Voll may soon be realising that price-demand curves for the Leica M system are more elastic than for the luxury watch sector.
Exactly. It's an optical relic being sold as a lifestyle statement. Let me guess...all the reviewers and influencers LOVE it.
Looking at the MTF charts, it's pretty ordinary by modern standards, especially for eleven grand. Nobody is buying a 1934 formula for cutting-edge resolution or contrast...you're paying purely for the novelty and the vintage charm. The irony is that if you're looking for that 1930s vintage rendering, it won't be there, since from the samples I've seen, the draw is as modern as it gets.
I'm sure this will sell out, but I would've assumed there were two ways to go about remaking this lens:
1. Super faithful adaptation a la early LLL lens remakes, which sought to recreate the rendering characteristics (and flaws of the time).
2. A modern interpretation of the lens, which has cutting-edge, class-leading optics to embody the spirit of the OG lens. You essentially make the lens the US Navy would commission you to make now.
It seems like they did neither of these things? The images I've seen out of this look good, but sort of ordinary. Am I missing something?
Looks like a fantastic lens, I would love one but at $11K, I can’t justify it. It’s nuts when you think about Leica deciding to produce this lens from a cost perspective. Even if they get an average of $10K per lens, they are only bringing in $6.5M in revenue. Subtract out the material, labor, marketing, etc….I bet they barely break even on this lens. Very strange to release a lens like this in such a small batch
RomanMF wrote:
I'm sure this will sell out, but I would've assumed there were two ways to go about remaking this lens:
1. Super faithful adaptation a la early LLL lens remakes, which sought to recreate the rendering characteristics (and flaws of the time).
2. A modern interpretation of the lens, which has cutting-edge, class-leading optics to embody the spirit of the OG lens. You essentially make the lens the US Navy would commission you to make now.
It seems like they did neither of these things? The images I've seen out of this look good, but sort of ordinary. Am I missing something? ...Show more →
I believe Leica took a middle ground approach by using the original optical design with minor tweaks for digital sensors, similar to what LLL does. In short, they updated the coatings and slightly adjusted the formula to boost performance.
A complete recreation of your first option isn't possible because modern glass types, coatings, and manufacturing techniques have changed. At the same time, your second option, building a cutting edge, class leading 66mm f/2 lens using a purely vintage design, isn't realistic. Today's complex, multi element lenses are simply far better at correcting aberrations.
Ultimately, they stuck mostly to the original optical design while delivering a remarkably high performing lens for its size, even if the MTF chart isn't outstanding by modern standards.
write up on the lens along with comparison shots to the original. I found the history pretty interesting as a military brat, I have some of my dad's old army issue gear sadly no hidden leicas lol
Or better yet, go with the tiny CV 75mm f/2.8 APO... it's so small you will completely blend into the shadows.