NEW Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH | Great Improvements 

Great review. Very interesting to learn the focus travel.

Wie immer, top. Danke

I can’t wait to see how it performs compared to the older and compared to the apo summicron

Thanks for the nice introduction, Math. It was also my first thought, that Leica will use the new mechanics developed for the Apo-Summicron 35mm in other lenses, testing the limits of the M-System. This is realy interesting and we may perhaps see some more mechanical updates. Wetzlar is always good for some surprises. Greetings from Frankfurt am Main - Andreas

Great review for an initial look at the lens! Regarding the 11 v. 9 blades on the new and the previous lenses and the effect of that into making a “rounder” aperture for a better looking bokeh, that would only be apparent if the user chooses to close the aperture rather than using the lens wide open . How many photographers would acquire a summilux and then choose to shoot with it at, say, F/5.6 (as opposed to using it at F/1.4 with the aid of a x4-stop ND filter).

Great overview with feature and cosmetic comparison Actually, I really like the look of the engraving on the older limited addition lens Many thanks always

Great presentation

Great review! Back in the day, I loved using my Bronica SQ-A medium format camera.

Math, you never disappoint!! Congrats on being one of the very first RU-vidrs to showcase some real content on this new lens! To me, the greatest reason to upgrade is the close focusing improvement to .4! These newer closer focusing lenses are fixing a long lasting problem I have with Leica M, is the poor close focusing distances. Any indications on how long the wait will be to get one of these??? It it be as bad as the 35mm APO?? With that lens some of us have been waiting over a year.... Thanks Math!

Matt, I can't wait for your next video with lots of sample images of this newest iteration of the 35 Summilux-M :)

Thanks for sharing the review. Looking forward to this. the aperture ring tightness can be adjusted, i had a leica technician adjust mine

WOW, What a great review. I own a now previous summilux fle. Do you think it is worth to upgrade to the new one? Or do you recommend to get an APO instead. What's your opinion between new summilux and APO?

Thank you.

The summilux you have is the wetzlar version which was release tgt with the M10M wetzlar. The ASC version is the gold one.

I got it In silver last week I think it will be glued to my m11 for next months 😮

I just received my copy. unfortunately one of the blades was bad and I had to return it. Wondering how it passed QC... However on initial shots I found 3 things: - it has slightly more contrast than the FLE wide open - Has slightly less CA wide open - it seems to magnify a hair more

So this is what in store for the Leica 50mm summilux?

The only problem with the new close focusing range is the rangefinder itself is not capable of focusing that close so you will need to use a visoflex or I guess the back screen.

Math, you are the best source for my Leica systems. I have the current version but not quite happy with the sharpness when photographing landscape- looks like the depth pf field is not enough for my landscape photography . Simply if you focus on middle one-third of the subject, the infinity is not sharp enough. Is this new version better in that aspect or I need to go with APO lenses? Another words are the APO lenses the best for deeper depth of field and in this case, best for landscape photography? Thanks

Thank you for this review! Do you believe it's worth selling the older Summilux? It seems so since this is such a game changer. I'm next in line to get one and can't wait to try it.

I prefer the older nine-blade aperture version for its sunstars. The built in hood is also not as good for reducing flair as the screw in one.

Thank you! That was very informative. I have a slightly off-the-wall question. If you have your 35mm lens set 'wide-open' at f/1.4 your depth of field will be very shallow. The distance between 25 ft. and infinity is enormous. If you happen to KNOW that your subject is seated 40 ft. away, how do you determine where to set your focusing ring? Is there a rational way to decide?

Can we expect a Summilux 28mm with shorter focusing distans next? It would be my next Leica lens.

nice first impression of the Summilux 35. I’m very interesting of the image quality, specially vs the older version.

I have the feeling that the APO is better for scenery with excellent corner-to-corner sharpness, and the new Summilux is better for portraits with improved bokeh based on their 50 mm lenses. Please confirm.

I personally can't see the reason for the 11 blades vs 9 blades as bokeh on a 35mm lens is only really evident wide open. Stopped down it is so minimal as to not be much of a factor at all. I hear the lens formula is pretty much identical apart from the closer focusing distance and new hood design. Never been a fan of retractable lens hoods. I much prefer the square removable hood on mine.

I thought the lux special edition you have is the leitz version jahre? ASC comes with a gold summicron?

Do you have Back/Front focus problem via Rangfinder with this lens ?

You said that while the new lens has 6 bit encoding its through an optical reader. So, does the new M 11 (which I just got last week) read the lens or not? If not there is no reason to trade up. Please explain this. Is Leica going to upgrade the M 11 to read lens setting optically? This makes no sense. And what use the M 11 or any future Leica M body if it can't read the optical encoding on new lenses? Kindly clarify this. I'm sure other owners of the new M 11 and other Leica cameras without optical readers don't want to be out in the cold.Thank you for your consideration.

I thought that Summilux is part of the monochrom Wetzlar edition, the asc comes with a gold summicron, no?

Questions: 1) If you could have only one, which would you choose, the new Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH, or the Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH? 2) Is this new 35 Summilux 1.4 actually going to be available for purchase any time soon? I'd like to be able to go into a Leica shop and buy what I need right then and there. (Am I dreaming?)

What the internet needs is a shootout between this lens and the APO-Summicron 35mm. And you’re just the guy to do it. Not just Star Wars figures but Swiss landscapes and people portraits, please…

I wonder if we will get a new 50 Summilux with similar benefits, this is clearly a fabulous lens. Very nicely presented.

The old lens hood is pretty iconic, not a fan of the new one

which filter is that exactly?

Thanks..... but the Lens Hood is not ".new Construction"! On my 40 years old 50mm Summicron (and also on other Lenses) from the R-System was the same!

I bought the 'old' version brand new just 3 weeks before the newer version was released. Not great timing!

When you are going to upload the pictures of this lens!!? 🎉

In the US, the price of an M11 and a Summilux 35 is now $14,000 which is really hard to justify even for those who have the means.

I got the 35apo recently...no need for this new 1.4 Lux albeit great stuff...but i might become weak on a new 0.XX 35mm Noctilux 🙂 even better woul be a new 40mm APO/Noctilux (shut up and let me dream😎)

I would like to see a direct comparison from this new lens and Sony g master 35mm 1.4. ….. I really would, after buying the 50m Apo, and the 75mm Noctilux, I don’t think these lenses justify the cost at all.

Curious if you wouldn't mind answering an off topic question. What do you see as the value in the 3 intro method you used in this video? We start with an introduction where you say, "I will be reviewing the Leica 35mm lens." Then we get a second introduction in the form of a sizzle reel. This is in turn, followed by another introduction where you basically repeat the initial introduction stating (paraphrased), "I will be reviewing the new Leica lens". Thankfully, your 3 introductions in total are much shorter than most people who use this method, but I'm just trying to understand why you (and everyone else for that matter) wouldn't just START with the 3rd introduction and just jump right in. Do you personally enjoy the first 2 introductions when you watch a video presented in this manner? Not trying to be disrespectful. I thought the video was well done and informative. But I'm genuinely curious as to why creators use this 3 intro method when posting a video.

Click click noise a game changer?

You could sell all that gear and buy a Fuji and a House !!😁

I have been waiting on this for food. Now you Leica nuts can use your M camera at the dinner table. God help us.

Spends thousands on a new lens, put $100 uv filter on it 😂