mark_b. Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I know many of you have recommended this lens and I've been watching them on the auction site, but this looks like some hot and heavy bidding: $2,300+ Euros? for a 1988 model? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem&category=12872&item=2910723481&rd=1 Not a special version, right Eliot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart d Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 It's a first version 35 Summilux ASPH, which goes for a significant premium. The first version has the word ASPHERICAL written in full around the front element; the second version only has ASPH. They have a different optical setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger c Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 There's a 35mm LTM Summicron which is also pulling in the bids. Apparently only a few hundred were made. Bet it never gets used...grrr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy_samos Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 I thought that was a more current lens than that. When did the Aspherical come out? I don't read German, and I can't tell from the picture if it's a "special" lens. Doesn't look like it though. The bidding closed at only $200 or so more than you can buy one brand new out of New York for. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy_samos Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Ah-ha - Looks like Stuart had the answers. Ok. I'll shut up now. /randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliot Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Mark. The winner got a real bargain, at about $ 2550 USD equivalent. That lens normally sells for around $ 4000. It is a first version Aspherical, the one with two hand ground and polished aspherical elements. It is not the much more common second version ASPH., which has only one aspherical element produced by a glass moulding technique. The first version as engraved "Aspherical" and has SN 3459xxx or 346xxxx (less than 1,000 made), while the second version has later SNs and many more made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_b. Posted February 14, 2003 Author Share Posted February 14, 2003 Thanks Stuart & Eliot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliot Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Roger, I didn't see the lens that you are talking about, but I can tell you about the 35/2.0 Summicron in original SM (I'm talking about the 8-element first version lens, not the recent 35/2.- ASPH. in SM that was issued for the Japanese market). There were an estimated 577 of these original SM 35/2.0 lenses made. I say "estimated" because there may have been others made to special order which were not included in those figures. Besides these original SM lenses (which are rare, by anyone's standards), there are the so-called "convertible" lenses: Some of the early 35/2.0 first vversion BM lenses were actually built on a SM chassis, with a factory installed screw to bayonet adapter. When this adapter is removed, you have a SM lens. You can tell them apart, becuase the original SM lens focusses down to 3'4" (1 m), while the BM version converted to SM has scales that go down to 28 in. (0. 7 m). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bert_keuken2 Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 The Summilux 35 ASPHERICAL was made in 1990 and 1991 according to Richard Huenecke's Leica M6 book. A production run of 2000 items was planned, due to a high rejection rate of aspherical lens elements fewer than 2000 were made. Exact figures known only to Leica. 2389 euro is a "bargain" for this lens, I've seen this lens in a shop shortly after introduction, it was sold for 2836 euro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredlee70x7 Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 You guys reminded me a deal which I missed abouta year and half ago. A guy offered me a kit of M6 Titanium (not the TTL), 35/1.4 Aspherical, a 90/2.8 and a 28 viewfinder for a total of C$5,000. The lens did say the full word aspherical. Even though I did know the rarity of this lens, I wanted to buy the set but hesitated (my wallet actually). Two days later I talked to the guy (he actually was a cameera store owner)and said I wanted it. But another guy bought it the day before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 If you see 'Coporal', 'schouten' and 'arsennel' bidding on any artikle, you'll know it's worth watching. All these guys are Leica experts on eBay in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliot Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Yes, but those three are dealers, and they will bid on item only to the extent that they will be able to resell it to their customers at a significantly higher price. Thus, they pay wholesale, not retail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgh Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Also a lot of the time those 'dealer' are only 'tracking' the rare items to see the going prices for items they have and may put on an eBay sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Eliot and Robert, I am not suggesting we should bid along with them. Robert is right, most of the time they are just 'tracking' for interesting and rare items; so why not let them do the leg work for you? Oh, I forgot to mention Umana, he has quite an incredible shop in Roma, Italy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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