Description
The Summilux-M 1.4/50mm is a high-performance standard lens introduced in 1959, the main application of the lens is photojournalism and available light photography.
The optical design of the lens is a further development of the six-element computation, which was used in the Summarit 1.5/50mm built from 1949 to 1959. By adding a seventh element, the Summilux 1.4/50mm achieved a much higher imaging performance than the predecessor, and can therefore be viewed as the first high-aperture Leica lens calculated according to modern optical aspects.
Without officially announcing it, the Summilux 1.4/50mm has already been manufactured with a recalculated optical design from 1962 onwards. This achieved a further increase in the imaging performance and the change was published by Leitz/Leica in 1968.
The Summilux 1.4/50mm of the first version belongs to the few Leica lenses, which were only produced for a very short period of time. As a result, the manufactured number of Summilux 1.4/50mm lenses is also relatively low. Among these few lenses the design with screw thread mount highlights again. With a maximum of 550 lenses, this lens is the dream of many collectors and can rarely be found!
The Summilux 1.4/50mm with M-bayonet mount in the first version is significantly more frequently with a maximum of 13,000 manufactured lenses, but it has developed over the last few years more and more into a rare collector's item. And because many of these lenses have been used by professional photographers lenses in very good to mint condition are nowadays hardly encountered.
The lenses of the first type are increasingly rare in recent years and this trend is expected to continue. Therefore one should not miss the opportunity to purchase such a classic.
Total production: approximately 13.000 units
Rarity: R6
Rarity forecast: R7
