A Viewfinder Darkly
Phil Northeast is Feature Writer for Photography at 
Stock photography by Phil Northeast is available from Ozimages International
LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH.
15 June 2010
With the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH., Leica Camera AG, Solms, presents a revised version of the popular wide-angle lens of the Leica M rangefinder system. Thanks to the latest developments in the fields of optics and precision engineering, the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. sets a whole new standard in the fast wide-angle lens portfolio. Regardless of whether it’s a matter of selective focus in the close-up range, high-contrast available light applications or landscape shots with immense depth of field, the lens delivers persuasive arguments in any situation.
LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH.
In comparison with its predecessor, the new LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. now incorporates a floating element: the lenses behind the aperture blades are constructed as a floating group that changes its position relative to the front lens group during focusing to ensure that the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 1:1.4/35 mm ASPH. achieves equally outstanding imaging performance at closer focusing distances.
Another new feature is a full-metal, rectangular, screw-mount lens hood that contributes significantly to the even more compact dimensions of the lens. The optical design of the new LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. has also been optimised for use on the digital Leica M models. It reveals the full extent of its superior performance particularly when mounted on the LEICA M9. The LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. also delivers excellent results on analogue M models and is predestined to become an indispensible component of every M system outfit.
‘Thanks to the sum of its qualities, this 35mm lens is a universal tool for every photographer. Its moderate wide-angle characteristics, on the one hand, and its natural reproduction of perspectives, on the other, make it ideal for a particularly broad spectrum of photographic uses ranging from portraiture to landscapes. Lenses of this focal length, which have produced countless iconic images in the history of photography, are counted among the classical entry level lenses for building an M camera outfit,’ says Stefan Daniel, the head of product management at Leica Camera AG.
Even wide open, the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. reveals performance characteristics without precedent in the field of compact 35 mm lenses: outstanding imaging performance over the entire focusing range, from infinity to minimum focus, excellent contrast, even in the finest structures, superb rendition of details across the entire image field, good field flattening and, stopped down to f2 and onwards, almost complete freedom from coma effects. It is hardly possible to improve this excellent optical performance by stopping down.
The LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. is a nine-lens design, five of which are manufactured from glasses with a high refraction index. One lens element has an aspherical (nonspherically formed) surface that makes a significant contribution to the compact construction of the lens. All this and its low weight of only 320 grams make this lens an ideal choice for a light travelling outfit or reportage assignments.
LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH.
As is the case for all other Leica lenses, the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. was designed and developed by Leica’s optical specialists in Solms and represents a perfect combination of optical and technical expertise. As a particularly reliable product with enduring value and ‘Made in Germany’, the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. is manufactured from only the best materials and is assembled in an elaborate process completely by hand. The combination of cutting-edge technologies and painstaking manufacturing procedures guarantees the consistently excellent quality of every single Leica lens.
The LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. is supplied complete with a particularly high-quality, all-metal lens hood. The hood not only protects the lens effectively against reduction of contrast by extraneous light but also against damage and the accumulation of dirt on the front lens element. For this reason, it should always remain mounted whenever the lens and camera are in use.
The LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. will be available from the end of June 2010 from all Leica M Dealers.