New Black Anodized 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M Limited to Just 200 Units
Leica will sell an extremely limited run of its 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M in a black anodized finish, a new re-release of the lens that first hit the market in 1961.
When the original 35mm /1.4 Summilux-M first came out, it was the world’s fastest wide-angle lens. Leica re-released the lens in 2022 but today announced that it will make a special black anodized version available, which it describes as a “strictly numbered, limited edition design variant.”
“Based on the first edition, the Summilux-M 35 f/1.4 now emerges in a black anodized finish, featuring the iconic silver stainless steel front ring, commonly referred to as the ‘Steel Rim,'” Leica says.
An engraving on the front of the lens reads “Leitz Wetzlar” and the company also points out a detail, which is a black painted brass focus lock button which it says will acquire a “unique patina” with frequent use.
“To come as close as possible to the original, the engravings on the special edition’s focus ring have been adjusted. The arrangement of the feet and meter scale is also modeled on the original in terms of color and has been swapped in comparison to the silver series lens,” the company says.
While the exterior is different, optically, this special edition version should perform identically to existing 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M lenses. Leica says that photos captured wide-open at f/1.4 creates “especially soft” and “almost magical” bokeh which it says is hard to achieve with even digital processing. The company adds that this particular look, which can be seen in the images directly below, are what gave it the name the “King of Bokeh.”
Stopped down to f/2.8, Leica says the lens becomes particularly sharp and distortion-free to meet modern expectations.
As is typical of Leica special edition releases, the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M in a black anodized finish features special packaging that “hints at the origin of the edition” and comes with a lens container, clip-on lens hood, and an additional round lens hood with an E46 thread for using filters.
These limited lenses, of which only 200 will be produced globally, are numbered and only available at select Leica stores starting today for $10,495.
Image credits: Leica
