Leica 35mm Summilux Serial Numbers

Here is a quick and easy way to get the year of manufacturing of Leica lenses (L, R, and screw mount) based on the serial number which is located on the front of the lens:

Leica 35mm Summilux Asph Serial Numbers

Update: A reader just sent me another way of determining the production year of Leica cameras and lenses: just got to this website, and type the serial number.

  • The SUMMILUX-C lenses feature a patented focusing mechanism that eschews the logarithmic focusing of the past by expanding the focus scale in the most critical range. Size Their unique design allows these cine lenses to be far smaller than any existing lenses below T2.0.
  • Leica lenses can and do vary widely in price depending on exact condition, serial # and pedigree. Expect to pay 20% more directly from a dealer. Since the growth of digital cameras, specifically the M8 and the RD1 cameras, the price of 35mm Summicron lenses has risen.

I have had many 35mm's for my Canon 5DII; Canon 35mm f.2.0, 24-70 Canon L, 35mm 1.4 Samyang, Leica R 35-70mm f.4.0, Leica R 35mm Summicron. The last lens is the only one I have now. I have tested all off them multiple times, each time I bought a new lens.

And another update on the serial numbers after 2004:

4 000 000-4 010 600: 2004
4 010 601-4 025 900: 2005
4 025 901-4 034 900: 2006
4 034 901-4 057 000: 2007
4 057 001-4 080 000: 2008
4 080 001–> 2009

Serial number

start – end:

Year of manufacturing
156 001-195 0001933
195 001-236 0001934
236 001-284 6001935
284 601-345 0001936
345 001-416 5001937
416 501-490 0001938
490 001-538 5001939
538 501-565 0001940
565 001-582 2941941
582 295-593 0001942
593 001-594 8801943
594 881-595 0001944
595 001-601 0001945
601 001-633 0001946
633 001-647 0001947
647 001-682 0001948
682 001-756 0001949
756 001-840 0001950
840 001-950 0001951
950 001-1 051 0001952
1 051 000-1 124 0001953
1 124 001-1 236 0001954
1 236 001-1 333 0001955
1 333 001-1 459 0001956
1 459 001-1 548 0001957
1 548 001-1 645 3001958
1 645 301-1 717 0001959
1 717 001-1 827 0001960
1 827 001-1 913 0001961
1 913 001-1 967 1001962
1 967 101-2 015 7001963
2 015 701-2 077 5001964
2 077 501-2 156 3001965
2 156 301-2 236 5001966
2 236 501-2 254 4001967
2 254 401-2 312 7501968
2 312 751-2 384 7001969
2 384 701-2 468 5001970
2 468 501-2 503 1001971
2 503 101-2 556 5001972
2 556 501-2 663 4001973
2 663 401-2 731 9001974
2 731 901-2 761 1001975
2 761 101-2 809 4001976
2 809 401-2 880 6001977
2 880 601-2 967 2501978
2 967 251-3 013 6501979
3 013 651-3 087 0001980
3 087 001-3 160 5001981
3 160 501-3 249 1001982
3 249 101-3 294 9001983
3 294 901-3 346 2001984
3 346 201-3 383 2001985
3 383 201-3 422 8901986
3 422 891-3 455 8701987
3 455 871-3 478 9001988
3 478 901-3 503 1501989
3 503 151-3 540 4671990
3 540 468-3 583 8301991
3 585 831-3 610 6801992
3 610 381-3 644 4751993
3 644 476-3 677 0301994
3 677 031-3 730 2901995
3 730 291-3 770 9201996
3 770 930-3 818 6241997
3 818 625-3 857 8491998
3 857 850-3 882 9961999
3 882 997-4 000 0002000 ~ 2004
4000000 and aboveAfter 2004

Via Leica Camera Blog Russia

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Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux

LEICA 35MM F1.4 SUMMILUX-M ASPH FLE

Leica Summicron 35mm Asph Review

Leica Product Number11663 (Black) / 11675 (Silver)
Production HistoryMay 2010 to Current
Lens Composition9 Elements / 5 Groups
Floating ElementYes
Angular Field of View63º Diagonal / 54º Horizontal
Minimum Focus.7 Meter / 27 Inches
Aperture10 Blades, Non-Circular
F-Stop ScaleF1.4 to F16 in 1/2 Stop Increments
Filter Size46mm, Non-rotating
Filter ConnectionScrew-in
Lens CapLeica 14231 (Replacement)
Lens HoodLeica 12465 (Replacement)
Lens Hood CapLeica 14212 (Replacement)
Weight324 Grams / 11.375 ounces (includes hood, no caps)
Lens Size58mm Long (when mounted); 57mm Wide (at hood)

Summilux Vs Summicron 35mm

OVERVIEW

The Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH FLE has been a somewhat controversial lens because its existence fundamentally acknowledged focus shift in its predecessor. To minimize minimize focus shift, Leica changed the placement of the aperture blades and updated the lens group behind the aperture blade with floating lens element (FLE) design. While Leica initially passed off the changes as a mild update, the marketing verbiage on Leica’s website has changed over the years -

Leica 35mm Summilux Serial Numbers

“The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. is a further revised version of this popular wide-angle lens for the Leica M rangefinder system. Thanks to the latest developments in the fields of optics and precision engineering, the new 35mm lens sets a whole new standard in the fast wide-angle lens portfolio. 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.”

With these changes came the proverbial “storm in a teacup” as the Leica aficionados debated the merits of the new FLE versus the outgoing Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH. The Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH FLE was introduced in May 2010, so much of that controversy has now since passed.

BUILD QUALITY

The 35mm Summilux-M FLE is 2 ounces heavier than the pre-FLE ASPH version it replaces. The added weight was noticeable at first, but I no longer notice the difference. The lens’ appearance is more industrial - especially the new metal lens hood with its angular design. The lens barrel is a bit wider too. I liked how the pre-FLE version looked on the Leica M9-P, but now I prefer the updated look - especially the new hood design. The new lens hood is smaller and does not block the viewfinder as much. The hood screws on and is perfectly centered when fully screwed in place. The only niggle is the slide-on hood cap which is pretty easy to lose.

The focus and aperture rings are well placed, the focus ring turns very smoothly with little resistance. On the Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH the focus ring is right next to the lens hood lock ring; they were too close. With the new hood design that problem is eliminated. My 35mm FLE had a rattling sound coming from the aperture mechanism; Leica said this was normal in 2012. In August 2013 I sent the lens to Leica and asked them to fix the rattle after reading on a forum that it could be fixed. And the lens did indeed come back with the rattle fixed.

Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH FLE

Ergonomically I love the Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH FLE's compact size and light weight on the Leica M-P (Typ 240) and Leica M9-P. The lens' size feels very well matched both in size and weight with the Leica M bodies.

PERFORMANCE

When looking at pictures from the 35mm ‘Lux FLE, the first and most obvious difference compared to the 35mm 'Lux ASPH (pre FLE) is sharpness. The FLE’s wide-open performance is stunning. It is easily as sharp as the Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH, and so far it seems like the 35mm ‘Lux FLE manages chromatic aberrations better than the 50mm ‘Lux ASPH. If wide open sharpness is a top priority, then the 35mm ‘Lux FLE is a clear-cut winner. But this new design outputs a different image rendering compared to the pre FLE ASPH:

  • DEPTH OF FIELD: even at F1.4 there seems to be a lot of depth of field. On the plus side this makes focusing very forgiving, but the negative side, separating the subject from the background is difficult. I am finding the 35mm FLE to be a great a landscape lens, but at this point I still have a slight preference for the 35mm ASPH for people pictures.
  • SHARPNESS: compared to the Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (Pre-FLE), sharpness is probably where I see the biggest difference. The 35mm FLE's sharpness at F1.4 is very good - I really cannot imagine it being better. And when stopping down to F5.6 or thereabouts, the sharpness across the frame, at the edges, in the corners - all excellent.
  • COLORS: perhaps Leica changed their lens coatings, whatever the case is, in a contrasty setting the colors are very saturated. Since I prefer to shoot color, this is fine with me. Initially sharpness blew me away, but these days it is the colors that blow me away. The 35mm FLE and 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH have a different color rendition than my other M lenses, and I am really like this new color rendition.
  • REFLECTIONS: when taking pictures at night, there has a been some double imaging artifacts (sometimes referred to as ghosting) around bright spots. The chances are this is light bouncing off the Leica M9-P’s sensor, reflecting off the 35mm ‘Lux FLE’s rear element and then back onto the sensor. I have not seen this problem with the Leica M-P Typ 240 or Leica M Monochrom Typ 246.
  • BOKEH: probably the mostly common cited difference in the new 35mm Summilux FLE is its “harsh” bokeh. After taking many side by side test shots with the FLE and non-FLE, while the bokeh is different, there is not a clear winner. I do agree that the new FLE has a more “nervous” bokeh in general, but both lenses are equally capable of producing a nervous bokeh.

Leica 35mm Summilux Asph Fle Serial Numbers

One area where the 35mm 'Lux FLE is often criticized is its harsh bokeh. I had covered many miles and many trips with the pre-FLE version, and never had much (if any) issue with its bokeh, so I expected the 35mm Summilux-M ASPH to trounce the FLE. When I compared the 35mm 'Lux ASPH and FLE's bokeh and the findings were mixed. The comparisons helped me realize that my coveted Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH was not as perfect as I thought:

35mm Summilux-M ASPH @ F1.435mm Summilux-M ASPH FLE @ F1.4

While the comparison shots show the ASPH and ASPH-FLE to be comparable in terms of wide open sharpness, in normal day to day shooting I feel the FLE is markedly sharper and has more depth of field at F1.4. I suspect the increased depth of field is why the bokeh is busier. On the plus side, the added depth of field makes the FLE easier to shoot at F1.4. The corner and edge-to-edge sharpness has improved slightly with the FLE, and again, that is at the consequence of the bokeh. In real world shooting the differences in bokeh do not amount to much. The tree branches above are a worst case (test) scenario with a very busy, very deep background.

Lastly, on the topic of focus shift, I find focus-shift to be a non-issue with the 35mm 'Lux FLE. Focus shift was noticeable in its predecessor (Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (Pre-FLE)), but could be managed. With the new 35mm FLE version, I give zero thought (or worry) to focus shift.

CONCLUSION

If heading to a family event or just out for the day, very often the 35mm 'Lux FLE is the only lens I carry. For my shooting style, the 35mm focal length captures the subject and the location - without being ultra wide and without having the wide angle perspective. 50mm is great for single person portraits and candid shots, but if trying to capture the context of the location and what is going on around the subject, the 35mm focal length works for me. The 35mm 'Lux FLE is my 'go-to' lens for low-light shooting because:

  • A 35mm lens does not require fast shutter speeds, 1/60th is usually sufficient.
  • The 35mm 'Lux FLE is pretty easy to focus, so I shoot F1.4 without too much hesitation.
  • The 35mm 'Lux FLE is fairly compact and is easy to carry as a single lens set-up with the Leica M-P Typ 240.
  • With the 35mm 'Lux FLE's F1.4 aperture and the Leica M Monochrom's Typ 246 high ISO performance, I can shoot handheld in any lighting condition.
  • After 1000's of pictures with the 35mm 'Lux FLE, I am confident in the lens' performance.

There are less expensive fast-apertured 35mm alternatives such as the Zeiss 35mm F1.4 Distagon ZM and Voigtlander 35mm F1.4 Nokton ASPH II, but those lenses are larger and heavier. At this point the 35mm 'Lux FLE has worked so well for me that I do not put any thought or consideration into other 35mm lenses. There is no denying that the 35mm 'Lux FLE is a pricey lens, but the performance-size ratio is excellent. And the 35mm 'Lux FLE is among my most used lenses, if not the the most used lens. So as the cliché goes, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Picking up a used a Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (Pre-FLE) can be financially attractive these days, but I would not down-grade at this point. The 35mm 'Lux ASPH (Pre-FLE) had more purple colored CA (chromatic aberrations) at F1.4 and the focus shift was a concern. The new FLE improves in those areas and offers better resolution and its color rendition has more 'pop'. There is not much else left me to say - the 35mm 'Lux FLE gets a big 'thumbs-up' recommendation.