More expensive than a mid-size car

Sep 16, 2008 09:46 GMT  ·  By

Everyone knows only too well that Leica is more of a luxury brand, providing high-end products especially for those for whom money isn't exactly an object. And that's also the case with the latest few lenses released by the company, which provide some top-of-the-range features, but at the same time sell for some absolutely huge price points.

The first new announcement is related to the LEICA NOCTILUX-M 50 mm f / 0.95 ASPH, which, according to the company, will, from now on, hold the title of the world's fastest aspherical lens. Featuring a 0.95 full aperture, the new lens offers superior results even to the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 50 mm f / 1.4 ASPH, which is one of the best lenses ever manufactured.

Besides the NOCTILUX-M, Leica has also introduced three other new lenses, namely the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 21 mm f / 1.4 ASPH, the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 24 mm f / 1.4 ASPH and the compact Leica Elmar-M 24 MM F / 3.8 ASPH Lens.

The first two lenses mentioned above are specially designed for wide angle low light photography, with the 21 mm being in fact a world first for 35 mm digital and film photography. Both lenses have improved features, which help them seriously reduce the vignetting and distortion, parameters traditionally difficult to control in fast wide angle lenses.

Finally, the Leica Elmar-M 24 MM F / 3.8 ASPH Lens can be described as a very good companion for a faster lens, particularly for day time travel or photography in risk environments.

As mentioned right from the start, all of the three new Leica lenses are extremely expensive. Thus, the LEICA NOCTILUX-M 50 mm f / 0.95 ASPH sells for around 11,300 US dollars, the SUMMILUX-M 21 mm f / 1.4 ASPH and LEICA SUMMILUX-M 24 mm f / 1.4 ASPH for around 7,160 US dollars each, while the Elmar-M 24 MM F / 3.8 ASPH is a little bit more down-to-earth, with a retail price of “just” around 2,477 US dollars.

Photo Gallery (4 Images)

LEICA NOCTILUX-M 50 mm f / 0.95 ASPH lens
LEICA SUMMILUX-M 24 mm f / 1.4 ASPH lensLeica Elmar-M 24 MM F / 3.8 ASPH Lens
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