Leica brings a black colorway to the 35mm Summilux in a limited special edition of the king of bokeh
(Image credit: Leica)
Leica’s legendary M-Lenses have got quite a reputation. Take the Leica Summilux-M 35 f/1.4 for example. It's been around since 1961, back when it was the fastest wide-angle lens out there. And guess what? It's still making waves today with the announcement of a new edition.
Leica has gone ahead and given this classic lens a makeover, but not just any makeover – a strictly limited design variant with a special serial number. Picture this… a sleek black anodized finish with that iconic silver stainless steel front ring, known as the “Steel Rim”. And check out the engraving on the front, it reads “LEITZ WETZLAR”. It's those little details that really make it stand out.
(Image credit: Leica)
They didn't stop there, either. The black-painted brass focus lock button? Yeah, it's going to develop a unique patina with regular use. Plus, they've gone the extra mile to make sure this special edition stays true to the original. The engravings on the focus ring were adjusted, and they've even swapped the arrangement of the feet and meter scale to match the original. Talk about attention to detail!
Shooting it wide open can create these stunningly soft, almost ethereal backgrounds – the kind of bokeh that's practically magical and incredibly hard to replicate even with all the digital wizardry out there. That's why they call it the “True King of Bokeh”.
(Image credit: Leica)
It's not just about dreamy bokeh though. When stopping down to f/2.8, this lens delivers razor-sharp images with minimal distortion, meeting all the high standards of modern image quality and the best Leica cameras. It's like having the best of both worlds in one lens.
The packaging itself is a nod to its vintage origins, giving it this cool retro vibe. Buyers also get a lens container, a clip-on lens hood, and an additional round lens hood with E46 thread for filter fans It's like a complete package tailored for Leica enthusiasts like me.
But it might take a while to get your hands on this black anodized Leica Summilux-M 35 f/1.4 with its own engraved special serial number, as it's only available in selected Leica Stores worldwide, and it comes with a massive price tag of £8,600.00, or approximately $10,934.
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For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.
