Summicron 35mm f/2 (v1, eight elements)

Variants & identification

1. 1959 US list: $174 for the screw mount and for the plain M bayonet version, $207 for the goggled M3 version. Prices to about 1965 included the wartime Federal Excise Tax (Ken Rockwell).
2. The glass is a thorium-free lanthanum type developed for this lens in Leitz's own laboratories; the coating is a single amber layer, which biases the lens slightly cyan against later Leitz optics (Rockwell).
3. Rockwell reports Canada-engraved examples dated 1960–1965 and Wetzlar-engraved ones from 1965–1966, so the two plants overlapped rather than succeeded one another.
4. Order numbers: 11 008 (SAWOO) screw; 11 308 (SAWOM) plain M, 11 307 Z in black; 11 108 (SAMWO) goggled M3, 11 104 in black. The hood is IROOA, later 12 571 J from 1961 and 12 585 from 1964 (Rockwell).
5. Rockwell's text dates the goggled M3 version 1958–1974, five years past the 1969 end the Leica Wiki gives — and past the range in his own page title.
6. Buyers number the 35mm f/2 Summicrons v1 to v6: v1 the eight-element of 1958; v2 the six-element of 1969; v3 of 1973 (the same six elements in a new barrel); v4 of 1979, the one called the bokeh king; v5 the ASPH of 1997; v6 the ASPH II of 2016, the 1997 glass in a new barrel; and the APO-Summicron-M 35 ASPH of 2021 beyond them. This entry uses that numbering, and the other pages carry the rest.
7. Atelier Leica's catalogue (Japanese): 150 g, E39 filter, hoods 12571 (IROOA) and 12585; M2 lenses without goggles and M3 lenses with; silver chrome and a partly black-painted black chrome; German-built lenses scarcer and dearer than Canadian; clean examples now ¥400,000–700,000 and, Fotoborse says, approaching ¥1,000,000 for the best. Its verdict repeats the consensus — weak into the light, corners that fall apart wide open, and metalwork and plating of the highest quality.

• Screw mount (SAWOO): 1.6% of the model, and the most expensive version: $1,600 in 2010 against $1,050 for a chrome M2 version.
• M3 version with goggles (SAMWO): Nearly half the bayonet production, because the M3 could not show a 35mm frame.
• Black: The price gap is the evidence of scarcity: $2,600 for a black M2 version against $1,050 for chrome, in the same 2010 list.

Specifications

Formula

Modified Gauss

Designed by

Walter Mandler — optical design

Construction

8 elements / 6 groups

Aperture range

f/2–f/16

Min. focus

0.65 m

Dimensions

51 × 28.4 mm

Weight

150 g

Filter

39 mm

Years manufactured

1958–1969

Country

Germany

Material

Chrome-plated brass

Original price

$174 (1959 US list, screw mount and plain M); $207 with the M3 goggles

What reviewers say

• Ken Rockwell (blog) — Among the finest 35mm lenses ever made — tiny, ultra-sharp and without visible distortion — and he notes that collectors pay most for the plain and screw-mount versions when the goggled M3 version is the more useful lens on any modern M.
• Atelier Leica (at-leica.com), catalogue review (blog) — "逆光にはやや弱く、開放では周辺部が崩れる" — somewhat weak against the light and the edges collapse wide open, the old-lens traits; the plating and machining of the best quality, and the rendering recognised as the summit of its day.

History

This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.

Example photos

Sample photo wanted — shot with a Summicron 35mm f/2 (v1, eight elements)? We'd love to feature it (with credit).

Live listings

• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.2 6-element — HK$16,000.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm F2 - v2 / 6 Elements / Aperture Lever — SN 2447942 — HK$17,800.00 · Fotopia Gallery & Camera Equipment
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 M3 8-element Silver — HK$25,800.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm F2 - Silver / v1 / 8 Elements — SN 2167702 — HK$28,800.00 · Fotopia Gallery & Camera Equipment
• Leica Summicron 35mm F2 LTM - Silver / v1 / 8 Elements — SN 1655390 — HK$35,800.00 · Fotopia Gallery & Camera Equipment
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm F2 - Silver / v1 / 8 Elements — SN 2134657 — HK$36,800.00 · Fotopia Gallery & Camera Equipment
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-element Canada — HK$38,800.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-Element Kanto Repaint M3 — HK$38,800.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-element Silver Canada — HK$39,800.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 Canada Silver 8-element — HK$42,800.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-element LTM — HK$43,800.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-element LTM — HK$48,000.00 · LSKamera
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-Element Black Yellow Scale — HK$168,000.00 · LSKamera · likely black
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-element Black Paint M2 — HK$178,000.00 · LSKamera · likely black
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 Red Scale Black 8-element Canada — HK$218,000.00 · LSKamera · likely black
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-Element Black M3 — HK$268,000.00 · LSKamera · likely black
• Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 8-Element Black Paint Germany Brass Mount — HK$298,000.00 · LSKamera · likely black
• [Near Mint] Leica Leitz Canada Summicron 35mm f2 Black M Mount Lens Japan M016 — $1,189.99 · eBay · likely black
• Leica 6 Elements V2 Leica Leitz Summicron M 35mm F2 Lens — $1,199.00 · Cardinal Camera (Used)
• Leica Summicron M 35mm f2 Black Leitz Canada 11309 — $1,479.99 · Cardinal Camera (Used) · likely black

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Listings updated 2026-09-11. Links go to the shop or marketplace that carries the item.