Leica Summilux-M39 50mm f/1.4

Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 M39

The Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 M39, product code 11621, is a rare screw-mount special edition of the classic Pre-ASPH 50mm Summilux. Leica Classic lists it as “SUMMILUX-M39 1.4/50 silver (11621)” and describes it as a rare collectible Pre-ASPH 50mm Summilux in M39 screw mount, supplied with an M adapter ring [1].

This lens should be treated as a separate collector entry from the standard Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH in M mount. Leica Classic states that only 900 pieces of this special edition were made between 1999 and 2000. Leitz Auction also documents the Summilux f. M39 1.4/50mm 11621 as a rare chrome screw-mount Summilux from a 1999 M39 batch [2].

The M39 version is closely related to the late spherical Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH optical family, but it has a different mount, finish and collector context. It should be kept separate from the original early LTM Summilux 50mm f/1.4 of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the regular M-mount Pre-ASPH Summilux, the Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH, and the later close-focus ASPH version.

Optical qualities

Rendering

The Summilux 50mm f/1.4 M39 belongs to the spherical Pre-ASPH Summilux tradition. It is known for a classic fast-normal rendering style, with lower clinical correction than the later ASPH lens and a more vintage transition from sharp to out-of-focus areas. Since the 11621 is a special screw-mount version of the late Pre-ASPH concept, rendering should be described in relation to the Pre-ASPH Summilux family rather than the later ASPH lens [5].

Sharpness

The late Pre-ASPH 50mm Summilux design is generally respected for strong central performance and improved usability compared with earlier fast 50mm lenses, while still retaining a classic spherical character. Ken Rockwell describes the long-lived Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux as a fast low-light lens with very low distortion, but also notes that the later ASPH version has more modern bokeh and correction. This supports treating the M39 version as a classic spherical lens, not as an ASPH-equivalent optic.

Contrast and color

Contrast is typically more classic than modern ASPH Leica lenses. The late Pre-ASPH E46-era lens benefits from later coating and manufacturing refinements compared with early Summilux generations, but it should still not be described as a modern APO or ASPH lens. Optical condition remains important, especially for haze, coating marks and cleaning marks.

Bokeh and transitions

The lens is valued partly for its classic spherical out-of-focus rendering. The Pre-ASPH 50mm Summilux family can produce distinctive background blur and a less corrected look than the later ASPH version. Strong claims about bokeh should remain measured because the exact diaphragm specification for the 11621 M39 special edition is not consistently documented in public sources.

Handling

The 11621 is a Leica screw-mount lens and was supplied with an M adapter ring according to Leica Classic. This makes it usable on Leica screw-mount cameras and Leica M cameras with the adapter. The M39 special edition should not be described as a normal Summilux-M, because its screw mount is central to its identity and collector value.

Digital use

The lens can be used on Leica M digital cameras with an L39-to-M adapter and on mirrorless cameras with suitable adapters. Because it is a fast f/1.4 rangefinder lens, focus accuracy should be checked carefully on the exact camera body and adapter combination. It has no six-bit coding.

History

Development and Launch

The Summilux 50mm f/1.4 name dates back to Leica’s classic fast-normal lens line. The M39 11621 special edition appeared much later as a screw-mount collector version of the Pre-ASPH Summilux concept. Leica Classic lists the 11621 silver M39 version as made between 1999 and 2000.

Production Evolution

The key identifier is product code 11621. Leica Classic states that the 11621 was made in 900 pieces between 1999 and 2000. Leitz Auction describes an M39 11621 example as a rare chrome screw-mount Summilux from a 1999 M39 batch. Because auction and dealer wording can describe different batches or subsets, the safest database language is that 11621 is a rare M39 special edition produced around 1999 to 2000, with Leica Classic giving 900 pieces.

Special Editions/Variants

The 11621 M39 lens is itself a special edition. It is known in silver / chrome finish and is associated with Japanese-market screw-mount collector demand. Arsenal Photo describes a 2000 example as a small M39 edition, silver chrome, made for the Japanese market, with the same design as the Summilux 50mm version 3 in bayonet mount [4].

Collector Notes

Collectors should verify the 11621 product code, M39 screw mount, silver / chrome finish, serial number, original M adapter ring, caps, box, papers and leather case where present. The lens should not be merged with the regular M-mount Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH, even if the optical design is closely related. Seller titles may write “SUMMILUX-M39” or “Summilux screwmount M39,” but the clean database title should be “Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 M39.”

Special editions

The M39 11621 version is itself a confirmed special edition.

Known collector-relevant variants and related versions include:

• Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 M39, product code 11621, silver / chrome screw-mount special edition.
• Complete 11621 sets with M adapter ring, front cap, rear cap, papers, leather case and maker’s box.
• Standard Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH M-mount version, optically related but separate.
• Early Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 screw-mount lenses from the original production era, historically related but separate.
• Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH, later aspherical generation, separate entry.
• Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH close-focus version, later separate entry.