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35mm summilux 1st version with eye or without eye

Hi. Everyone.
My friend want to buy the 35mm summilux 1st version good condition lense.
He heard about the lens from an expert in the club. (korean leicaclub)
He said to me... the lens makes the image very soft and warm, and the photo of the lens has a glow like(?) characteristics.
I think the lens price is so expensive....
It is just due to the rarity but not due to the exellant imaging in my opinion. ^^
I wonder how good is the lens.
and... If my friend buy the lens, what is better between with eye or without eye?
I heard about that... with eye has more short focusing distance (0.6m) than 1.0m without eye version. But, without eye is more compact and beautiful appearance.
 
I have got one of this pre-ASPH 35mm Summilux, and do not complain for its slight softness and glow when used wide open at all. At open aperture, the sharpness fall off from centre to edge rather quickly, and could be quite annoying sometimes, but depends on the composition, if used properly, it just add to the picture a dream like atmosphere, which is very unique. When stopped down from F/4 onwards, the lens is just as sharp and analytical as any other lens I have ever used.

Technically speaking, this lens is far from "perfect", nor as good as the new ASPH Summilux, but it offer bags of characters. Its not really very expensive at all, good condition used probably just cost about half of the new 35mm Summilux ASPH.

Most of my more experienced mates actually prefer the non-ASPH family than the new one, and from time to time, I heard of people regretting to "upgrade" their non-ASPHs to the new one. Most of them complain the ASPH versions become lack of characters and the bokehs are less smooth and not as good looking as the old ones. This is all very subjective though.
 
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