LOL! I just read what you wrote after writing my lengthy post above. You stated exactly what I feel many M users feel about shooting their M camera vs. other systems they have , whether Nikon, the S2 or Medium format. Namely when it comes down to absolute sharpness and resolution above everything else, thats fine for those other systems (and rightfull so for most)...but when it comes down to why they shoot a Leica M, for some, it's more than absolute resolution & sharpness...but charater too in the way their lenses "draw" an image. Your expressing spending for a Noct before wanting the new 50mm AA is just an example...or if you wanted a techinically perfect images, you would use your S2. Interesting!I have the feeling that for "absolute" IQ I would rather use MF (in my case S2), and that for using the M9 I am pretty happy with the IQ I can get from a 50 Summilux or Summarit. And for that amount of money I rather like to have the "special effects" of the Noctilux.
But ....maybe I will change my mind after having seen the first images with this lens. And I have to say I do like that Leica is brave enough to present a lens like this.
I agree, the Leica lenses you mentioned still have character, even though they are of modern design....but I also see a trend with many recent Leica M lens releases....and that is technical perfection above all else. The 75mm cron, the new 50mm Cron APO (although we still have to see what images from it are like), the new 21mm f3.4 and most notably the new 35mm Lux asph FLE are just a few examples. The current 50mm Lux asph although having maybe less character than the pre asph, does have a signature than many identfy with. It's just a recent trend in my opinion and I've heard it said by others. Again its all very subjective...no right or wrong and it depends on one's intended use.
Dave (D&A)