>>44554781. it was. removing neither of those things would make the lens significantly better. besides, i can't see any vignetting and you can't tell how sharp the lens is with a dingy scan of a dark alley on expired film. strong lens aberrations appear when wide open but it's normal when stopped down.
2. duh. but how the image looks is not the only thing that matters. i want my camera to be pleasant to operate and have longevity, ie repairability, etc. furthermore, i and many others are happy to shell out heavily for a beautifully designed machine.
3. i shoot two bessas. they are good but you're making plenty of compromises compared to a leica m. those 35s look nice but the zeiss lacks a proper focus tab and neither opens to 1.4. and i doubt either can match the wildness when opened up. more neutral is not the same as better
in the end, your answer is very simple. people spend a lot on the leica and a little on the lens because the leica is more unique, special than the lens. anyways, i've seen the 35mm color skopar in far more setups like this than the nokton. and the skopar is maybe the smallest cheapest 35mm lens on m mount and has a more standard look like those you listed
