Re: Sharp Contrasty Summar?
The Summar is a VERY sharp lens if it is working properly...too bad most are not.
I have been luck to find one that cleaned up perfectly and is sharp from F2.6 or so on. By F3.2 the only difference between my Summar and any other 50 is the contrast...or lack therof.
A good rule for using a Summar is to only use THAT lens on the roll of black and white film and to develop about 20% longer than you are used to with modern coated lenses. You need to extend the contrast range of the negative to match what modern papers are tuned for.
If you think about what the common photographic problems in the 30's they were too much contrast in fine grain films and managing grain in the high speed films.
If you process your own negs you can still get amazing full scale images from the Summar, but you need to be in the mindset of developing negs from uncoated lenses.
Finally, an orange filter is a big plus when shooting landscapes with uncoated lenses. It will help clear up the UV and bring out more definition of the tonal scale.
By the way, until the days of digital scanning of color negatives I would say forget the Summar for color. Today the amazing control you have over saturation and contrast means you can get great color prints from the Summar with a bit of tweaking from your scans.
Attached is a shot I made at F2.2 and 1/40th. It's a quick and dirty scan but you can see that for what it was designed for the Summar can excel.
Best wishes
Dan
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