Leica User Forum - View Single Post - Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4 or Elmarit-R 24mm f2.8

PeterWerner · 04.05.2008, 12:49

Dugby,

As your original enquiry was posted in mid-April, I am not sure if the comparison under discussion is still an issue to you. If it is, I would like to direct your attention to a number of relevant tests carried out by a leading German magazine, ColorFoto, which seem to confirm part of what has been written in this thread.

In a test around the year-end of 2007, the PanaLeica 25mm Summilux got a rather mixed review, mainly due to value-for-money considerations. However, the technical review was also not as enthusiastic as was usually the case in the past when an original Leica lens was under review. (This was not always so, for example, the 14-50mm Elmarit was highly recommended by ColorFoto.) Unfortunately, I no longer have a copy of that magazine. The 28mm R-Elmarit got rave reviews in 11/1997 and 11/2002, ie it was rated "excellent" and described as being in a class of its own if compared to Nikon's, Canon's etc, but also Zeiss', efforts. The 24mm R-Elmarit got "only" a "very good-excellent"-rating in 11/1997 and they pointed out that it did not quite reach the level of the 24mm M-Elmarit. The latter was rated "excellent" and marginally weaker than the 28mm R-Elmarit.

I am aware that such tests should be taken with a grain of salt. However, if you ignore the comparison with non-Leica lenses, the description of the relative merits of the Leica lenses tested is interesting in my view.

Regards,
Peter.

04.05.2008, 12:49	#8 (permalink)
PeterWerner Neuer Benutzer Join Date: 15.03.2008 Posts: 29	AW: Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4 or Elmarit-R 24mm f2.8 Dugby, As your original enquiry was posted in mid-April, I am not sure if the comparison under discussion is still an issue to you. If it is, I would like to direct your attention to a number of relevant tests carried out by a leading German magazine, ColorFoto, which seem to confirm part of what has been written in this thread. In a test around the year-end of 2007, the PanaLeica 25mm Summilux got a rather mixed review, mainly due to value-for-money considerations. However, the technical review was also not as enthusiastic as was usually the case in the past when an original Leica lens was under review. (This was not always so, for example, the 14-50mm Elmarit was highly recommended by ColorFoto.) Unfortunately, I no longer have a copy of that magazine. The 28mm R-Elmarit got rave reviews in 11/1997 and 11/2002, ie it was rated "excellent" and described as being in a class of its own if compared to Nikon's, Canon's etc, but also Zeiss', efforts. The 24mm R-Elmarit got "only" a "very good-excellent"-rating in 11/1997 and they pointed out that it did not quite reach the level of the 24mm M-Elmarit. The latter was rated "excellent" and marginally weaker than the 28mm R-Elmarit. I am aware that such tests should be taken with a grain of salt. However, if you ignore the comparison with non-Leica lenses, the description of the relative merits of the Leica lenses tested is interesting in my view. Regards, Peter.