Leica 35mm F/2.5 Summarit M or Zeiss ZM Biogon?

[Nicoleica]

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I too would vote for the Summarit. I absolutely love the 35, and the 50 seems to be just as good, although I only used the 50 for a couple of weeks. (It was loaned to me.) I agree with Richard, that some look down upon the Summarits because they are not super-fast or super expensive. But they really are truly lovely lenses, and can give excellent results. If you buy one, you won't be disappointed.

[CharlesL]

Agree with Nicole. In my experience a Summarit 35 takes the best of a Summaron and a Zeiss, combining their virtues in just the right portions.

 

Search Flickr.com for Summarit, looking for the best, not the average.

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[andybarton]

Summarit ( in current terms ) just means a max aperture of f2.5. Nothing more.

[earleygallery]

It's funny, there are constant threads on the forum from people moaning about the price of Leica gear and saying how they need to make more entry level stuff, but then when the do offer something less expensive with slightly less impressive specifications, like a Summarit lens, it's considered not worthy of the Leica name, why is it cheap? because it's no good? is it a plastic lens? etc etc.

 

As Andy points out, the name refers to the maximum aperture. I think they made some very small economies with the manufacturing/design of the Summarit range i.e. only offering black, sharing lens casings with the 35 and 50, but they're still Leica lenses.

 

But of course you're not playing with the big boys unless you have a Nocti or Summilux at the very least, so just don't use your Summarit in public!

[Lord Lucan]

This is an old thread about 35mm lenses.

I am thinking to go for a small size lens.

Anybody owned Summarit 35 f2.5 and Zeiss ZM C Biogon 35 f2.8?

Any opinions,advice?

Intention to use on M240 and Sony mirrorless.

Thanks.

[lct]

[...] Anybody owned Summarit 35 f2.5 and Zeiss ZM C Biogon 35 f2.8?

Any opinions,advice? Intention to use on M240 and Sony mirrorless. [...]

 

I use both lenses on M8.2, M240, Fuji X-E2 & Sony A7s mod. My favorite sharp 35 in good light is the Biogon. I like much the Summarit also but it has more CA than the Biogon and it is rather soft in borders and corners below f/5.6 so i use it on crop cameras only. The Biogon has a bit more vignetting but aside from that its only "flaw" is its high contrast for those preferring softer renderings. Otherwise both lenses are very sharp at all apertures in the center of the frame and are almost flare free.

[Lord Lucan]

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Thanks lct

I want to sell my Sony Zeiss 35 f1.4 ZA and buy one of those slo lens so that it can be used on variety of bodies.

I think THIS price seems to be a lot cheaper than some offerings on auction site.

 I am leaning towards C Biogon.

[Graham (G4FUJ)]

As an M6 and M8 owner, with two Zeiss lenses (25 & 50mm) I have been looking at 35mm.

Unfortunately the one Summarit I was hoping to buy next week has sold between Christmas and New Year, but there are others (used examples - virtually all my kit is pre-owned, let someone else absorb the depreciation). So, as a Zeiss user the Biogon is still very much in the frame (pardon the pun!) due to pricing. However, I really would like to try a Leica lens.

The Voigtlander 50mm f1.1 put me off buying another from that stable (despite reading good reviews of other lenses in their range) mainly due to its size, but it didn't seem to have the clarity of the 50mm Zeiss.

[duckrider]

The Voigtlander 50mm f1.1 put me off buying another from that stable (despite reading good reviews of other lenses in their range) mainly due to its size, but it didn't seem to have the clarity of the 50mm Zeiss.

You can't compare a highly specialized 1.1 lens with standard lens:

Nokton 1.1 or Noctilöux are made for low light photography, they are only 2.choice for "normal" use.

I'd give the 1,4/35 a chance, even if this highly opened lens has it's own character too, but for this price it's a bargain and nice to work with.

Alternatives are Zeissies Biogon or Disatagon 2/35.

 

Thomas

[Graham (G4FUJ)]

You can't compare a highly specialized 1.1 lens with standard lens:

 

I'd give the 1,4/35 a chance, even if this highly opened lens has it's own character too, but for this price it's a bargain and nice to work with.

 

Thomas

No, I appreciate that Thomas, thanks.

I will have to see whether one of my friends uses a Voigtlander 35mm and might be prepared to lend it to me for a week.

Regards,

[geetee1972]

 

I want to sell my Sony Zeiss 35 f1.4 ZA and buy one of those slo lens so that it can be used on variety of bodies.

 

I would forget using any Leica or Zeiss 35mm lenses on the Sony A7 series of cameras. None of them work at all well; they all smear and vignette terribly well into the first third of the frame at anything larger than f/5.6. It makes them totally redundant. I have tried the 35 Summicron and a friend of mine has tried the Zeiss 35mm Biogon and Distagon with the same frustrating results. I haven't tried a 35mm Summarit but I can't see why it would not also suffer the same problem.

 

The best choice for a 35mm lens you can use on both a Leica M mount and a Sony A7 is the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.7 Ultron, which is a very nicely constructued lens especially in Chrome (though it is considerably larger and heavier than either the Leica or Zeiss offering but then it is half a stop faster then both) and works perfectly on the Sony.

 

This article on that subject should help you:

 

https://lepetitphotoblog.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/sony-a7s-and-the-voigtlaender-ultron-35mm-f1-7-vm/

 

My friend's blog in  general has lots of other articles on using M mount lenses on the Sony A7 range so you might want to also look more generally at what he has written.

 

https://lepetitphotoblog.wordpress.com/

[lct]

All my 35mm Leica (35/1.4 pre-asph, 35/1.4 FLE, 35/2 asph, 35/2 v4, 35/2.5), ZM (35/2.8) and CV (35/1.4 SC) M lenses work well on my A7s modded by Kolari Vision. FWIW.

Edited January 4, 2017 by lct

[geetee1972]

 

modded by Kolari Vision. FWIW.

 

By modded do you mean you've had the layer of glass on the surface of the sensor removed? I recall either you or someone else posting this before.

[lct]

I'm no techie at all sorry but Kolari puts a thinner filter instead of the Sony sensor stack i believe.

See:

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/01/a-thinner-sensor-stack

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2016/07/guide-to-leica-wide-angle-lenses-on-sony-a7-series-bodies/

 

[TomB_tx]

I hear the Kolari mod is a good improvement for smearing, but of course the edge color shifts are still there. But unlike the smearing, the color issues can be corrected in post.

I've debated getting my A7 modded, as I do like the CV 35 1.4 on it, but I mainly use mine with SLR lenses. Maybe I'll pick up a 2nd body, since used A7s are reasonable.

[uhoh7]

I hear the Kolari mod is a good improvement for smearing, but of course the edge color shifts are still there. But unlike the smearing, the color issues can be corrected in post.

I've debated getting my A7 modded, as I do like the CV 35 1.4 on it, but I mainly use mine with SLR lenses. Maybe I'll pick up a 2nd body, since used A7s are reasonable.

Color shift only remains serious on the A7r. A7 Kolari is OK. However only a few wider lenses are as good as M240/M9. The ZM35/2 is certainly not. The Biogon-C I doubt. They are much better than the stock sony but not up to Leica M. SEM 18 is same as M240, and also likely 28 Lux. SEM 24 is not.

 

That's because with a kolari A7 you have .7mm clear coverglass + .8mm IR cut in the filter stack (which replaces the 1.9mm sony filters). In the M9 you have .8mm IR cut in the coverglass, and nothing more. Same idea in M 240. There are some new mods which take the Sonys closer:

 

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1465200/0?keyword=thin#13839278

 

I will do something like these in A7r2.

 

elle by unoh7, ZM 35/2 WO with A7 Kolari

 

Zm35/2 in landscape mode on A7.mod This lens actually will shift colors on the M240, but is spectacular on M9.

Foothills of Smoky Dome by unoh7, on Flickr

 

below on M9:

 

Hello D by unoh7, on Flickr

 

L1020950 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

All this said the Biogon-C is more popular today than 35/2 and many really like the summarit.

Edited January 5, 2017 by uhoh7

[lct]

Nice pics . No problem with ZM 35/2.8 on my A7s mod but i have no experience with ZM 35/2.

[B-A-C]

I've never used a Summarit.  The Zeiss 32/f2 was incredible on my M6.  I sold it to fund a 35 'cron ASPH and I actually regret it.  While i prefer the handling of the cron the image quality from the Zeiss is better.

[01af]

If you want the bestest 35 mm lens for Leica M then avoid the Summicron-M 35 mm Asph. Better get the Summilux-M 35 mm Asph, the Summarit-M 35 mm Asph, or the C-Biogon T* 35 mm 1:2.8.

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Hallo,

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[jaapv]

I cannot agree. Looking at the way these lenses render images I prefer the Summicron. I sold my Summilux-M 35 asph because I did not like it despite technical perfection and use the Biogon C on the Monochrom because I find the color rendering different from Leica lenses.