Leica 75mm summarit vs 75mm cron apo

[stump4545]

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besides 1/2 stop faster and nicer close focusing does the 75mm cron apo have anything else over the 75 summarit?

 

 

the 75mm summarit is smaller, lighter.....

 

 

thanks for the help as I am trying to go smaller.

[Paul J]

The cron is sharper up to f4 and has better corners.

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[lct]

The Summicron has 1/2 stop faster, closer focussing distance, built-in (but almost useless) hood, no rubberized focus ring and a slightly softer bokeh i've been told but i have no experience with the Summarit. I would probably order the latter if i needed a back up to my Summicron though.

[stump4545]

what is the benefit of a "rubberized focus ring"?

 

and why is the 75mm cron built in hood useless? too small to be effective?

 

 

thanks!

[lct]

Rubber tends to deteriorate with age and the built-in hood of the 75/2 is not efficient enough indeed, let alone with a filter.

[Tonki-M]

what is the benefit of a "rubberized focus ring"?

 

and why is the 75mm cron built in hood useless? too small to be effective?

 

 

thanks!

 

no benefit on the rubberized focus ring, none that i care for at the least

the hood is a bit short for it to be effective IMHO, but i find that the cron doesn't really need to help from the hood in most situation any how, so no love lost there. i always liked the built-in hood though just for the fact that i can grab my lens without having to worry about accidentally touching the front element, i just grab the whole of the hood worry-free.

[01af]

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I have both, and I prefer the Summarit. It is easier to carry, easier to focus, takes E46 filters, flares less, and is sharper at the frame's center.

 

The Apo-Summicron has slightly less lateral chromatic aberration and more even performance across the frame—that is, better corner sharpness at or near full aperture ... but to me, this doesn't outweigh all its shortcomings.

[lct]

I'm tempted by its size. Is the hood reversible on it? Even with a filter on? Just curious.

[01af]

Is the hood reversible on it?

Yes, it is.

 

 

Even with a filter on?

Yes, sure.

[CheshireCat]

I have both, and I prefer the Summarit. It is easier to carry, easier to focus, takes E46 filters, flares less, and is sharper at the frame's center.

 

The Apo-Summicron has slightly less lateral chromatic aberration and more even performance across the frame—that is, better corner sharpness at or near full aperture ... but to me, this doesn't outweigh all its shortcomings.

 

How do you rate the newest Elmarit-M (the one discontinued in 2008), apart the half-stop difference ?

[Paul J]

The 75 Summarit is supposedly the best performing of the Summarit range. It is very close to the Summicron in performance and as that one is one of the best in the entire Leica range, that says a fair bit. The Summicron is sharper up to f4 and has better corners but supposedly the Summarit is a little sharper beyond that. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a great difference in terms of sharpness.

 

I have used the 35, 50 and 75 Summarits for a couple months and while I was impressed with IQ stopped down a little, I wasn't really a fan of the rendering, the colour and contrast and the build quality but that's obviously a matter of personal taste. Still very good by other brands standards.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Paul J

[tom0511]

I had both for some years but finally sold the Summarit.

I find the Summicron to have more "pop", I mean the Summarit is sharp but the Summicron is super-sharp. I also find the color of the Summicron full of life, it has a slightly better minimum focusing distance and its smaller and its 1/2 f-stop faster (not so important point for me).

 

I own many M lenses but feel the 75 Summicron to be one of the sharpest.

[keithlaban.co.uk]

I had both for some years but finally sold the Summarit.

I find the Summicron to have more "pop", I mean the Summarit is sharp but the Summicron is super-sharp. I also find the color of the Summicron full of life, it has a slightly better minimum focusing distance and its smaller and its 1/2 f-stop faster (not so important point for me).

 

I own many M lenses but feel the 75 Summicron to be one of the sharpest.

 

...and it's smaller???

[Mr_Jones]

Can't speak for the 'cron but the Summarit is excellent. Why not compare the old 75 1.4 though, the images from that lens always catch my eye.

[billo101]

This is my 75 Summicron on Monochrom:

 

 

Great lens!

 

b

[adan]

I've had bad experiences with the Summicron - 3 out of 4 I've tried over the years had major focusing problems (usually focusing beyond infinity at the long end and front-focusing at the close end). Combined with color fringing that makes me think the floating element design is just very "tender" and susceptible to getting out of whack, messing up the "APO" light path. I think it is a great design on the computer, but that even Leica's manufacturing tolerances can't consistently handle a FLE lens of this aperture and long length, with "proxy" rangefinder focusing.

 

(Unfortunately, the one good copy was my first, and had I kept it I would have a happier opinion. )

 

The Summarit is virtually as sharp as the Summicron, at all apertures, in my experience. See charts - height of bottom pair of lines. The lines weave up and down, so the lens that is "on top" depends on which part of the picture you pick.

 

Suffice it to say the Summarit can resolve hairs 1 pixel wide on the M9, wide open.

 

The bokeh (given that it will always vary with lighting contrast, subject matter, and relative subject/background distance) is likewise virtually indistinguishable. Neither is as absolutely creamy as the 75 f/1.4, but well above average.

 

I do REALLY miss the Summicron's close focus ability (and close-focus resolution/contrast/clarity, when behaving properly) in the studio. I'm always ready to give it another try whenever I run across one.

 

Yes, the Summicron's built-in hood is useless - plan to get a good 49mm screw-in metal hood from somewhere if you like hoods. However, I've never had much problem with flare in either lens - even without hoods.

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[stump4545]

how does the APO benefit the summicron?

 

do images made from the summicron have more "pop", as other have mentioned or is this subjective?

 

thank you...

[stump4545]

i mostly between apertures f2 and f 5.6 and 99% in black and white.

 

i always hear about the 75mm cron as being something special but from the post above it would seem the summarit is like its twin....

 

between these apertures and in B+W, will these lenses render the same?

[adan]

how does the APO benefit the summicron?

 

APO is a description, not a specific feature. It means the lens focuses three colors (usually r,g,b, but sometimes r,g and an invisible wavelength like IR or UV, for scientific lenses) in the same plane.

 

Unlike the 75 Summilux, where if green/blue were focused, red was a bit fuzzy (at large apertures).

 

Apochromat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

What it always means is cleaner edges in color pictures, without "spill" of whichever color is misfocused into surrounding areas, which can lead to a "muddiness" of color and concentric color fringes.

 

Except for that effect, APO lenses are not necessarily better in any other way. HOWEVER, if a company goes to the trouble of achieving APO performance, you can usually bet they put extra effort into all aspects of the lens design (coatings, ASPH elements, expensive glass formulas, focus precision, etc.) and thus the overall performance is usually better.

 

Case in point: Leica's first "public" APO lens was the 180mm f/3.4 APO-Telyt-R. It did not, however, use a floating element to correct and maintain its overall performance into the close range - to the extent that Leica mechanically limited it to 2.5 meters (and with good reason - I've used one with an extension tube, and its image quality does degrade below 2 meters. Not horrible, but not as crisp as at infinity).

 

The 75 APO DOES use a floating element, and when it is behaving, it maintains its performance down to 0.7 meters.

 

(Note that the Summarit is also mechanically limited to a longer distance - 0.9 meters. FWIW)

 

As to your other question, I hesitate to comment. My one 75 APO that "worked" I used in the film era - I've used the Summarit only on digital.

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[stephan_w]

I have both and in my opinion the performance of both are almost equal.

 

The rendering of the Summarit is a bit more pleasant for me, while the Apo-summicron has the typical modern Leica-look.

 

The Summarit is a bit lighter, and the rubbergrip more easy to handle. But the lens hood is a mess, unless you accept it to let it on all the time. Then it is easier to handle than the Summicron.

 

If the price is a concern, the Summarit wins hands down, when close focus range and compactnes is important, then the Summicron wins.