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Leica 75mm summarit vs 75mm cron apo


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A mental exercise for the op to decide which to get..cron 75 or the summarit 75..

 

They both cost the same.

 

Which would you buy? Which would you want to buy?

 

And why?

 

You have your answer.

 

p.s.

 

Almost forgot. Best wishes from the 75mm.

 

p528550222.jpg

Edited by fursan
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  • 3 years later...

I am facing this choice now, and are torn between Summarit 2.4 vs Summicron APO 75mm. Came over this post while google, so maybe this is a long lost post that and there are newer post here. If so post the link. 

 

Statement are that the Summicron APO 75mm are built similar to the 50mm Summilux ASPH. Got the same "look" on the images.

 

I got the 50 summilux ASPH today, but I want to change to a 35mm FLE / 75mm setup.  I love how the 50mm Summilux ASPH render the images and give a 3d look.

 

Would I miss this with the 75 summicron, and how similar are the 2.4 Summarit now compare to the APO summicron. 

Edited by IBICO
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I find the Summicron asph to draw with more saturation and pop. The Summarit draws a bit "smoother".

I found the Summarit to be less problematic regarding focus. (it just seemed to work on my bodys, while I had to send in the Summicron twice.

I lean towards the Summicron of price is not an issue, because it pops more, shorter minimum focus distance, and f2.0.

But I could be happy with the Summarit as well. I like the sturdy shade of the Summarit.

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Leica obviously charge a lot more for the Summicron for a reason. Floating elements, exotic glass types, APO correction and so on. How important to the user and how obvious it is to the viewer are different questions and are obviously subjective. I am sure there are many users of either that are quite happy. My advice would be to try both at a retailer and decide for yourself. Good luck!

Edited by Mark T
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There was much posted on the Forum some years ago about new 75 APO-Summicrons poorly focus-calibrated on delivery. Mine was one such lens which was impossible to focus accurately. After a return for warranty calibration it has been perfect and has subsequently given me no focus problems whatsoever. 

Edited by MarkP
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I have the 75/2 APO, 50/1.4 Asph and 35/1.4 FLE and think they all give similar-looking pictures. I don't pixelpeep or bother much about 'rendering' but the photos look clean and sharp. There was a thread a few years ago at GetDPI comparing the 75 Summilux, Summicron and Summarit so that might help you in deciding. 

 

I don't like my 75 however, it's my least used M lens. It has nothing to do with its optical or mechanical performance, both of which are really perfect. It's the focal length I don't like much. My most used lenses are 50mm and 90mm so at 75mm I'm neither here nor there. 

 

br

Philip

 

I am facing this choice now, and are torn between Summarit 2.4 vs Summicron APO 75mm. Came over this post while google, so maybe this is a long lost post that and there are newer post here. If so post the link. 

 

Statement are that the Summicron APO 75mm are built similar to the 50mm Summilux ASPH. Got the same "look" on the images.

 

I got the 50 summilux ASPH today, but I want to change to a 35mm FLE / 75mm setup.  I love how the 50mm Summilux ASPH render the images and give a 3d look.

 

Would I miss this with the 75 summicron, and how similar are the 2.4 Summarit now compare to the APO summicron. 

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Acquired a Summarit 75/2.5 since the opening of this thread. The lens is smaller, lighter and it so good at all apertures that i use the 75/2 apo in low light only now. The accessory hood of the 75/2.5 is much more efficient than the built-in one of the 75/2 but it is painful to use as it takes too long to screw and unscrew so i tend to let it in the bag or the box actually. Same problem with the Summarit 90 BTW. The 75/2.5 doesn't flare much though fortunately. The 0.9m minimum focus distance is too long if the lens is used with an M body though. Better choose the f/2.4 version which focuses at 0.7m then. Couple of test snaps with my A7s mod here: https://lctphot.smugmug.com/Diverse/Summarit-7525/n-HdQ6gN/

 

 
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I'd suggest the Summarit. In theory, the Summicron can be spectacular, but at f2.0 the DOF is so shallow as to be unusable without perfect ranger finder adjustment, tripod, stationary subject, meticulous technique...so operatively I use mine at 4.0. Maybe as a studio camera by a professional photographer it's more useful? Summicron build quality is very nice, and the chinese 49mm hoods are an inexpensive and more functional substitute?

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Both lenses give excellent results and reward good technique with lots of pop and good subject isolation and bikes. The Summicron has better performance inside 1.5 meters and also provides the largest image scale /magnification of any Leica M lens without a macro adapter.

 

As to the built-in lens hood on the Summicron, it works well to prevent casual bumps to the front element, but that's about it. For most purposes, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart from looking at images. I don't like the rubber focus ring on the Summarit--mine discolored within a couple years.

 

On balance, the Summarit is a great value and I would not hesitate to recommend it if you don't need the close focus.

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The 75 f/2.5 Summarit is a fine lens with perfect weight, perfect size & accepts E46 filters; however, I could not overlook the rubber focus ring - it just didn't feel right. Eventually, I upgraded to the 75 f/2.0 APO Summicron ASPH for that reason only. Having used both, I found that the 75 Summarit was easier & quicker to focus than the 75 APO. You really can’t go wrong with either choice.

 

Here’s a photo taken with the 75 f/2.5 Summarit (ISO 640, 1/90 sec @f/5.7):

post-18759-0-72919100-1485394113_thumb.j

 

Here’s a photo taken with the 75 f/2.0 APO Smmicron ASPH (ISO 320, 1/90 sec @f/4.0):

 

post-18759-0-94348000-1485394467_thumb.j

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I enjoy using the 75mm Summarit and its compactness. The hood is left attached to my Summarit; it has its own hood cap. It fits easily into a normal travel bag and is then ready for use at any time. Rarely do I yearn for the closer close-focusing ability.  I bought mine for my M8 expecting to sell once I returned to full-frame sensor. But the lens stayed and is one of my favourites.

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The 75 focal length sounds odd first, but is actually very useful, specifically also, indoors. Yes - the 75 frame lines are worse than the others, but humans can and will adjust, if they want to ;) . I had the earlier Summarit and only sold it because I got a deal on the Summicron I could not pass up. Advantages of the Summicron are

  • Larger aperture, nothing dramatic
  • Slightly better "pop", wide open, and still good enough to focus
  • focuses down to 70 cm, which gives one of the best reproduction scales of all Leica M lenses, short of macro lenses
  • built-in hood

That being said, the 75 Summarit is really excellent, too. I had no issues mechanically at all with it. It has the same size as the 1.4/50 Summilux, and a very useful 46 mm filter thread. People will say the hood is anyway not effective, but this is not completely true. Also, there is some protection against things touching the front lens. The hood can be reversed and IIRC correctly a 52mm snap cap will cover it when reversed. The Summicron 75 and the Summilux 50 produce very similar rendering, in my eyes. Something I personally like. Bottom line, the tight budgeteer buys a used Summarit - else I'd put my money on a Summicron in good condition. It is just that good.

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26048658743_b20d9518da_b.jpg

Oh! by unoh7, 75/2.5 on A7.mod

 

30277508396_9a7a66977e_b.jpg

Under a fall Sun by unoh7, 75/2.5 on M9

 

Believe it or not, the 75 lux is meant to beat them both at 5.6 and on down. But F/2 to F/4 the cron is incredible. The 90 summarit is just a tad stronger than the 75 out to the edge.

 

30196839552_2e40217f8b_b.jpg

L1054798 by unoh7, 75/2.5 on M9

 

The 75 Summarit does purple fringe, which surprised me.

 

28063451484_b3e2806ee5_b.jpg

L1051350 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

The great advantage over the cron:

26175044061_229252ee8c_z.jpg

Semi fast by unoh7, on Flickr

 

No way will I carry lux or cron in backcountry.

 

26175044081_cb924b2d75_z.jpg

Semi fast by unoh7, small 90s and 75s

 

The summarit is stronger than the CV, despite myths, both of them :)

 

It's pretty simple, for indoors or portrait the faster lenses are nicer, for travel, smaller is king. :)

 

The Cron is 430 grams, Lux 560. I knew I was not going to carry the Cron anyway, so I bought a Lux. You get the glowy 1.4, At f/2 it's actually very close to the cron--but not as good---but you are thinking "too sharp" anyway on faces. 90 pre-asph for portraits is better than either. Nikkor 85/2 RF also.

 

Keep in mind the 90/2.5 is stronger, and that was the lens Puts actually carried quite a bit. 50-75 is pretty close. 50-90 is very nice.

 

26442671060_8c53d9f25c_b.jpg

Spanish Horse by unoh7, 90/2.5 WO on M9

 

My core landscape now is 28cron(unbeatable), 50 cron v4/tiny, 90/2.5. I will add UWA and 135 APO sometimes. I am not shooting next to the car that often, I actually carry them. I tried CV 75 and 90, but not quite there.

 

If you just want the greatest technical 75 f/4 to f/2 nothing will beat the APO. It probably beats the 2.5 everywhere, but not the lux--or so I read. You tend to shoot the lux fast, but when I first got mine I did a test shot at 5.6, not expecting greatness.

 

16001510280_862d3e4f0c_b.jpg

L1026162 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

75 is very focus sensitive, so in landscapes you can miss shots every so slightly. That last may be 6.7 or even f/8. DOF is issue. Really smart would be to see what is best at f/11. And that varies more than you would think. My best lens at f/11: 28 cron.

Edited by uhoh7
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