Kristian Dowling - 28mm Summilux 1.4 Review

[Rick]

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http://kristiandowling.com/blog/2015/7/21/leica-summilux-m-2814-asph-field-review

 

A really nice review of the 28 Summilux.  I tried the lens and found it a little large... That is about all I can come up with to hold myself off from buying it.  This is probably my favorite modern Leica lens.  Just a matter of time before this becomes my all around lens.  Until then, my summicron remains my favorite.

[sml_photo]

Thanks for the review!
Does it block the viewfinder significantly?  Especially with the full screen/28mm lines?

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[Overgaard]

Thanks for the review!

Does it block the viewfinder significantly?  Especially with the full screen/28mm lines?

Not in my opinion.

[jrp]

I think that the lens has a lovely rendering, particularly for night shots.  And its sharp wide open (at least for a large part of the centre) which is not typical for SLR lenses.

[gpwhite]

http://kristiandowling.com/blog/2015/7/21/leica-summilux-m-2814-asph-field-review

 

A really nice review of the 28 Summilux.  I tried the lens and found it a little large... That is about all I can come up with to hold myself off from buying it.  This is probably my favorite modern Leica lens.  Just a matter of time before this becomes my all around lens.  Until then, my summicron remains my favorite.

 

Well, I would buy one now before the next pricing round begins.

 

Rick, when you get accustomed to its footprint, the balance on an M is really nice (not front-weighted like the 24 or 21) and the spacing of the aperture ring from the focus ring match my left hand as though tailor made. So the size works well, I think.

 

The rendering is the whole reason to take the plunge. It is unique amongst Leica WA. As you say, you can already see why it is your favorite Karbenisches Objectiv.

[MarkP]

Nice review. For the first time I'm thinking about this lens, having previously dismissed it out of hand.

 

50 and 28 are by far my most used FLs. I have a number of 50s and two 28s (my favourite, the 28 Summicron ASPH, and the 28 Elmarit ASPH), and a MATE.

So why not another 28  . No rush though.

Edited August 1, 2015 by MarkP

[lct]

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[...] Does it block the viewfinder significantly?  Especially with the full screen/28mm lines?

 

According to Sean Reid, it blocks from 10% to 15% of the frameline w/o hood and from 14% to 18% with the hood mounted.

[Exodies]

He's earned his income right there. It must be quite a pita to measure the blocking percentage. Or is there a simple trick to it which I don't know about?

[sml_photo]

According to Sean Reid, it blocks from 10% to 15% of the frameline w/o hood and from 14% to 18% with the hood mounted.

Most lenses seem to block some part of the viewfinder.  I wonder how these percentages compare to some other lenses such as other 28's, 50mm Summilux, etc. That might help put things into a clearer perspective. 

[lct]

S. Reid does it in each of his reviews if memory serves (i'm not a subscriber of them sorry) but this image from K. Dowling gives a visual indication:

http://tinyurl.com/nznhl6l

[sml_photo]

Yes....I saw that.  I'm mostly curious to see how it compares to other lenses I may considering (other 28's).

Thx.  

[edwardkaraa]

S. Reid does it in each of his reviews if memory serves (i'm not a subscriber of them sorry) but this image from K. Dowling gives a visual indication:

http://tinyurl.com/nznhl6l

Wow, that is a lot of blockage.

[sml_photo]

Wow, that is a lot of blockage.

Yes, it looks that way to me, too. 

And to think I was concerned about the amount of blockage with the 28 Summicron compared to the 28 Elmarit!

I like the idea of the larger apertures, but I wonder how much that blockage would eventually bother me. 

On the other hand, my 50 Summilux has some blockage and it's not a big deal for me at this point.  Does anyone know how the blockage of the 28 Summicron compares to the blockage with the 50 Summilux?

[Ai_Print]

Does anyone know how the blockage of the 28 Summicron compares to the blockage with the 50 Summilux?

 

A fair bit less in the overall VF than the 50 since it is shorter and tapers at the front but a noticeable amount more into the actual frame lines than the 50 for obvious reasons. I have the Elmarit and it is really fun to use due to how little it invades either the VF or the frame lines.

 

In regards to the 28 Lux, that is just way too much blockage for my liking, the 35 Lux is about all I can take in RF.

Edited August 1, 2015 by Ai_Print

[jrp]

Well, I would buy one now before the next pricing round begins.

 

In which direction, and in which currency?   http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Leica/Leica-M-System-Lenses has price graphs that, at least in the UK, seem to be heading south at present 

[gpwhite]

In which direction, and in which currency?   http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Leica/Leica-M-System-Lenses has price graphs that, at least in the UK, seem to be heading south at present 

 

This is quite true overall. But if you look at the 28 Summilux, or the 50 Summilux ASPH black chrome, they are not discounted in the current market conditions. Even in Hong Kong, please find one piece below Leica's recommended price.

 

If you look at actual market prices today (not just Leica recommended price), I imagine that S lenses and 28 Summilux will only go up from here (perhaps in six months?).

 

Oh yes, I mean in US$. If you by in Euro now and can export outside of the the EU, then the prices are even 5% or more cheaper.

Edited August 2, 2015 by gpwhite

[hiepphotog]

This is quite true overall. But if you look at the 28 Summilux, or the 50 Summilux ASPH black chrome, they are not discounted in the current market conditions. Even in Hong Kong, please find one piece below Leica's recommended price.

 

If you look at actual market prices today (not just Leica recommended price), I imagine that S lenses and 28 Summilux will only go up from here (perhaps in six months?).

 

Oh yes, I mean in US$. If you by in Euro now and can export outside of the the EU, then the prices are even 5% or more cheaper.

 

I don't track S lenses, but have been tracking Lux 28. It has dropped roughly $500 from the MSRP in HK:

 

http://forum.hklfc.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=165639&highlight=28%2B1.4

 

SX 50 Black chrome is a limited edition piece so it might hold its price a bit longer. But with only 500 lenses world-wide and it's still here, it has lost its initial momentum already.

[Keith (M)]

The latest issue (Sept) of the BJP dropped through the letterbox this week.  On page 68 is a review by Damien Demolder of the Summilux-M f1.4 28mm.  He tests it on a M-P and is quite critical of vignetting plus the effects of this on the centre-weighted metering.   His main critiscisms though are reserved for the amount of

colour fringing and chromatic breakup the lens suffers from. Purple fringes appear in some cases right across the frame and have the capacity to colourise otherwise black-and-white scenes, while bright red and green glows often accompany a high-contrast edge - a building against the sky for example.

 

Oh, and he also writes

The aperture range runs from f1.4 to f16 in full stop steps...

Really?

 

 

[CheshireCat]

Indeed, it is disappointing a lens of this price suffers from chromatic errors that sometimes are noticeable even at web resolution.

I did not expect this from Leica's lens designers, and I'm eagerly waiting for a Zeiss alternative.

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[Rick]

Indeed, it is disappointing a lens of this price suffers from chromatic errors that sometimes are noticeable even at web resolution.

I did not expect this from Leica's lens designers, and I'm eagerly waiting for a Zeiss alternative.

 

LCA (and its effect off the plane of focus) is present in modern high contrast lenses.  It just goes with the territory.  Choose an older design if it bothers you.