w44neg Posted April 4, 2017 Share #1 Posted April 4, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Yesterday I picked up an M240 with a 35mm Summicron ASPH. Stunning lens, I've had one before and loved every second of it. Today though, I spotted a used Summilux FLE and the seller, a dealer offered a little more off the price and I just couldn't resist. I have no idea if the f1.4 will make any difference to me, but at least it's there if I need it. The 35mm is my most-used focal length so hopefully these was the right long-term decision? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 4, 2017 Posted April 4, 2017 Hi w44neg, Take a look here I caved in and bought an FLE. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jmahto Posted April 4, 2017 Share #2 Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) You will love it. My FLE was also an impulse purchase. However I am more of 28/50 focal length person and over time didn't use my 35mm FLE much. But it is simply gorgeous wide open indoors. Enjoy. Edited April 4, 2017 by jmahto 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 5, 2017 Share #3 Posted April 5, 2017 Only cons of the 35/1.4 FLE it is a bulkier and heavier lens and i find its bokeh a bit harsh at f/2-f/2.8 compared to the 35/2 asph. The FLE is my favorite sharp 35 in low light though 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmahto Posted April 5, 2017 Share #4 Posted April 5, 2017 Only cons of the 35/1.4 FLE it is a bulkier and heavier lens and i find its bokeh a bit harsh at f/2-f/2.8 compared to the 35/2 asph. The FLE is my favorite sharp 35 in low light though I have found bokeh to be harsh to my taste only for certain backgrounds. Most of the times wide open indoor shots are beautiful. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 5, 2017 Share #5 Posted April 5, 2017 Bokeh is rather harsh at f/2-f/2.8 to me. Matter of tastes of course but i prefer the 35/2 asph from this viewpoint. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhoh7 Posted April 5, 2017 Share #6 Posted April 5, 2017 (edited) I'm a big fan of the FLE. I don't have one yet, but I have seen it in many shots. I think bokeh "issue" is way overblown, but that's a matter of personal taste. Some of the nicest M10 shots I've seen yet are with the FLE. Personally I use the ZM35/2 and CV 35/1.2 most at the moment. But the FLE is getting quite affordable... The FP waves (mid-zone dip) make it a bit of an expert lens shot fast, like the 50 Lux ASPH. Can't take it for granted, I suspect congrats to OP, post some samples! Edited April 5, 2017 by uhoh7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
w44neg Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share #7 Posted April 5, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks for the replies. I tend to shoot mostly wide open or around f4+ so if the bokeh is only problematic at f2/2.8 I should hopefully avoid any issues. With it being 35mm, for my general photography, enough is in focus at f1.4. I'm a big fan of the FLE. I don't have one yet, but I have seen it in many shots. I think bokeh "issue" is way overblown, but that's a matter of personal taste. Some of the nicest M10 shots I've seen yet are with the FLE. Personally I use the ZM35/2 and CV 35/1.2 most at the moment. But the FLE is getting quite affordable...The FP waves (mid-zone dip) make it a bit of an expert lens shot fast, like the 50 Lux ASPH. Can't take it for granted, I suspect congrats to OP, post some samples! Thanks, sorry to ask but what is the mid-zone dip? I'm not very technical with this stuff :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 5, 2017 Share #8 Posted April 5, 2017 Thanks for the replies. I tend to shoot mostly wide open or around f4+ so if the bokeh is only problematic at f2/2.8 I should hopefully avoid any issues. With it being 35mm, for my general photography, enough is in focus at f1.4. Thanks, sorry to ask but what is the mid-zone dip? I'm not very technical with this stuff :-) I suspect he's referring to a well-documented characteristic of the lens, that its focal plane is not flat, nor simply curved, but a bit wavy. It's never caused me any real world difficulties (I have the lens). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 5, 2017 Share #9 Posted April 5, 2017 Ditto. All f/1.4 lenses have more or less field curvature anyway. I would not worry about that unless you intend to shoot brick walls at full aperture. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
w44neg Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share #10 Posted April 5, 2017 Ah so it's distortion we're talking about? Never bothers me and I can usually correct in post. Arrives today so can't wait... although I won't be able to use it for a day or so :-( First world issues hey :-D Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 5, 2017 Share #11 Posted April 5, 2017 Field curvature causes some parts of the pic to be softer (of sharper) than they should be and this cannot be corrected in PP i'm afraid but i would not worry about that if you have better things to do than shooting at brick walls or other flat subjects at full aperture. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted April 5, 2017 Share #12 Posted April 5, 2017 I hear a lot about the 35 Summilux FLE having harshly-rendered out of focus areas, but I can't say that's been my experience. I've had the 35 FLE for more than five years now. It took a couple of years for me to really bond with the lens, but I've come to realise that it's simply a very useful lens. It's a little bigger than a 35mm Summicron but, if you can accept that, there's really little you can't do with it. And that F1.4 setting means you can leave the lens on the camera at all times - day and night. I attach a shot I took last night, in Glasgow, of leaves emerging on a tree. I shot it on my M Monochrom mk1, 3200 ISO, and the 35mm Summilux ASPH FLE, at f1.4. There was almost no light - just some faint light from street lights further away. I hand-held the camera and was down to 1/15th of a second. It was breezy last night, so there is motion in some of the new leaves. I don't like going above 3200 ISO on my M Mono, so I was pretty much at the limit to snap this.The FLE made it possible. One thing about, certainly my copy of the FLE - the build. I bought mine new, and out of the box it rattled, and the aperture ring spun very freely back and forth. Apparently the rattle is pretty much a characteristic of this lens, and most modern Leica lenses have the easy-to-accidentally-move aperture ring. I'm not bothered about this, but I was disappointed recently to notice that there is now also a bit of play in the focus ring too. It doesn't affect the pictures, but I've looked after the lens and it hasn't had a hard life. My battered 57-year-old 35mm Summaron F2.8 still operates super smoothly, and with jewel-like precision. Anyway, in short, I find the 35mm Summilux ASPH FLE to be a superb general purpose lens. It's flexible, useful, and capable of stunning results. I'm sure you'll love it. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/271056-i-caved-in-and-bought-an-fle/?do=findComment&comment=3248731'>More sharing options...
lct Posted April 5, 2017 Share #13 Posted April 5, 2017 Your nice pic shows little OoF colint544 but the harshness i was referring to does not occur at f/1.4 but around f/2-f/2.8. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted April 5, 2017 Share #14 Posted April 5, 2017 the harshness i was referring to does not occur at f/1.4 but around f/2-f/2.8. I think you are going to have to show an example or two, LCT. I also have have had this lens for a number of years and, whilst it isn't my favourite (largely for ergonomic reasons), it is pretty damn good as far as image quality goes and I tend to agree that the reputation it has in some quarters for poor bokeh is rather overblown. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted April 5, 2017 Share #15 Posted April 5, 2017 Few more images shot in Glasgow, using the 35mm Summilux FLE - all wide open at F1.4. The first image was on film (Leica M5, Ilford HP5 pushed to 1600 ISO), and the other two on an M Monochrom mk1. My point really is that the 35mm Summilux FLE is a very useful lens, especially when the light goes. Perhaps on an M10, it's not necessary, since the ISO can go so high. But I do rather like the rendering at F1.4, especially on film. Cheers all, Colin Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/271056-i-caved-in-and-bought-an-fle/?do=findComment&comment=3248753'>More sharing options...
lct Posted April 5, 2017 Share #16 Posted April 5, 2017 I think you are going to have to show an example or two, LCT. I also have have had this lens for a number of years and, whilst it isn't my favourite (largely for ergonomic reasons), it is pretty damn good as far as image quality goes and I tend to agree that the reputation it has in some quarters for poor bokeh is rather overblown. You're a lucky film guy my friend. Harsh bokeh is hidden by grain there i suspect . Just kidding. I can't seem to have kept bokeh pics out of the 35/1.4 FLE besides that one but i don't recall if i shot at f/2 or f/2.8 then. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/271056-i-caved-in-and-bought-an-fle/?do=findComment&comment=3248804'>More sharing options...
Exodies Posted April 5, 2017 Share #17 Posted April 5, 2017 I can't understand problems with field curvature; whenever have you taken a picture with everything you want to present one distance from the sensor? If your target is a group of people standing in an arc, the last thing you want is a flat field. Is it just something which can be measured or am I missing the point? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeicaBoss Posted April 5, 2017 Share #18 Posted April 5, 2017 I love my FLE! Have fun with it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 5, 2017 Share #19 Posted April 5, 2017 I can't understand problems with field curvature; whenever have you taken a picture with everything you want to present one distance from the sensor? If your target is a group of people standing in an arc, the last thing you want is a flat field. Is it just something which can be measured or am I missing the point? The FLE can't help you with a group in an arc: it's more complex than that. Try grouping them in W formation 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted April 5, 2017 Share #20 Posted April 5, 2017 Here are the gory details: http://tashley1.zenfolio.com/blog/2013/4/leica-m-240-with-35mm-f1-4-fle---some-observations 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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