yadillah Posted January 12, 2011 Share #1 Posted January 12, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have a new M9 and an assortment of lenses. One of them is a 50mm Summicron dating from 1970. It is a version 3, and I have had it since new. My problem is that wide open the lens is very soft. Certainly much more than my 50mm 2.8 Elmar which is quite sharp. I am thinking of buying a replacement and more modern 50 lens and am undecided which. Apart from the difference in aperture and the price (which is considerable), how does the Summicron compare with the Summilux? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 Hi yadillah, Take a look here 50mmSummilux/50mmSummicron. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
lct Posted January 12, 2011 Share #2 Posted January 12, 2011 Your 50/2 should not be "very soft" at f/2. A bit soft yes but very no. A good CLA could solve your problem possibly. Otherwise the Summilux asph is sharper at f/2 than the Summicron. Same for the last pre-asph Summilux to a lesser extent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted January 12, 2011 Share #3 Posted January 12, 2011 I agree... softness can be a personal evaluation, but I think that the only Summicron 50 that could be defined as VERY soft is the first version in retractable mount... better with some scratches on its delicate front element . Anyway, a 40 years old 50 can deserve a younger son... and Summicron was redesigned in 1979... searching for top sharpness, one can't go wrong with the Summilux Asph, which is a lot costly but can serve you well for 40 years more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodor Heinrichsohn Posted January 12, 2011 Share #4 Posted January 12, 2011 I don't now own the 3rd version 50/2, however, agree that fully open it should not be soft. At 2.8 I remember it to be better overall than the contemporary 50/2.8. Which 50/2.8 do you own? Teddy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yadillah Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted January 12, 2011 I may have been exaggerating a bit when I said "very" soft. It is certainly much softer than my 2.8 Elmar, and my 35mm Summicron, which is a similar age to the 50. The lens is very clean and in pristine condition. Thanks for your replies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yadillah Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted January 12, 2011 Thanks for the replys. My Elmar is 3918xxxxxxx, so it is the latest one. As I said before, the Summicron stopped down a couple of stops is OK, but wide open, spft. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted January 12, 2011 Share #7 Posted January 12, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Did you rule out focusshift when you tried the lens ? Put your camera on a tripod and focus the lens (wide open, f 2) on a specific spot at a distance of 1- 1.5 m, take a shot. Then move the fucusring carefully 1/2 mm to the front front and back and take a shot at each setting. Then compare. If your chosen specific spot appears sharpest in the first photo your lens should be correct at f2 in the near range. If you can repeat the same result, having set the lens to 5- 7.0 m your lens should be o. k. The softness is then the charm of the older design or get a repairperson to have a look at it ... Best GEORG Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard Posted January 12, 2011 Share #8 Posted January 12, 2011 I concur with the others. A Summicron 50 v3 should be quite sharp even wide open. It is true, however, that the latest Elmar-M 50 is likely sharper at 2,8 than the Summicron at f2. I own two copies of the Elmar-M, and they are both incredibly sharp. The current Summicron 50 is tack sharp wide open, bettered only by the Summilux 50asph, which is unbelievably sharp and contrasty already at f1.4. If you think you'll need 1.4 for your shots, then go for the Summilux, otherwise the current Summicron is still a marvelous lens. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nafpie Posted January 12, 2011 Share #9 Posted January 12, 2011 Did you rule out focusshift when you tried the lens ? Put your camera on a tripod and focus the lens (wide open, f 2) on a specific spot at a distance of 1- 1.5 m, take a shot. Then move the fucusring carefully 1/2 mm to the front front and back and take a shot at each setting. Then compare. With this test you may determine a backfocus or a frontfocus rather than a focusshift, since the focusshift occurs only after stopping down a lens. Stefan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted January 12, 2011 Share #10 Posted January 12, 2011 O. k., mixed it up. Thx for clarification. Best GEORG Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted January 12, 2011 Share #11 Posted January 12, 2011 I had a 1966 version of your lens which showed its age when used on my M8. I had a Summilux on order for a year when, with no delivery in sight, decided to buy the current Summicron. I am well pleased with the latter; so are Leica because they felt that trying to improve it would cost too much. I think you would be well pleased with that lens which is not only less costly but slightly lower weight when carrying a kit on tour. I still have my original Summicron which is lovely for portraiture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted January 12, 2011 Share #12 Posted January 12, 2011 I may have been exaggerating a bit when I said "very" soft. It is certainly much softer than my 2.8 Elmar, and my 35mm Summicron, which is a similar age to the 50.The lens is very clean and in pristine condition. Thanks for your replies. A 5cm cron type III should be comparable to a 35mm cron type III or IV, ditto a late Elmar at f/2.8, is your serial post 2269251? Could be veiling flare are you using a hood? Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted January 12, 2011 Share #13 Posted January 12, 2011 I would do the focus test w/ruler. I've got the current optical/older mount version of the 50/2 and it was never a problem with film...didn't use it even once when I had an M8...then on the M9 it was the only lens I had that was tack-sharp up close. All my other lenses seemed to be front-focusing 2cm...of course, it wasn't all the lenses, it was the rangefinder that was off. Once adjusted, the other dozen lenses were perfect, but the 50 Cron was now backfocusing 2cm. Currently it is being readjusted professionally. The repair guy told me it isn't unusual for older Leica lenses to "suddenly" appear "off" when mated with an M9, due to the much tighter tolerances of a digital sensor, plus the on-screen magnification people have at their disposal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yadillah Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted January 12, 2011 Thanks Noel My serial no. is 2444233. Yes, I always use a lens hood. It might be that the lens needs adjustment. The serial no of my 2.8 elmar is 3918217 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted January 12, 2011 Share #15 Posted January 12, 2011 Hi Stick a ruler at 45 degrees to line of sight apetture at f/2 on lens axis focus on middle scale item pixel peep. If middle scale item not sharpest your camera or lens needs adjusting. Lots of people are happy with type IIIs... Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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