Need Help with a Leica 35mm Lens Purchase

[dmorris]

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I am contemplating the purchase of a Leica 35mm lens and am a bit torn as to whether I should go for the 2.0 Summicron or the 2.5 Summarit. I shoot outside during the day and inside with light, but sometimes outside at dusk or at night with ambient street lighting.

 

Any thoughts?

[colonel]

I am contemplating the purchase of a Leica 35mm lens and am a bit torn as to whether I should go for the 2.0 Summicron or the 2.5 Summarit. I shoot outside during the day and inside with light, but sometimes outside at dusk or at night with ambient street lighting.

 

Any thoughts?

 

they are both excellent lenses

if you can afford it, go with the summicron. a tad sharper and a tad brighter and a tad better made!

[Skarpen]

I have had them both. Summarit for rendering and Summicron for closer focus ability. Do you need the 2/3 extra stop of the Cron?

[Rick]

I am contemplating the purchase of a Leica 35mm lens and am a bit torn as to whether I should go for the 2.0 Summicron or the 2.5 Summarit. I shoot outside during the day and inside with light, but sometimes outside at dusk or at night with ambient street lighting.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Ah, I see the dilemma. I've wrestled with the same issues. I also shoot outside during the day and inside with light. And, like you, I sometimes go outside and shoot at night but, not so much outside, more like inside, at night - but, "out" in the sense that I'm out of the house. But, when I'm out of the house at night I usually head for the bar so, I am inside in ambient light. So, it is kind of like being outside at night with ambient light, just inside.

 

One other consideration before I answer your question. If, you ever think you might really like to start shooting inside during the day, without much light, then it get's way more complex because, then you need to contemplate a third lens; the Summilux 35. I happen to own that lens so, I know a little bit about shooting it inside without much light, in bars specifically.

 

I can, with much experience, recommend the new and faster Summilux 35mm as the finest smokey bar lens ever made. Problem is, here in the US, they have past laws now against smoking in bars so anymore, it is really hard to appreciate how good of a lens the Summilux is in smokey bars. Pitty.

 

And, the Summarit I've recently learned in another great thread, like this one, is the Rodney Dangerfield of Leica lenses. It get's no respect. So, that one is out for me.

 

So, I guess I'd have to recommend the Summicron because, there really is no use for the faster Summilux now that just about any lens works in a bar. I happen to have the Summicron and it is my go to lens for indoors with light and outside at night (in bars) with ambient. This is the lens you want. I hope this helps and welcome to the forum.

[RoySmith]

I am contemplating the purchase of a Leica 35mm lens and am a bit torn as to whether I should go for the 2.0 Summicron or the 2.5 Summarit. I shoot outside during the day and inside with light, but sometimes outside at dusk or at night with ambient street lighting.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Welcome to the forum.

I love my 35mm Summicron - it's small & sharp with a reasonably large aperture.

I don't have the Summarit, but I'm certain you would not be unhappy with the Summicron.

You mention some shots dusk and night so would probably use the slightly larger aperture of the Summicron. Of course the Summilux lets in twice the light that the Summicron does, but at a considerably higher cost.

[akiralx]

I have the Summarit and Summilux FLE, but not the Summicron.

 

For outside shooting I can recommend the Summarit unreservedly: great colour rendition (richer then the Summilux), great bokeh, small, light, just as well made as the Summilux.

 

If you can afford the Summilux, just get that for the speed.

 

If not I think you could get the Summarit for outdoors and a CV 35 Nokton f/1.2 (I have the v1, great lens) for indoors, for the same price as the Summicron couldn't you?

[Bill W]

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Summicron.

[likalar]

From Rick:

 

<<.....I also shoot outside during the day and inside with light. And, like you, I sometimes go outside and shoot at night but, not so much outside, more like inside, at night - but, "out" in the sense that I'm out of the house. But, when I'm out of the house at night I usually head for the bar so, I am inside in ambient light. So, it is kind of like being outside at night with ambient light, just inside......>>

 

Thanks, Rick, an instant classic! Much enjoyed!

 

Larry

[Jeff S]

E. Puts rates the 35 Summarit slightly above the 35 Summicron asph optically in this review. For instance, black paint surfaces near rear elements contribute to marginally better flare resistance.

 

Speed requirements, naturally, are personal.

 

Best thing to do is to find a friendly dealer and try them, or rent them as here.

 

Ignore those who dismiss the Summarits, especially the 35.

 

Jeff

[dmorris]

Rick, very nice pics. Were they taken with the Summicron? And what was the ISO? I'm especially interested in the night pics, they are fantastic! That is the effect I'm going for and not sure the Summarit will deliver?

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[Jeff S]

Can't tell much without looking at real prints, and without your own disciplined workflow in place to do so. For screen shots, no need to be picky.

 

Jeff

[Rick]

Rick, very nice pics. Were they taken with the Summicron? And what was the ISO? I'm especially interested in the night pics, they are fantastic! That is the effect I'm going for and not sure the Summarit will deliver?

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

Oh, I have to be serious? Ok, then none of them were done with the Summicron. Although, I have owned that lens for a couple of years and sent it back to Leica NJ because I thought it must be off - it wasn't. It is not my favorite lens.

 

ISO: Almost all were done at ISO 160 (all of the night shots). Some of the day shots were done up to ISO 800. I routinely go to ISO 800 during the day with no problem, not so much because of low light but, more because often in normal light I want to freeze motion. I hate taking a good picture and having it ruined because of motion blur. That has been consistently one of the biggest mistake I've had to overcome in my own amateur shooting next to trying to shoot everything wide open.

 

I have never taken to the Summicron. It is my least favorite lens. It's virtue is that it is small; smaller than the Summarit and Summilux. Speed differences between the two is meaningless. Between the two, I'd be happy with the Summarit. I just got a killer deal on the Summicron and wanted a small 35mm. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice lens and spends a lot of time on my camera around town. It just never makes it to the first string when I go on vacation.

 

Pictures I've taken with the Summicron have never jumped out at me like the 35 Slux or the 28 Cron. The Summicron simply makes an excellent small lens in my quiver. That is it for me.

 

Most of the pictures you see were taken with the 28 Summicron (love it - sorry denoir), 16-21 Tri-Elmar (love this lens - sorry denoir), 35 Slux (like it), and the 50 Slux (love it - sorry again denoir), in that order. Those lenses IMHO are magic.

 

I'd rather have the 28 Summicron than the 35 Summicron any day. I'd save money and buy the Summarit. That is the lens you want.

 

Now, if you want to learn how to shoot in a bar, you need the 24 Summilux but, that is for another post. And, again welcome to our asylum.

 

Edit: The night pics you can do with any of these lenses but, most all of the night pics were done with the 35 slux. It is just easier to shoot wide open at night because of the speed.

[IWC Doppel]

It really depends on your budget and whether you would buy used.

 

I have a 35lux and have used and compared the 35 asph cron and the mkIV. I'd go for a MK IV or a Summarit I think at the cheaper end if money less of an issue I'd go for a Lux

[StephenPatterson]

It really depends on your budget and whether you would buy used.

 

I have a 35lux and have used and compared the 35 asph cron and the mkIV. I'd go for a MK IV or a Summarit I think at the cheaper end if money less of an issue I'd go for a Lux

 

+1

 

Excellent advice, and I love my 35 Summilux FLE, but if budget were an issue it's best to remember that there are no bad Leica lenses. However some (35lux FLE) are truly magical. Since acquiring that lens my 35 Summicron ASPH has been spending most of it's time in the cabinet.

[skinnfell]

I have the summicron 35 asph and I love it. Sharp (proven by this forum), light, well built, small and most importantly for my kind of photography - very quick and accurate to focus. I am a photojournalist so quick focussing and wide aperture are equally important.

 

However - If I were buying it new today, I would not hesitate to get the summarit. It is almost half the price and also somewhat smaller. For any other use than reportage. summarit is probably an exellent choice.

[philipus]

I am contemplating the purchase of a Leica 35mm lens and am a bit torn as to whether I should go for the 2.0 Summicron or the 2.5 Summarit. I shoot outside during the day and inside with light, but sometimes outside at dusk or at night with ambient street lighting.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Are you using film or digital? That should play a part in the decision-making, I would think.

 

I second the suggestion of trying both out if you can before you buy (even if you can sell the one you pick without much money loss).

 

Edit: You've perhaps seen the Summarit thread just below this one.

[01af]

... the Summicron. A tad sharper ...

Not true.

 

 

... and a tad brighter ...

True.

 

 

... and a tad better made!

Not true.

 

One out of three. Better luck next time!

 

 

Erwin Puts rates the Summarit-M 35 mm slightly above the Summicron-M 35 mm Asph optically in this review. For instance, black paint surfaces near rear elements contribute to marginally better flare resistance.

Significantly better flare resistance, to be precise.

 

In my opinion, the choice to take among the current Leica M 35 mm lenses is, Summilux or Summarit. The Summicron is the least desirable. It sure is an excellent lens, but the other two are as excellent in terms of image quality, and then add some extra properties ... which is extra speed in the Summilux, albeit at high cost, and extra flare resistance plus extra-low profile in the Summarit, at lower cost.

 

Sure, the slightly higher speed (1:2 vs 1:2.5) and the slightly shorter minimum focusing distance (0.7 m vs 0.8 m) of the Summicron are advantages over the Summarit. But in my opinion, the Summarit's advantages outweigh these. The Summicron shines on paper; the Summarit shines in actual use.

[pgk]

My 2 pence worth:

Summilux for speed, Summicron for lack of distortion, Summarit for flare resistance.

 

My personal rating (having owned all 3) is Summilux (I currently own the pre-FLE version and am likely to hang onto it) and it performs superbly wide open or stopped down at the expense of some flaring at times, next the Summarit - because of performance, flare resistance and size, and lastly the Summicron - still a superb lens but neither as fast as the 'lux nor as compact and flare resistant as the Summarit.

[dmorris]

Digital M9

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Rick]

I have the summicron 35 asph and I love it. Sharp (proven by this forum), light, well built, small and most importantly for my kind of photography - very quick and accurate to focus. I am a photojournalist so quick focussing and wide aperture are equally important.

 

Do you have a site where we can see examples of your journalistic work with the 35 Simmicron?