Summarit 75mm with the M8

[parigby]

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Hi folks,

 

I am seriously considering purchasing the Summarit 75mm for use with my M8. I have looked at various posts on the forum, and the odd review or two, especially those comparing the Summarit with the Voigtlander 75mm.

 

What l am most concerned about is the comment by Ken Rockwell concerning the build quality of the Summarit. He appears to be particularly scathing in this respect, and l was wondering what those with practical day to day use of the lens thoughts were.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

regards ........... philip

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[smb]

I chose the Summarit over the Voigtlander. I have not found the construction to be "lesser". It is not my everyday or carry about lens. Mr. Puts rates it very high.

[01af]

Rockwell's website is well-made, and his product photos are first-class. I often refer to it when I need a quick overview about things like sizes, weights, or production dates of lenses.

 

The big problem with Rockwell, however, is his strong opinions about things he doesn't understand. Don't let his uninformed drivel about the Summarits' alleged lack of build quality keep you from buying one. He's just plain wrong. The build quality is just the same as any Leica lens. So is the image quality.

 

I bought a used Summarit-M 35 mm for the M9 as a temporary stop-gap while waiting for the Summilux-M 35 mm Asph, and planned to re-sell it as soon as the Summilux would arrive. But then I liked it so much that not only I kept it, I also bought all the other three Summarits, too. Unless you utterly need apertures wider than f/2.5, they are just great in all respects, not just for the money but by absolute standards. Actually, I prefer all of them over their respective Summicron counterparts, for various reasons.

[martha]

I bought a brand new Summarit 75 a couple of years ago, thinking that it would round out my Leica lens selections for M8.2 with an almost telephoto affect (approximately 110mm). Fact is, I seldom use it. For closer shots, I reach for my very old and very loved Canon 50mm 1.8. I find the Summarit just a wee bit unweildy attached. I have no issues, however, with the "build quality" of the lens. It seems substantial--perhaps too much so, for my taste. Try one out first and really think about whether you will be using it enough to justify the cost. That's my unsought opinion and two cents' worth. Good luck!--martha

[jaapv]

But the Voigtlander is an excellent lens as well - and daintily small and light. I bought it because I use the focal length only occasionally.

[lars_bergquist]

When I bought my M8, way back then, I saw the need for two new lenses. One was a 28mm for decent wide angle capacity (and at that time, Zeiss was the only alternative). The other was a 75mm lens to rerstor that 90 to 100mm length that had always been a favorite of mine. So I purchased a 75mm Summarit-M.

 

It proved to be a splendid lens. Its optics was impressive. Its build quality was simply great. It became just the favourite I expected it to be.

 

When the M9 arrived, I changed horses. I never had much use for a 75mm on a 35mm format sensor. Especially not with the frame images of M cameras.) But my impression of that lens was excellent.

 

Ken Rockwell is a bear with a big mouth and very little brains. If you want well-reasoned and credible assessments of lenses, go to Sean Reid's site reidreviews.com. Tiddelypom.

 

The old man from the Pooh Age

[LotharZhou]

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I own the summarit 75 back in 2009, as for the build quality, I actually prefer the summarit over my cron, it's indeed first class, the focusing is soooo smooth, very pleasant to use.

[tobey bilek]

The Summarit line has some cost cutting measures, but nothing horrible. Summicrons etc are better made and better optically at double the cost .

 

CV 75 is a toy in comparison to any Leica lens.

 

If you want a 75, Summarit or APO Summicron are the best. I have my old 75 1.4, but they are overpriced for what they are. Also large and heavy.

[Jeff S]

Philip, you requested personal experience, not reviews, but in case you hadn't read this Puts' review on the Summarits, I think you'll find it worthwhile. He considers the 35 and 75 as the best of the Summarits, and even rates the 35 a bit more highly than the 35 Summicron asph. The color correction of the APO 75 gives it an advantage in that regard, but he considers the 75 Summarit a gem. He mentions no reservations about Summarit build quality.

 

If I didn't already own other lenses sufficient for my needs, I would definitely consider the Summarit line. I just never liked the 75 frame lines.

 

Jeff

[Virginia Bill]

The build quality of my Summarit 75 is fine, and it works very nicely on the M8. Ignore Rockwell.

[IWC Doppel]

I had the 75 Summarit and a 90 Elmarit M, I ended up selling the 75mm, the frame lines are not as easy to use (close to the 50 and dotted), plus on the M8 they are the most inaccurate. I also preferred the rendering and OOF Bokeh with the Elmarit M.

 

However this was driven by me purchasing the 90 just to try and see, I wasn't unhappy with the 75 Summarit but found a 90 at a price I could try and sell on without losing if I didn't like as much a s the Summarit

[WestMichigan]

Ken Rockwell is a bear with a big mouth and very little brains. If you want well-reasoned and credible assessments of lenses, go to Sean Reid's site reidreviews.com. Tiddelypom.

 

The old man from the Pooh Age

 

A) Run, don't walk, to Sean Reid's site and read a couple of the free articles and free reviews he offers. You will soon understand why so many of us here on the forum (and elsewhere) rate him and his site so highly.

 

IMHO Use Ken Rockwell as an index, product spec wiki, and occassional BP booster if one's blood pressure meds run out. :-D

 

Middle aged man from the Apple IIc Age!

[WestMichigan]

BTW: Mr Rockwell is 'accurate' that Leica went to great lengths to achieve cost savings in the M Summarit line of lenses, However chintzing out on materials and/or workmanship wasn't how I recall that being achieved. Don't forget that the dang things still cost a pretty penny! :-D

IIRC from Mr Reid's site, Leica took on the challenge of using duplicative mechanicals as much as possible between Summarit Focal Lengths so that their main differences lay in the optical cells. This way they avoided having 4 or 5 completely different designs and therefore they were able to drive up piece counts for various sub assemblies by 400 to 500% and like most people know the more pieces ya have to amortize the overhead costs across, the lower each piece is gonna cost.

 

Personally, I can't say Ken Rockwell is 100% talking out his @ss using scathing commentary about the build of M Summarit's, but his track record of hyperbole and vitriol when subtley and measure would be more appropriate leads me to not grant much leeway in trusting him when his invective is on display.

RW

[Mark Pope]

I had a look at a 75 Summarit at a local dealer a few weeks ago, but since I already have a CV 75mm, didn't bite and put the money towards an M9-P instead. I probably would have had I not had the CV. As far as build quality is concerned, it seemed absolutely fine to me. The usual solidity you'd expect with Leica and smooth focusing.

 

IIRC the only real 'concessions' Leica have made with the Summarit range (paraphrasing what I read in LFI from memory) is there are no aspheric elements and the lens body and other machined components are common between the 75 and 90mm lenses.

 

I have seen some lovely pictures taken with both lenses. Must go and try 75mm on the M9 now

[george +]

Mr. Rockwell, actually wrote that: ". . . . the optics of these new Summarit-M lenses are superb; it's just the price and mechanics which are inferior to used Leica lenses."

 

I got this lens the minute it became available and use it frequently, particularly on the water for distance shots and for the grandkids' theatrical performances. It has been an excellent performer. The optics indeed are great. So are the mechanics from what I can see. As to "inferior price", it is Mr. Rockwell's way of saying these lenses cost less.

 

The only problem with 75mm lenses on the M8, is the less than perfect 75mm view frame. But that is part of the M8, not the lens, and one can learn to live with it.

[Mark_L]

I used it on the M8, the lens has no issues but the focus ring. I found it hard to focus quickly as it did not go as smooth as the more expensive ones; it is not easy to fine focus at the last moment. I missed pictures because of that.

Afterwards I read this at Ken Rockwell's website. If you look through the bluntness and read what he actually says, he is right 9 out of 10 times.

[Islandmike]

I can't comment on the 75 Summarit, but my 35 Summarit is flawless and faultless. Very smooth, very sharp and almost non-existent distortion.

[george +]

I used it on the M8, the lens has no issues but the focus ring. I found it hard to focus quickly as it did not go as smooth as the more expensive ones; it is not easy to fine focus at the last moment. I missed pictures because of that. . .

 

My 75mm Summarit is smooth as silk. Just like my other Leica lenses.

 

Focusing is of course more of a challenge with longer lenses. Which lens did you find less problematic?

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