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Summicron 35mm asph or not?

LeicaFan

By LeicaFan
in Leica M Lenses

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Jean-Michel

Jean-Michel

Posted
Posted

Hi,

Check the other threads on 35's

My take on a recent one:

Hi,

I don't think that you can buy a poor version of a 35 Summicron. All will give you excellent results. I use a Canadian-made (1962 vintage) Summicron with 'goggles' I have used it with my M3, M4, M6, and now M9, It is my main lens. I wear glasses and the goggles allow me to see the frame more easily. I cannot compare it with lenses that I do not have, but I can tell you that it is a 'better' 35 than my Canon 24-105 at 35, or my 40 mm Voigtlander (for the Canon). So, find a lens in very good condition and use it. That said, if I were to buy a 35 Summicron today I would likely go for the so called FLE.

Jean-Michel

 

I would add that with my lens i get two lenses: at f/2 it is a low contrast, sharp but with glowing edges lens, at f/2.8 and smaller it becomes a normal contrast and quite sharp lens.

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Guest Ansel_Adams

Guest Ansel_Adams

Posted
Posted

I love my Cron ASPH.

 

I was looking at 35mm Summicrons on eBay today as it happens. There does not seem to be a big price difference (second hand) between the cheaper II and III versions and the more expensive I, IV and V versions. Only a few hundred $.

 

Just get the best condition one you can afford. Getting exposure correct, etc. will have more of an effect on the final image than lens choice.

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lct

lct

Posted
Posted
I've been looking at the 35mm sum micron.

however, budget is a problem... is ASPH worth the extra 1-1.5k?

The 35/2 asph is sharper at f/2 and has less flare and less focus shift than the 35/2 v4 pre-asph which remains one of the very best 35 Leica have ever made though. The 35/2 asph is indeed a more expensive lens with more contrast and a typically "modern" rendition. If you intend to shoot mostly at f/2 it is the best 35 you can find aside from the latest Summilux 35/1.4 asph. For a slightly slower alternative, the little Summarit 35/2.5 is superb with a softer rendition than the 35/2 asph in the corners though.

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lct

lct

Posted
Posted
...

I've found a cheap summicron 35mm. Ver 3.

But it doesn't have the summicron-m on the lens?...

It's normal for a lens this vintage. The lens is always sharp in the center but softer at f/2 and f/2.8 in the corners. No focus shift that i'm aware of. Bit of CA at f/2, bit of flare like all Leica 35s before the asph but an excellent lens otherwise. It should not be cheap if it is in good shape so check it carefully if you can.

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pfhrased

pfhrased

Posted
Posted
Cool. Thanks for the info. But does anyone know why the summicron v3 doesn't have the summicron-M printed? But instead just summicron?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

From memory the M wasn't appended until Leica were also making R lenses..

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Guest Marc G.

Guest Marc G.

Posted
Posted

The 35 Summicron ASPH would be the last lens I'd buy in Leica's current lens portfolio. I've tested it against a 35 Summarit and the Summarit won optically in every performance category except distortion which basically is a non-issue on digital Leicas. The Summarit is as sharp in the center and sharper in the outer areas. It has less vignetting, less CAs and is a lot less prone to flare, besides the more round and calm out of focus rendering. The Summicron has 2 Pros: 0.7m vs 0.8m minimum focus distance, which also is a non-issue for me and f/2 vs f/2.5 which accounts to a little over 1/2 stop. Not enough to really call it a low-light king, especially when you realise that there's a far superior f/1.4 design around.

 

Given my observations, this does not mean that the Summicron ASPH is shit. It is still a high performance lens which obviously satisfies thousands and thousands of customers and the differences are there but only if you look for them. But I was a little shocked given that the tiny Summarit outperforms the legendary Summicron ASPH, especialy when I looked at the premium you pay for the Summicron. One might argue that it was either a superior copy of the Summarit or inferior copy of the Summicron ASPH. Possible. But then you might get one just as well... Given Leica's high standards of quality control I assume that if there was a quality issue it is simply not as pronounced as with other manufacturers...

 

If I would be in the market for a new Leica 35mm I would buy the Summarit in a heartbeat.

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lct

lct

Posted
Posted
...The 35 Summicron ASPH would be the last lens I'd buy in Leica's current lens portfolio. I've tested it against a 35 Summarit and the Summarit won optically in every performance category except distortion which basically is a non-issue on digital Leicas. The Summarit is as sharp in the center and sharper in the outer areas. It has less vignetting, less CAs and is a lot less prone to flare, besides the more round and calm out of focus rendering...

Interesting indeed. My Summicron asph is significanty sharper on edges and corners than my otherwise excellent Summarit. Quite obvious at f/2.5-2.8 and CA is mediocre in both cases i must say. As for flare i feel somewhat more confortable with the Summarit, due to its reputation perhaps, but i can't say that i've seen huge differences between both. The Summarit shows a bit more halos around highlights whereas the Summicron seems to have more reflections, but both are superior to any other 35/2 and 35/2.8 Leica M lenses from this standpoint. The bokeh of the Summicron is not harsh at all at f/2 but looks more contrasty than that of the Summarit mainly at slower apertures. I would advise both lenses w/o reservation with a slight preference for the Summicron due to its sharper rendition on edges and corners at fast apertures. FWIW.

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algrove

algrove

Posted
Posted
Given Leica's high standards of quality control I assume that if there was a quality issue it is simply not as pronounced as with other manufacturers...

 

If I would be in the market for a new Leica 35mm I would buy the Summarit in a heartbeat.

 

Well, based on my APO50 (and my M problems out of the box) I would say Leica used to have "high standards of quality control", but that ranking is lacking today from my 2013 experiences which continue today and perhaps will continue even into 2014.

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