richfx Posted December 17, 2013 Share #21 Posted December 17, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) This is the best post I've read in a long time on the Forum. What great intellectual capital. Well done, all. Rich 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 17, 2013 Posted December 17, 2013 Hi richfx, Take a look here Advice on 75 Summilux. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
MarkP Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share #22 Posted December 17, 2013 Very true. Those new digital gadgets (any manufacturer) really wear off quickly, a 75 Lux holds you for a long, long time. I would go after you sale strategy, get a nice sample of the 75 Summilux (keeping your 75 Summicron) and see, which lens you like better. Many comment about the 75 Summilux as being very similar to the 50/1 - it is not indeed. The 75 Summilux probably has a character as schizophrenic, as the 35 Summilux pre ASPH, but on a whole different level. There are similarities wide open with the look from the 50/1, the field is indeed more flat and the light falloff has an entirely different character (smoother with no extreme "cutoff" as with the 50/1). The lens focusses as close, as you 75 Summicron, so you can use it exactly as you Summicron and will feel at home quickly. It does have the long focus throw of a 50/1 (which I personally love, as you really NEED that focus throw for precision). It is a (front-) heavy lens to carry as an "extra". It sharpens up extremely when stopping down, as mentioned and has a very lovely character for detailed portraits from f5.6 on with crisp skin detail. My biggest beef with the 75 Summilux is indeed it's weight combined with the 75mm focal length, putting it in the shelf most of the time, as I rather grab a 50mm. If you like you 75 Summicron and can live with the weight, bulk and long focus throw of a Noctilux f1, by all means get the 75 Summilux - it's a legend! Make sure, you get it perfectly adjusted, if you feel you have any focussing issues. This, the Noctilux, the 21 Summilux and the 135/3.4 are the most notorious lenses to use, when slightly out of spec and can produce large amounts of frustration and self questioning. Thanks Dirk - very useful information and good advice about comparing the 75 Summilux and Summicron (which has also been back for adjustment) before selling the latter. I have no problems with the 21 Summilux (been back for readjustment shortly after purchase), I've learned to adapt to the 1.0/50 Noctilux focus shift, and I've had my 3.4/135 adjusted to perfection. Using the M240 EVF when shooting wide open in poor light has meant that I now never miss focus with these two lenses wide open in poor light. Regarding these large heavy lenses, I agree that sometimes they are just too large and heavy for to to bother with, but at other times they are inspiring to use and are the only way to get 'that' look. That is the versatility of this system. However, I've been out this week using my new 2.0/40 Summicron on the M240 and have rediscovered the pleasure of using tiny but high quality lenses on a rangefinder camera. I must say that the 40 Summicron's colouring and rendering is beautiful on the M240 sensor. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share #23 Posted December 20, 2013 Just purchased an immaculate (I hope) 75 Summilux 391xxxx. Can't wait till it arrives - I'm so excited 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted December 20, 2013 Share #24 Posted December 20, 2013 Congrats, so it's a German sample too. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share #25 Posted December 20, 2013 Yes but is there a difference in image quality and/or construction, or just cross-Atlantic snobbery? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted December 20, 2013 Share #26 Posted December 20, 2013 Congrats, so it's a German sample too. Does that make a difference? . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernMan Posted December 20, 2013 Share #27 Posted December 20, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Designed in Canada, maybe then best made in Canada? Hats off to all prior posters on this most excellent thread. This is emblematic of Leica forum at its best. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share #28 Posted December 20, 2013 Hats off to all prior posters on this most excellent thread. This is emblematic of Leica forum at its best. I find these lens discussions the most interesting of the various gear topics. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted December 20, 2013 Share #29 Posted December 20, 2013 I don't care about the differences (I got a Canadian one) and frankly I don't understand comments in either direction - pretty childish if you ask me. The only practical difference seems to be a perceived difference in price on the market, as people tend to pay more for the "Made in Germany" engraving. Potentially, there might be indeed a further difference in the very, very last German made samples, as they were assembled and sold during the time, when the first digital M bodies were hard reality with a need of much tighter tolerances for critical focussing. If in reality this need was indeed translated into a "better" built 75 Summilux is completely unknown. I take a re-adjusted Canadian beater over a mis-focussing late German sample any day, provided the difference in market value is accounted for. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted December 20, 2013 Share #30 Posted December 20, 2013 FWIW. Had a German. Two trips to Solms and couldn't get the focus right. Sold it. Got a Canadian. Sent it to Solms for CLA + coding. Has been spot on ever since - and one of my most treasured lenses, although not the most used one. 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share #31 Posted December 20, 2013 It is German but I was never fussed where it was made. It will go for 6-bit coding & CLA once I've played with it for a few days. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J12 Posted December 20, 2013 Share #32 Posted December 20, 2013 FWIW.Had a German. Two trips to Solms and couldn't get the focus right. Sold it. Got a Canadian. Sent it to Solms for CLA + coding. Has been spot on ever since - and one of my most treasured lenses, although not the most used one. Interesting. That's very close to my experience too. I've used a late German 75mm Summilux which I also had focussing difficulties with. I was looking to buy another example, but earlier this year I purchased a fairly late Canadian 75mm Summilux which I can only think was brand new old stock. It was boxed with all papers, case and packaging and to my eye looks like it's never been used. It was sent in to be checked for adjustment prior to purchase. I've found focussing to be more accurate and consistent. By no means is it an easy lens to focus at wide apertures, but it's been a marked improvement. As a Canadian design, I would imagine they are more than capable of producing it to spec. We shouldn't forget Elcan was the only manufacturer of the 50mm F1 Noctilux and also a specialized range of precision optical equipment for industries that demand very high standards. For certain lenses that don't exhibit different optical characteristics due to origin, you might just be better off going for the best example you can find. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share #33 Posted December 20, 2013 You guys are making me feel so good about my crappy new German lens...thanks so much! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted December 20, 2013 Share #34 Posted December 20, 2013 :D:D No worries. I don't believe German or Canadian makes any difference whatsoever - and I know a couple of people who are very happy with their German copy. In my case, it probably had to do with tolerances adding up, rather than cancelling each other out (if that makes any sense): it seemed like the lens could be accurately focused, irrespective of the aperture used, either at close range (after the 1st adjustment) or towards infinity (after the 2nd adjustment). 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted December 20, 2013 Share #35 Posted December 20, 2013 I like the version 1 lens shade. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted December 21, 2013 Share #36 Posted December 21, 2013 Mark, Congratulations on your acquisition. I'm really looking forward to seeing your future posted images from your iconic "new" lens. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share #37 Posted December 21, 2013 WellI hope I can do it justice. I do have a reasonable understanding of the rendering of the 1.0 Noctilux so I think that will help me get more out of this lens albeit it's differences to the Noctilux as others have described above. It's the first time in a while that I've been really looking forwards to a using a new lens because it's so different. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted December 21, 2013 Share #38 Posted December 21, 2013 I have no doubt there will be a small learning curve, but isn't there just about always with any new lens...you have to bond with them. I really envy you the opportunity, reading the posts this lens sounds quite incredible. May I be rude enough to enquire as to whether you found the lens locally, or if not, where? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share #39 Posted December 21, 2013 I have no doubt there will be a small learning curve, but isn't there just about always with any new lens...you have to bond with them. I really envy you the opportunity, reading the posts this lens sounds quite incredible. May I be rude enough to enquire as to whether you found the lens locally, or if not, where? I've sent you a pm. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share #40 Posted December 21, 2013 (edited) I like the version 1 lens shade. So do you like v1 lens or just the v1 shade? Even though I've gone ahead and bought a v2 lens I'm interested whether there is any difference in the optical cell and performance of the two models or just the cosmetics, shade, and of course price? Edited December 21, 2013 by MarkP Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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