50mm lenses comparison?

[Guest Marc G.]

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The 50 mm Summicron is the measure that all other 50mm lenses are compared to. The lux is not as sharp at F/1.4 as the cron is at F/2. The lux weighs more than the Cron and it blocks the viewfinder more. The lux also costs much more than the cron. I have read that the Lux has very good Bokeh if that is of interest to you. I know nothing about the zeiss lens.

Mr. B

 

if you're talking about the pre apo summicron, your statement isnt true. the summilux asph is better than the summicron at the same apertures and wide open.

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[RobertJRB]

Well, comparing the lux at 1.4 and the cron at 2 my experience is the cron to be sharper.

Both lenses at f2 I would not know.

[red_dot]

The 50 mm Summicron is the measure that all other 50mm lenses are compared to. The lux is not as sharp at F/1.4 as the cron is at F/2. The lux weighs more than the Cron and it blocks the viewfinder more. The lux also costs much more than the cron. I have read that the Lux has very good Bokeh if that is of interest to you. I know nothing about the zeiss lens.

Mr. B

 

Mr. B,

Your comparison of Lux at 1.4 with Cron at 2 doesn't make sense to me. I understand your point of view though. It would make more sense if you'd compare the two at the same aperture opening. Don't you agree?

[Mr_Jones]

I have the 50 cron, zeiss 1.5 and 50 summilux asph. I think the OP is making the right choice going for the 1.4 asph. Not to take away from the other two, especially the cron which weighs nothing by comparison with the asph, and the focus action of the lux often gets in the way.

 

The character of the Lux is what settles it for me, beautiful clear images. For portraits I often soften skin in post as the lux can easily highlight lines etc.

[james.liam]

Stumbled on this thread in a timely fashion. I have a 50 'cron and have been wondering whether I'd made an error opting for that over the 'lux ASPH. The shift, which by ƒ/4 becomes a hassle, is tiresome. I do love the size, the minimal blockage of the VF and by ƒ/5.6, it's just stellar. But, the look...

[01af]

The Summicron 50 mm is the measure that all other 50 mm lenses are compared to.

This used to be true for decades, but isn't anymore since the advent of the Summilux-M 50 mm Asph ten years ago.

 

 

The Summilux is not as sharp at f/1.4 as the Summicron is at f/2.

Who cares?

 

The point is—the Summilux-M 50 mm Asph at f/2 is sharper and vignettes less than the Summicron-M 50 mm at f/2.

 

 

The Summilux also costs much more than the Summicron.

Sure.

 

Of course, the new Apo-Summicron-M 50 mm Asph now trumps the Summilux-M 50 mm Asph again ... but at still higher cost.

[pgk]

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The lux is not as sharp at F/1.4 as the cron is at F/2.

But far sharper than the 'cron is at f/1.4;). Oranges and apples. It never ceases to amaze me that there are constant claims about 'sharpness' whatever that is, and one lens being 'sharper' than another when the comparison is impossible. There is far, far more to a lens than its absolute 'sharpness'. If you really can't see that, then even 'sharpness is probably irrelevant'.

 

If I had to choose which 50mm lens to buy I'd go for the 50 Aspheric Summilux - for my money probably the best 50mm f/1.4 lens that can be bought. Its small and compact, solidly built, handles well, balances with M cameras, takes E46 filters (now a common size for Leica lenses) and its performance will satisfy anyone who takes real world photographs. And its a whole usable stop faster than the 'cron too - important if you really do shoot at wide apertures.

 

Actually, I did choose and I do own and use the 50mm Aspheric Summilux. Its a fabulous lens. I replaced my pre-Aspheric with it - the base difference being performance wide open. No regrets. I've owned Summicrons too - good lenses all - but the Aspheric Summilux is by far my favourite 50mm.

[snappert]

A picture is worth 1000 words.

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yep, seconded!

[Torgian]

Thanks for the posts mates. When I get the ASPH I'll let you guys know I'm gonna look for one in a couple months after I move to Japan and get settled. Might be able to find one used there if I'm lucky.

[SteveYork]

When I shot Ms, albeit on film, I owned both a 50mm Summicron and 50mm Summilux ASPH. The Summicron was the first M lens I purchased in 1997, and I got the Summilux when it first came out at a (then) whopping $2595. I justified putting all that $$ into one lens, because I told myself it would be the most used lens. I used both side by side until I got out of rangefinders in about 2012. Optically, the Summilux was the best lens I've ever owned. Ergonomically, one of the worst. Stiff in the beginning, but then it smoothed out nicely. It's just so darn big and heavy for an rangefinder lens. I found myself reaching for the Summicron 99% of the time unless I needed the extra stop of speed.

[KM-25]

The very first Leica 50 I ever owned was a black 50 Lux Asph. It was brand new at $2,450 from a dealer and was a bit stiff, took months to smooth out. But the optics, flawless. Later, I ended up with a M3 which is now the only Leica M I have left, it had a collapsable 50 for the longest time.

 

Then I started looking for a different 50 for the M3, the collapsable 50 was fidgety to work with and flared like crazy even though it had perfect coatings. So I went with a Planar for awhile, probably the second best 50 I had to date, sharp everywhere, all the time, reliable focus too. But I wanted faster, after all, this was my only lens on my only Leica. So I took my chances on a 50 1.5 Sonnar…the darn thing was optimized for 2.8 and I honestly hated dealing with it, I just can’t work like that, too distracting. So off that went and I have been using my V-2 Pre-Asph for a little over a year now. It’s a really nice lens, had a little back focus issue at first but it was decently sharp. But it’s field curvature has started getting on my nerves lately and it still does not do what the 50 1.4 Asph does.

 

So I am getting a chrome 50mm 1.4 Asph, it truly will be the last lens I will need to get for my M3, a match made in heaven. It’s gone up a good bit in price too, about a grand more than I paid for the first one, oh well…that one was the wrong color anyway.

[arthury]

Sonnar produces quite interesting images if you know how to use it wisely ...

 

In the Flickr group, you'll get to see a wide range of images --- both the fallouts and the grandeur of this lens:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/zeissikon50mm-c/

 

Here are some shot by someone who has skills:

http://matthewosbornephotography.wordpress.com/2013/12/14/zeiss-zm-sonnar-501-5/

[arthury]

Here's one focused using the rangefinder without the EVF2 at the closest possible distance.

 

[SteveYork]

So many great options in the 50 focal length today -- Planar, Summicron, Sonnar, Nokton, Summilux. They're all really good. It really comes down to size/weight and $$.

[lct]

... and image quality.

[farnz]

So many great options in the 50 focal length today -- Planar, Summicron, Sonnar, Nokton, Summilux. They're all really good. It really comes down to size/weight and $$.

… let's not omit the Noctilux from the list.

 

For me it's about a lot more than just size and weight, it's mostly about how the lenses render the scene. For instance, identical scenes shot with a 50/1.4 Summilux asph, Zeiss 50/1.5 C-Sonnar, and 50/1 Noctilux are quite different in terms of acutance, colour pallet, flare, contrast, vignetting, and some indefinable qualities that produce their characteristic 'look'. I'm not in any way suggesting that any of them are better or worse (whatever that might mean) than any other, they're all just different.

 

Pete.

[Stein K S]

… let's not omit the Noctilux from the list.

 

 

 

Pete.

 

... nor the previously mentioned Elmar-M...!

 

If you want to buy new, it is no option any more (I know). But that small, little " bugger" shall never me underestimated... as a LOT of forum friends tend to repeat year after year! And that should tell at least a part of a very good story.

 

Stein