Which Leica 75mm to buy?

[TheGodParticle/Hari]

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A worthless comparison.

Ignore.

.

 

 

Useless comment.

 

Ignore.

[Gerard]

It may have been harshly delivered, but it was fair. Two portraits shot at the same time would reveal the truth. The two supplied as an example prove nothing.

 

That said, I'm a gambling man. So if I were down the pub with friends, I'd pop a fiver on the landscape image being the Lux.

[pgk]

It may have been harshly delivered, but it was fair. Two portraits shot at the same time would reveal the truth.

I'm not convinced that they would. Web viewed imagery is difficult to interpret because so many differences are both subtle and rely on detailed examination together with specific, comparable subjects. I have never owned the 75/1.4M but have the 75mm Summicron and had and used the 80/1.4R which by all accounts is close in its rendering to the 75/1.4M (I'd like a 75/1.4M but not at the silly prices now being asked for even 'user' lenses). I could post images but they would not be all that useful without additional text which people could believe or not and/or argue over:(.

 

And this is the problem with any web based lens comparison. Personally I think that the whole idea of comparing two disparate lenses (one very fast and one not so fast) is somewhat pointless because owning a fast lens is, in my book, because you want to use it wide open for a substantial amount of images.

 

All that said, and FWIW, the 80/1.4R produced softish images wide open, displayed significant magenta and green edges to out of focus high contrast edges and when stopped down produced a smoothness of tonality which is oftenoverlooked but made it a fabulous lens (I got rid due to not finding it useful or particularly easy to utilise on my Canon - personal thing). The 75 Summicron-M on the other hand is far more clinical and produces highly detailed and superbly corrected images but can be harsh at times in its unforgiving extraction of fine detail and its aspheric nature shows through in a bokeh less smooth than the 80/1.4, if that is, bokeh is of interest to you.

 

Posting images on the web which would illustrate my opinions would be difficult and still leave room for argument, so suffice it to say I am perfectly happy for others to disagree with my assessment. And everything said, the 75 Summicron is a fabulous lens, as I am quite certain is the Summilux. We are discussing two very, very good lenses here.

[sblutter]

+1 for the Voight 2.5 - find myself using it exclusively for days - with a 1.25x eyepiece magnifier

 

Very happy w/resulting prints - very reasonable price to have that length in the bag

[A miller]

I can't speak to the M8, but with regard to the MM I think there are huge synergies to using old glass, particularly for people subjects. The really older glass (pre-1970) was designed in an age of predominantly B&W film, which is very suitable for the MM.

 

Plenty of color film was around at the time of the 75/lux production. But it still falls into the category of a RELATIVELY less optically perfect and more creamy rendition (wide open). My personal opinion is that the ASPH/APO lenses work magically on the MM particuarly for landscapes and architecture. But for people shots, my results come out on the sterile side, and require extra PP to soften and make more film-like. As GOD PARTICLE suggests, this can pretty easily be done. But when it comes like this naturally through the use of an older lens, it's just more pleasing and satisfying.

 

It all depends what you are after. But, to me, one of the hidden secrets of the MM is the magic it makes with older glass.

 

Best,

Adam

[IWC Doppel]

I had the 75 Summarit and it is very sharp and very modern in it's rendering, at the time I had the 90 Elmarit-M which I preferred for it's rendering and bokeh to the 75 summarit. This is still a much underated lens in my view and would be on my list of cheaper nice long lenses (shame they didnt do a 75 Elmarit-M at the time)

But the 75 Summilux is very special, here's an untouched M9 jpg in B&W uncropped and as it left the camera at f1.4, the pastel softness is sublime with this lens, it makes ordinary things lovely. You can work in tonal adjustments, contrast, clarity and so on but the starting point is great

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[Duane Pandorf]

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I just bought the 75 Cron. I couldn't wait to find a nice 75 Lux but bought a Dale's Photo eBay listed like new manufacturer's refurbished model with one year warranty for $2795.

 

I had never seen either the Lux or Cron in person but while in Geneva this past week I dropped by the Leica shop and got see the Cron. The size sold me and I didn't have any issues focusing. Plus I already have a 49mm 3 stop ND filter for my style of shooting.

[Berth]

I just took delivery of a LN- Summarit 75mm from Keh Camera. I've taken a few shots with it on my MP but don't have the results as yet. Very light & compact, Leica 'feel', and I do like its short focus throw.

 

I'm optimistic.

[Rick]

I had the 75 cron. It was an amazing lens to own. Great color rendition and sharp. OOF rendition was very pleasing. A modern lens. Perfect.

 

I own a really nice copy of the 75 Lux. It has just that extra something that is hard to describe. With the 75 Summilux you alway just seem to get a little bit more than you expect. It is just one of those lenses that everyone that has owned it and sold will tell you that they regret it.

 

I'd get the 75 Summilux, without a doubt.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/2629061-post215.html

 

Rick

[BerndReini]

I own both. 75lux is for women, 75cron is for coal miners.

[alan.y]

I have a Summilux-R 80 (which I adore) and a Summilux-M 75. I bought the latter wanting the same image in a smaller, lighter, and better balanced package on the A7R. This was a couple of months ago.

 

For some reason, I can't seem to warm up to the 75, ergonomically speaking. My particular copy (late 560grams version with built-in hood) has a very smooth focus ring, and in fact is a bit too smooth. Coupled with the shorter focus throw (than the 80), this leads me often to overshoot or undershoot the focus. The 75's aperture and focus rings are a bit cramped, and to make this worse the hood doesn't like to stay extended or retracted and tends to get in the way. So overall I find the lens "fiddly" compared to the 80.

 

I handled an early version at a store and found it more pleasant, with more generously-sized and -spaced rings as well as a lesser weight (at 490 grams). If I had the chance in the future I might try to trade mine for it.

 

I am adding a Steer from Leica Goodies and hoping it'll improve the ergonomics. But I'm a bit concerned that it uses an adhesive. Will this adhesive leave hard-to-clean traces inside the grooves of the focus ring?

[MarkP]

I own both. 75lux is for women, 75cron is for coal miners.

 

 

:D:D

I do too - well put.

Quote of the month!

[cpclee]

I owned the 80 Summilux-R and sold it. The best lens I have ever had. What a mistake!

 

I now have the 75 cron. Can't say just yet if I like it more or less than the 80 R, but in either case it's clear that the Cron is the best M lens I have ever used except maybe the 50 Lux ASPH which is an equal

[jip]

Hey,

 

I've used both on the M and didn't find the focus shift to be a problem on the Summilux actually, I now own the 80mm Summilux-R that renders pretty much the same as the Summilux I wrote a article about it so if you want to see what the Summilux can do take a look at it.

 

The Summicron APO 75 is a totally different lens, in my opinion the only thing they have in common is the focal length. It is very clinical, and has wide open outstanding performance, and close up you can basically get the same depth of field as the Noctilux, with less aberration. On the Monochrom however I think the Summilux might be more interesting.

 

Here is a link to my article about the Summilux-R 80mm, that again: pretty much renders the same as the Summilux-M 75mm.

 

Summilux-R 80 on the Leica R8 and M (Typ 240) | Jip van Kuijk

[tobey bilek]

The 1.4 was calibrated for film cameras. It most likely will need service to work well on digital.

 

The 2.0 is smaller and lighter and I prefer it.

[TheGodParticle/Hari]

75Lux has the "magical" touch wide open / renders like the 50APO at about f4 and is razor sharp stopped down

 

75cron has bite already wide open and focuses down closer than others but flares strongly and easily

 

75rit has the best price/size/weight and flare resistance

[TheGodParticle/Hari]

The 80Lux is a good lens too but remember it has the Leica-R mount and adapting it to the M240 means using it only with LV or EVF. No RF coupling.

[Numbers]

I own both. 75lux is for women, 75cron is for coal miners.

 

A qoute I will remember. Well said! It puts some nuance to the discussion - It depends on the purpose.

I have the Cron and it is a first choice for me. To call it clinical is just not very precise. But it is very sharp and with lots of definition. Down the road I will add the Summilux as I like photographing women as well ;-)

[pico]

Choose a 75mm Summilux that has a "00" mark on the lens and be happy.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[cpclee]

I'm not sure if "clinical" is the word I would have chosen to describe the 75AA! Its rendition is very modern indeed, but definitely not sterile. There is a certain look of (optical) flawlessness and it does this very tasteful thing with colors. Especially at wide open colors have a translucent quality, and at the same time you get oodles details while the contrast and sharpness stay gentle.

 

Hey,

 

I've used both on the M and didn't find the focus shift to be a problem on the Summilux actually, I now own the 80mm Summilux-R that renders pretty much the same as the Summilux I wrote a article about it so if you want to see what the Summilux can do take a look at it.

 

The Summicron APO 75 is a totally different lens, in my opinion the only thing they have in common is the focal length. It is very clinical, and has wide open outstanding performance, and close up you can basically get the same depth of field as the Noctilux, with less aberration. On the Monochrom however I think the Summilux might be more interesting.

 

Here is a link to my article about the Summilux-R 80mm, that again: pretty much renders the same as the Summilux-M 75mm.

 

Summilux-R 80 on the Leica R8 and M (Typ 240) | Jip van Kuijk