75mm: Summilux vs Summicron ASPH

[gerasdoc]

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Trying to decide between the 2. I am soliciting opinions.

[jayproth]

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/22702-my-75mm-f2-cron-has-arrived.html ->This thread for the Summicron

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/people/21585-portrait-testing-summilux-75mm.html?highlight=75+summilux

--> This thread for the Summilux

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/14653-75-cron-vs-lux.html?highlight=75+summilux

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/customer-forum/2899-75mm-1-4-75-2-0-a.html?highlight=summicron+75

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/customer-forum/8471-m-75-mm-summilux-summicron.html?highlight=summicron+75

-->These threads for comparison between the two.

 

Generally the consensus is the lux gives a very nice soft effect for portraits but is much larger and harder to use, while the cron is smaller and gives a much sharper image. So its pretty much down to personal preference.

 

Hope this helps..

[gerasdoc]

Thanks. It was very helpful.

[grober]

No brainer for me; I've owned them both. I found the Summilux too heavy and poorly balanced in my hands on either my M4 or M7. As soon as the Summicron was announced I sold the 'Lux and haven't looked back. The Summicron is wonderfully made, beautiful to use and capable of providing some very sharp images. (I also never had confidence in focusing accurately wide open on the 'Lux.)

 

Buy the Summicron.

 

-g

[JT07]

Another vote for the Summicron here too.

 

As stated so well by previous posters, it is extremely sharp and a joy to handle and carry around on the camera. It's much easier to use then the lux.

 

Either way, you won't be disappointed but my money would be on the summicron.

[j. borger]

People who think the 75 summilux is "soft" should work on their technique or have lens and/or camera checked for focus accuracy.................

The difference between the two is in the drawing of the image ... old Leica lenses vs. new Leica lenses... very different character fo sure ... but "soft" is a real misleading term to characterise the 75 summilux ......

As a general tele-lens i would choose the 75 summicron ... as a people's lens the 75 summilux ............ it is one of the greatest Leica lenses ever made with probably the most beautiful tonality in B&W of all Leica lenses.

Downside of the 75 lux is size and the long focus throw ... however the 75 summicron is not exactly a small lens either .....

[rob_x2004]

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Downside of the 75 lux is size and the long focus throw

 

I suppose it depends where most of this throw is. I cant quite understand why having the fine adjust of a longer travel would be an issue. More likely to lose a shot to short throw. Just a tiny crank and the image is gone.

 

Do seem to be more posts from people selling their 75Lux for the 75Cron than the other way round. But from Rosunas portrait 75Lux looked like a nice lens to me, though I didnt think wide open was the place for 75 portraits.

[j. borger]

I cant quite understand why having the fine adjust of a longer travel would be an issue......

It is no issue for posed portraits ... but for events/ street it makes life more difficult .... try to keep moving subjects in focus with a Noctilux or 75 lux .. or any lens with long focus throw ..........

[BerndReini]

I have also owned both. Sold the lux and never looked back. Ok, Ok, if you don't want to call the lux sharp. It definitely has very low microcontrast (that is a euphemism for soft in practical use). The cron is ten times sharper at all apertures, and you can alway soften a digital picture (soft glow etc.) but not make it sharper without introducing artifacts.

 

Here's one taken today with the cron.

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[rosuna]

A 75mm on the M8 gives the FoV of a 90mm lens on the M7 or MP. This means that distance and perspective will be the same of a 90mm lens. However, DoF changes.

 

The crop factor transform lenses in "a different thing".

 

I tested the Summilux 75mm in a shop here in Madrid (Fotocasión, they have one new!). It is big, but similar to the 90mm APO-ASPH (minor differences here). It is beautiful made. The sharpness seems to be similar to that of the Summicon in the f/2.8 - f/8 range. At f/2 the look is very idiosincratic, and different to the Summicron. At f/1.4 the DoF is minimal, and a tripod or careful focusing and more distance (more DoF) can help you in getting sharp images. The positive point is this: on the M8 the reduced FoV asks for more distance (for a particular framing), so this "virtual" 90mm f/1.4 is easier to focus and handle.

 

Finally, I ordered the Summilux. Maybe it is the best lens of the Mandler era, not out of production. It has dissapeared from the second-hand market. The new ASPH lenses are better in many ways, but the old look has interesting possibilities. The Summilux is supersharp at medium apertures and painterly at wide apertures. This double character will be very useful for my photographs.

[innerimager]

Interestingly, many of us have more than one 50, and use them as to the purpose, yet it seems the 75 choice is "either or". And can there be a greater existential dilemma than which lens to purchase? ;>)

I have a noctilux which gets used for it's dreamy quality, and when only F1 will do, and a 50/1.4 asph as my general purpose 50. (Though to call the best lens I ever used general purpose is a bit shallow). After looking at many, many 75 lux and 75 cron images, I decided to get both as well. I was lucky to find a used lux before things got crazy (true of a lot of my lenses including the noctilux). I love it. It will be my favorite portrait lens, and when 1.4 is necessary it delivers just fine. I ordered the 75 cron with my discount and eagerly await it. It will be my general walk around 75, for closer shooting, faster focusing, and preferentially for color shooting where the lux will preferentially be for B&W. Maybe in a year I'll decide to just keep one...but I doubt it! best....Peter

[Artichoke]

happily I jumped on my 75 Lux when I learned Leica was producing the M8 & got it used from KEH before its price spiraled

I have no experience with the 75 Cron, but I find the comment that the Lux is "soft" inconsistent with my experience

certainly for portraits, given the optical character of a f1.4 short tele, the plane of focus wide open is very narrow ...for portraits, you have to stop down if you want much of the face in focus given the distance to subject ...stopping any lens down a bit improves sharpness, but even near wide open the Lux seems quite sharp providing the distance to subject is sufficient to allow for enough dof

attached is a sample at f1.7 of a moving target ...within the narrow dof, the lens is as sharp as one could expect given the laws of physics

while my Lux is tack sharp & very good with handling flare, it does have a tendency to produce CA with point light sources, albeit easily corrected in post and not severe ...I suspect this is an optical advantage for the 75 Cron (beyond ease of focus/size/price) which after all is a newer ASPH design

the 75 Lux produces lovely bokeh/tone/contrast/color & I find it balances well on the M8 ...I have F mount fast tele lenses (135 F2 DC, 200 F2 VR & 85 f1.4) and the Lux is petite in comparison

despite not having a filter yet for it (when oh when will Leica deliver on its promise?) it is my most used lens ...whether it is right for the OP is something I cannot answer, but for me the advantage of its speed is important for what I like to photograph

I have many other samples here Leica M8 photographs Photo Gallery by Artichoke Vinagrette at pbase.com from this lens, though you will have to sort them a bit

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[bill vann]

Have the 75 Lux and am totally a fool for it, love the way it paints,

 

have the 90 cron and a fool for it, scary sharp and contrasty.

 

a beautiful pair of lenses.

 

 

while not completely on target to your request I suggest that they are so different in what they do the cron and lux are both worth a spot. ah the$$$ i know, i know but...

 

bill vann

[BerndReini]

I have to admit that I always used and like the 75lux when I was shooting film with my MP. I was also perfectly happy with it as far as sharpness is concerned. Not until the M8 came out and my friend got his 75 cron did I have a problem with the Lux. We took pictures side by side with both lenses at the same aperture (f2) and compared to the cron my lux just seemed so soft that I put it up for sale the next day. I also want to mention that I did thoroughly test the lens for backfocus issues and it was spot on, so that did not influence the performance.

[innerimager]

here's why I'll never stop using the lux for portraits whatever the cron brings to the table. f1.4 ...Peter

[BerndReini]

My friend quoted someone saying. 75lux is for women, 75cron is for coalminers. Amen to that.

[frc]

To photograph with or to be photographed with,

just a question.

[rosuna]

To photograph with or to be photographed with,

just a question.

 

To be hit with.