50mm F2 APO ASPH

[Jeff S]

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That's a very interesting link, thank you.

 

Sure, from the same guys that I linked so another commenter could rent 2 50's for his own very interesting, albeit less scientific, comparison.

 

Jeff

[asiafish]

Another 50mm fan here. Its hard to pick a favorite and I often will take two with me when I go out. Fortunately, mine are all small and light.

 

The 50mm f/2 Summicron-M (v5 non-APO) is probably my favorite from my collection just because of how reliable it is. So long as I use the (built-in) hood I have no issues with flare, it is sharp from corner-to-corner from f/4 and sharp in the center from f/2, where I probably don't care much about the corners anyway. Bokeh can be a bit unpredictable, but is usually pleasing and is downright gorgeous when the stars line up. Even at its worst, bokeh is still better than just about any zoom or reasonable prime (the Sigma Art being the notable new exception).

 

I also have a Zeiss Sonnar fetish and usually struggle in deciding between my uncoated 1937 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar, my 1963 coated 5cm f/1.5 Zomz Jupiter 3 (a Sonnar knock-off) and my coated1941 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/2 Sonnar T, each of which has different looks and behaviors.

 

All four are great fun to use. I also had a Leica 5cm f/2 Summitar and the modern Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar ZM, but sold those two as they just sat in the cabinet while I used the Summicron for reliability or one of the vintage Sonnars for that 1930s character.

[marknorton]

I think the Noctilux is over-rated as a general purpose 50mm; too big, heavy, blocks the finder and the optical quality is not as good as the Summilux. Like the 21 and 24mm Summilixes which push the boundaries too, the high speed comes at a price.

 

The sweet spot for me is the Summilux ASPH; I have the APO as well and don't think it is worth paying the premium for. That said, my favourite lenses on the M these days are the 3 R zooms covering 21-200mm.

[Jeff S]

The price of the 50 APO Summicron is expected to rise $900 on July 1

 

Jeff

[kaikeong]

:)Yes. I read about the price increase from 1st Jul. I got mine in May last month. A very good lens. Super sharp and light weight. I have been using it regularly since then. I really love this lens. If you guys could afford, go for it. You will not regret.