APO 50 images

[Luke_Miller]

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You're probably right about the 50 APO, with the Monochrom excepted. You have the latter, why don't you rent to former and see for yourself.

To be perfectly honest - I'm afraid to

[Jan1985]

Madame Mystique. by Jan Hartmann, auf Flickr

[horosu]

I've seen quite a few lovely images here, but I wonder how many of those couldn't have been made with the Summilux ASPH, for instance.

 

I had the pleasure to own the APO Summicron 50, but was a bit unsettled by its flare propensity (and I'm not talking here about the infamous central flare problem) as well as its light-falloff. In the end I considered it much too expensive for street photography although I must say that it was impressively built.

 

 I replaced it with the Summilux ASPH, which is much more useful for a hybrid (film/digital) workflow.

Edited July 31, 2016 by horosu

[4X5B&W]

To be perfectly honest - I'm afraid to

 

 

It's something I wonder about (maybe some reviewer has tested for it) when comparing these 3 exceptional designs:

 

The 1979 Summicron Ver.'s  4 and 5.

 

The Summilux ASPH

 

The Summicron AA

 

I understand that on a M240 there is going to be differences especially in colour files, however with the Filters removed on the Monochrom models, just how much difference is there in the files??

We can assume that resolution is higher from the AA, however does it warrant the huge cost difference between those wonderful Mandler through to today's SOTA designs.

 

Just wondering 

Edited July 31, 2016 by 4X5B&W

[BerndReini]

 

 

We can assume that resolution is higher from the AA, however does it warrant the huge cost difference between those wonderful Mandler through to today's SOTA designs.

Yes.

 

 

We can assume that resolution is higher from the AA, however does it warrant the huge cost difference between those wonderful Mandler through to today's SOTA designs.

No.

 

 

We can assume that resolution is higher from the AA, however does it warrant the huge cost difference between those wonderful Mandler through to today's SOTA designs.

Maybe. It depends on how much money you have and what you are looking for in a lens. You have to try it out for yourself. I bought one last year after a long time of pondering that question and I would not trade it for any other 50mm lens. But I can tell you that the quality wide open will be obvious if you compare it to any other 50mm M mount lens you currently own. I have the 50lux aspherical as a comparison.

[Jan1985]

I've seen quite a few lovely images here, but I wonder how many of those couldn't have been made with the Summilux ASPH, for instance.

 

I had the pleasure to own the APO Summicron 50, but was a bit unsettled by its flare propensity (and I'm not talking here about the infamous central flare problem) as well as its light-falloff. In the end I considered it much too expensive for street photography although I must say that it was impressively built.

 

 I replaced it with the Summilux ASPH, which is much more useful for a hybrid (film/digital) workflow.

 

One year ago i was fascinated by the technical aspects of this lens and it was a must have for me. Now i only see it's character and use it just as a tool. i dont think any second anymore how much percent it is optically between than a lux or another. i just like its characterical rendering and thats it. the best lens can't help you if you don't "see" the picture.

[lct]

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Interesting discussion. I find this lens technically superb, psychologically reassuring and artistically with no character at all. Like the best digital hi-fi system. Just transparent.

[Peter Kilmister]

Sad that you think that, @lct, it glows with character for me. It is also light and compact.

Digital hi-fi is also something I enjoy. No scratches, no bumps, no picking fluff off a stylus.

Each to their own.

[lct]

Don't get me wrong, i don't dislike transparency at all and my hi-fi set up is mostly digital as well (with good old class A amps though). But when i want character i prefer an Elmar or a Sonnar. Great to have the choice .

[LeicaPassion]

One year ago i was fascinated by the technical aspects of this lens and it was a must have for me. Now i only see it's character and use it just as a tool. i dont think any second anymore how much percent it is optically between than a lux or another. i just like its characterical rendering and thats it. the best lens can't help you if you don't "see" the picture.

[LeicaPassion]

Precisely.

[BerndReini]

I do agree that it does flare with any amount of backlight hitting the front element especially when it is so direct that the lens hood only partially blocks the light. Here is a rejected file that shows what happens (you can see the top of the frame is covered by the hood, below it the flare kicks in):

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[Jay B]

Granville GeeBee Z "City of Springfield"
Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington


Granville GeeBee Z "City of Springfield" by Leica Jay, on Flickr

Edited August 1, 2016 by Jay B

[zlatkob]

I do agree that it does flare with any amount of backlight hitting the front element especially when it is so direct that the lens hood only partially blocks the light. Here is a rejected file that shows what happens (you can see the top of the frame is covered by the hood, below it the flare kicks in):

 

The top of the frame is not covered by the hood in that photo.  The slide out hood is round, so it can't produce a straight dark line across the top.  The dark line is likely from the internals of the camera stopping the flare at that point.  The flare may even be from light reflected off the sensor and back onto the sensor at the moment of exposure.

[james.liam]

I do agree that it does flare with any amount of backlight hitting the front element especially when it is so direct that the lens hood only partially blocks the light. Here is a rejected file that shows what happens (you can see the top of the frame is covered by the hood, below it the flare kicks in):

Is your sample one of the first batch or a newer one? And what of the line at the top. Zlatkob makes an interesting observation about the flare-free line at top.

[BerndReini]

My lens is the new version. I didn't formulate this correctly though. I didn't mean that the top of the frame is covered by the hood, but that the lens hood partially covered the light that hit the top of the lens casting a narrow band across the top of the frame, but not enough to cover all the light that hit the lens. 

[jdlaing]

My lens is the new version. I didn't formulate this correctly though. I didn't mean that the top of the frame is covered by the hood, but that the lens hood partially covered the light that hit the top of the lens casting a narrow band across the top of the frame, but not enough to cover all the light that hit the lens.

 

I saw that and was going to ask how that happened.

[zlatkob]

My lens is the new version. I didn't formulate this correctly though. I didn't mean that the top of the frame is covered by the hood, but that the lens hood partially covered the light that hit the top of the lens casting a narrow band across the top of the frame, but not enough to cover all the light that hit the lens. 

 

That's how I understood your comment — that it's not actually the hood in the frame.  But still, how can a round hood cast a perfectly straight band across the top of the frame?  The hood would have to be square in order to do that.

[FrozenInTime]

That's how I understood your comment — that it's not actually the hood in the frame.  But still, how can a round hood cast a perfectly straight band across the top of the frame?  The hood would have to be square in order to do that.

 

Baffles in the camera, as  zlatkob also suggested, or internal to the lens

Edited August 1, 2016 by FrozenInTime

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[helged]

I do agree that it does flare with any amount of backlight hitting the front element especially when it is so direct that the lens hood only partially blocks the light. Here is a rejected file that shows what happens (you can see the top of the frame is covered by the hood, below it the flare kicks in):

This phenomenon has been discussed before, see e.g. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/208297-apo-summicron-502-asph-central-veiling-flare-fogging/?p=2378639 and Adans post 149 and 161 in the linked thread.

Edited August 1, 2016 by helged