One Lens to rule them all? Which 50mm?

[KM-25]

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I only have one Leica, my 1956 M3 and a 50mm 1.4 Asph. I started with the 50 1.4 when I had more than one body for a project, sold it and then proceeded to go through about half a dozen 50mm lenses until I bought another 50mm 1.4 Asph...for about $1,000 more than I paid for the first one, LOL! Some folks on here are suggesting the Zeiss 50mm 1.5 Sonnar, man I tried to like that lens because the size and weight was amazing for the speed...but the focus shift was real and truly a pain in my rear, don't discount that issue in using on a digital camera either, it is incredibly distracting, like having to re-tune your guitar after every song.

 

My suggestion as a pro who uses Leica among lots of other gear? It's as follows:

 

1. Go check out the camera and three lenses in person at Camera West or an SF Leica dealer. The lenses should be the 35mm 1.4 FLE, 50mm Summicron non-asph and 50mm 1.4 Asph.

 

2. Rent the camera and 2 of the three lenses you liked best from LensRentals.com for a week.

 

3. Go back to the dealer you handled the gear at and buy the combo you like best.

 

For what it is worth, I left out the uber expensive 50mm APO because of a couple reasons, it is heavy for a 50mm F2 and as technically perfect as it is, I have yet to see an incredible photograph made with it. The latter might be because when I see digital photos taken with it, the way the lens actually renders almost always gets lost in the candy coating of post production of the people using it. It seems to be a lens for those who either like to brag or pixel peep.

 

I settled on the 50mm 1.4 Asph as my only lens because for me it has the best combo of speed, sharpness & rendering with no BS focus shift, I only use Tmax 400 with it so it truly is a do all lens for me, I love it. I have the one in silver and while it is rather heavy in that version, it is a lens that in the right hands will make stunning photographs happen with amazing consistency. All this being said, if I were to get a digital M which I have no desire to do, I would use a 35mm 1.4 since they all seem to be stuck at .72 viewfinder magnification which I never really liked with a 50mm, especially shooting wide open with a 1.4, just a bit too backed off for my liking. You might find the same when you take them for a spin.

 

Good luck and remember, there is no good to come of a sharp image of a fuzzy concept, great photographs are made by great vision, not just great gear.

[james.liam]

Some folks on here are suggesting the Zeiss 50mm 1.5 Sonnar, man I tried to like that lens because the size and weight was amazing for the speed...but the focus shift was real and truly a pain in my rear, don't discount that issue in using on a digital camera either, it is incredibly distracting, like having to re-tune your guitar after every song.

 

Zeiss optimizes the focus for the 50 Sonnar at f/2,8 out of the box but will adjust it to f/1,5 upon request. It will of course still shift when stopped down but at least not wide-open. A real specialty lens if there ever was one, perhaps more so than the Noctilux given the narrow envelope of ease of use.

[pico]

So something softer/ smoother would be nice. For a case, I am going with the cheapest Pacsafe that will fit the camera with lens attached.

 

 

In my experience with Pacsafe straps on two M7 cameras is that they are stiff, uncomfortable.

[tobey bilek]

Finally bought an ASPH 1.4. Fantastic is all I can say. `Cron is just your average Leica lens, still excellent .

 

I use a second version 2.8 collapsible 50 and ASPH 1.4. Love both.

[JohnFM]

tobey,

 

What are you liking about the 50/1.4 over the 50/2? I have an older Summicron M and am thinking about the Summilux M

 

My only experience with the Lux vs. Cron is on the R side. I have an older 50/2 R and actually preferred it to the latest 50/1.4 R. The Lux had better contrast and was sharper in the corners but I actually found the center sharpness to be (slightly) higher with the Cron.

 

Thanks.

John

[philipus]

Barton 1972 straps are well made and inexpensive. Lots of models.m

 

The 50 Summilux Asph is the best 50 there is.

[Ecaton]

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I only have one Leica, my 1956 M3 and a 50mm 1.4 Asph. I started with the 50 1.4 when I had more than one body for a project, sold it and then proceeded to go through about half a dozen 50mm lenses until I bought another 50mm 1.4 Asph...for about $1,000 more than I paid for the first one, LOL! Some folks on here are suggesting the Zeiss 50mm 1.5 Sonnar, man I tried to like that lens because the size and weight was amazing for the speed...but the focus shift was real and truly a pain in my rear, don't discount that issue in using on a digital camera either, it is incredibly distracting, like having to re-tune your guitar after every song.

 

My suggestion as a pro who uses Leica among lots of other gear? It's as follows:

 

1. Go check out the camera and three lenses in person at Camera West or an SF Leica dealer. The lenses should be the 35mm 1.4 FLE, 50mm Summicron non-asph and 50mm 1.4 Asph.

 

2. Rent the camera and 2 of the three lenses you liked best from LensRentals.com for a week.

 

3. Go back to the dealer you handled the gear at and buy the combo you like best.

 

For what it is worth, I left out the uber expensive 50mm APO because of a couple reasons, it is heavy for a 50mm F2 and as technically perfect as it is, I have yet to see an incredible photograph made with it. The latter might be because when I see digital photos taken with it, the way the lens actually renders almost always gets lost in the candy coating of post production of the people using it. It seems to be a lens for those who either like to brag or pixel peep.

 

I settled on the 50mm 1.4 Asph as my only lens because for me it has the best combo of speed, sharpness & rendering with no BS focus shift, I only use Tmax 400 with it so it truly is a do all lens for me, I love it. I have the one in silver and while it is rather heavy in that version, it is a lens that in the right hands will make stunning photographs happen with amazing consistency. All this being said, if I were to get a digital M which I have no desire to do, I would use a 35mm 1.4 since they all seem to be stuck at .72 viewfinder magnification which I never really liked with a 50mm, especially shooting wide open with a 1.4, just a bit too backed off for my liking. You might find the same when you take them for a spin.

 

Good luck and remember, there is no good to come of a sharp image of a fuzzy concept, great photographs are made by great vision, not just great gear.

 

The ZM 50 Sonnar has pronounced focus shift and up to 2.8 the shooter has to compensate for it. But with practice this becomes second nature and is being rewarded with a unique rendering. Starting at 5.6 and even more at f8 the lens renders with Zeiss pop and color. If always sharp fully open is preferred, the Summilux asph is the better pick. I have both and more often reach for the Sonnar, not the least because of its size and weight advantage.

[billo101]

I just bought 50 Lux ASPH for my M-P, chrome.

Great combo, great look.

 

b

[james.liam]

Finally bought an ASPH 1.4. Fantastic is all I can say. `Cron is just your average Leica lens, still excellent .

 

I use a second version 2.8 collapsible 50 and ASPH 1.4. Love both.

 

In addition to a $250 price drop on new Leica products in the US until January 2015, there appears to be a flurry of QM2 items around at an even steeper discount (perhaps shifted here due to the strengthening US dollar and higher Wetzlar/Portugal output). A QM2 50 Lux can now be found for about $3000-3200--with a full warranty-- so I took a shot and sold off some older, unused equipment along with my pre-APO 50 'cron and bought one.

 

While a stellar performer from ƒ/5.6 and smaller, I cannot say I was enthralled by the close portraits from the Summicron. There is no 'special' thing that endeared it to me, like the NOCT Nikkor or 50/1.2 AIS from my Nikon days. A touch of a glow at ƒ/2, gentler skin rendering but OOF blur that does not inspire. This 'ordinariness' became more apparent on digital compared to film (an MM-just switched). The splendid isolation from the Lux and its brilliance at ƒ/1.4 without being brutal, is indeed marvelous. If I were to keep a 2nd 50, it would be a lower contrast specialty lens to play around with, say either an unmarred 50/1.5 Summarit or maybe even a Canon 50/1.4 LTM. Not the 50 Summicron.

[Numbers]

I talked to the Nordic distributor today at a product presentation. We also talked about the 50 APO. Apparently it is a huge seller and it will see an other price increase in the beginning of the new year as he had seen the new pricelist .

(FWIW he knows I own it.)

[snooper]

We also talked about the 50 APO. Apparently it is a huge seller

 

Yet another superb lens. Can't decide between the Cron APO and the Summilux, so I kept both for the time being. Expensive dilemma.

 

I love portraits with the Lux... Here with a M240 and Silver EP2.

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