ReturningToFilm Posted August 19, 2015 Share #1 Posted August 19, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi all I know this is a bit of a variation on a theme, so apologies in advance but I'm struggling a bit with this particular temptation.... Two well regarded London based stores have the following on offer at the moment. New Summarit 35 mm 2.5 £999; the other second hand Summicron 35mm ASPH with hood excellent condition £1350. So my dilemma is this. I am recent M system convert. I use film only, M4 with Cron 50mm currently. Would like a good well made, one time only purchase, good rendering but not interested in "the dogs nether regions". With the new summarit 2.5 + hood cost would be circa £1120....is the second hand Cron ASPH worth the small increase? I have v limited latitude from she who must be obeyed..... Thanks in advance for opinions! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 19, 2015 Posted August 19, 2015 Hi ReturningToFilm, Take a look here 35mm summarit 2.5 new but reduced price vs second hand 35mm Summicron ASPH?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
fotomas Posted August 19, 2015 Share #2 Posted August 19, 2015 Guess it depends what you like to photograph. I personally need the f2.0 of the cron about 50 - 30 % the time I use it.So I will never go down to a f2.5 lens. Especially with film where you can't have that fancy ISO settings that are possible with digital.I have the Cron ASPH and I'm quite happy with it. It's my favorite lens. There are also lots of people that prefer the last version before the ASPH (v4). Not so sharp in the corners wide open but also a good lens and may be even cheaper than the Summarit if available.I often shot indoor. If you mostly work outside in bright light f2.5 will be fairly enough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRIago Posted August 19, 2015 Share #3 Posted August 19, 2015 Cron. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted August 19, 2015 Share #4 Posted August 19, 2015 I have both. Both superb lenses but the Summarit is softer on borders and corners. Shows less flare than the Summicron though. The Summarit is smaller and lighter but feels a bit cheaper, at least my copy does. If i had to keep one it would be the Summicron due to its wider aperture but YMMV. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 19, 2015 Share #5 Posted August 19, 2015 Actually in your place I would consider whether a 35 mm is an optimal first addition to a 50 mm lens. Personally I would take the bigger step to 28. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 20, 2015 Share #6 Posted August 20, 2015 35 and 50 have served me well for decades....very different tools for me. 28 was a workhorse on my M8.2, though. As for the 35 Summarit versus Summicron....depends in part on whether the speed is important. While the Summicron flares a bit more, and is sometimes subject to mild focus shift, a 35 Summicron (earlier iteration) was my first Leica lens long ago....so I'm a bit biased. But the Summarits are nice little lenses, underplayed by Leica. Take some pics with each while you're visiting those stores. And consider any warranty differences. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.liam Posted August 20, 2015 Share #7 Posted August 20, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) The Summarit is undeservedly underplayed, especially with the current 35 ASPH focus shift. Some minimize it but when I go beyond ƒ/2.8 on digital, it remains a serious distraction until ƒ/5.6. Not so on film, though, where it remains my favorite 35. The Summarit is not only immune to this nasty trait but tends toward a gentler contrast profile, more amenable to monochrome renderings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReturningToFilm Posted August 20, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted August 20, 2015 Thanks everyone for your veiws so far. I must admit that I had not considered a 28, as was thinking more of an alternative perspective on shooting people in their surroundings. Living in London I suspect I will be doing a mixture of street scenes and architecture, but do also get into the countryside occasionally so landscape a possibility too.....the decision just got more complicated! It certainly seems that the summarit is well regarded and if the price difference was greater then I would probably have gone for new summarit, but with only a couple of hundred in it the Cron is tempting. My 50mm Cron is a 1974 edition; I am wondering if the Cron 35 ASPH will look much more clinical? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted August 20, 2015 Share #9 Posted August 20, 2015 I had a Cron ASPH, it was a great lens, but lacked the character of the v.4 and v.3 and was bigger and heavier so I didn't keep it. Either of those would have similar character to your 11817 50mm. And the v.3 is built to the same high quality, before costcutting entered into the picture at Leica. From what I've read the Summarit appears to have a character somewhat in-between the older and latest, so perhaps that would be a factor. On film, especially if you scan it and print it digitally, I really doubt you would see any striking differences between any of those lenses, so I'd go with whichever one was least expensive. And on that note, the CV 35/2.5 is a cracking good lens as well, can be found in M or LTM+adapter mounts for a third the cost of the Summarit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted August 20, 2015 Share #10 Posted August 20, 2015 I have both Summarit and Summicron ASPH. The former is probably sharper and is certainly less flare-prone but, nonetheless, I rather prefer the Summicron and recommend it ahead of the Summarit, especially as you will be using it on film (where the Summicron really shines – it is more so-so on digital). In terms of build quality (you mention this as a factor under consideration), the Summicron is IMO manufactured to a significantly higher standard with a perfectly damped focussing action (the Summarit is looser by comparison) and a nice brass helicoid. Also, don't discount the difference in minimum focussing distance – 0.7m v. 0.8m can make a significant difference if you are in the habit of trying to get close to your subjects. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
friedeye Posted August 20, 2015 Share #11 Posted August 20, 2015 Cron for film. You'll be thankful for that extra stop. You could also consider the Zeiss Biogon f/2. A fine lens for a great price. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReturningToFilm Posted August 20, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted August 20, 2015 Thanks all, great advice and your experiences much appreciated. I had been thinking about Zeiss alternatives but was somewhat put off by reviews stating the build quality not as good and issues with focus rings etc. having made many a mistake in the past going for something a bit cheaper and regretting at leisure I do worry that if I plumped for a Zeiss that I would always be wondering/hankering after the Leica ultimately anyway and get stung selling it on.... Thanks once more. Also to say that I think a 28mm is out, not least as I have an M4 and it doesn't have the frame lines! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 21, 2015 Share #13 Posted August 21, 2015 I have Zeiss lenses along with a number of Leica ones. The Zeiss lenses are imo comparable to the Leica ones in build quality. They are different, sometimes a bit bulkier, but I don't think you can go wrong with either brand. Another lens By Zeiss I really like -it is a fixture on my Monochom- is the Biogon-C 35/2.8 Quite a different rendering from the Summicron asph, but perfectly suited to the Monochrom and I would guess to film as well. Another lens that impressed me very much was the Distagon 35/1.4. The test images I shot had a transparency that I never saw on the Summilux FLE. Build quality seemed suberb. I am considering buying it, but it would be my fifth 35 mm lens, plus an X1 and X2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frase Posted August 21, 2015 Share #14 Posted August 21, 2015 There are lots of lenses around why not a secondhand summarit, or a secondhand summicron I only paid £700ish for a version 4 a year or so back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReturningToFilm Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted August 21, 2015 Thanks again! I'm going to have to reconsider Zeiss I think. Also any pointers on second hand appreciated as I can't see much out there right now and certainly never come across a Cron for £700! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted August 21, 2015 Share #16 Posted August 21, 2015 The ZM lenses are indeed very good. Just be aware that the 2.8/35 ZM Biogon is quite a high contrast lens. The 2.0/35 is also an excellent lens and is not as contrasty, but larger and uses 43mm filters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpavich Posted August 22, 2015 Share #17 Posted August 22, 2015 The Summarit is undeservedly underplayed, especially with the current 35 ASPH focus shift. Some minimize it but when I go beyond ƒ/2.8 on digital, it remains a serious distraction until ƒ/5.6. Not so on film, though, where it remains my favorite 35. The Summarit is not only immune to this nasty trait but tends toward a gentler contrast profile, more amenable to monochrome renderings. Noob question: why would focus shift be different between film and digital? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frase Posted August 22, 2015 Share #18 Posted August 22, 2015 Noob question: why would focus shift be different between film and digital? I think, maybe wrong but film has a bit more tolerance because of the thickness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted August 22, 2015 Share #19 Posted August 22, 2015 http://jipvankuijk.nl/leica-summicron-m-35mm-f2-asph/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReturningToFilm Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share #20 Posted August 23, 2015 Thanks for the link jip- nice article! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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