Jump to content

First Summilux


asiafish

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The problem is that I woud love both, but can only budget one.

:rolleyes: Like many, after the first Summilux, the second would be "needed" (wanted if you prefer :p ), then the third after some time :ph34r: .

It might be endless Summilux-GAS.

 

So now we can choose from 21, 24, 28, 35, 50, 75 only 6 focal lengths, but some 50 or 35mm exist in many variations asph. or not.

 

Arnaud

Link to post
Share on other sites

If you feel that your four Sonnar 50 and your Summicron 50 are sharp enough for your needs, your only reason to buy a 6th 50 would be GAS if you ask me.

 

The Sonnars are specialty lenses, period.  I use them exclusively for portraits or just for the fun of it, but they are quite poor for general use.  The Summicron is more than sharp enough, but on the M-E in low light its just too slow.  ISO 1250 and f/2 give me between 1/8th and 1/30th of a second in most outdoor nights lit by street lights or indoors at most clubs and bars.  An f/1.4 lens would give me literally open a lot of doors and give me color in a lot of places where I don't have it now.  My solution of the last year has been to bring an f/1.5 Sonnar when shooting at night, but the Sonnar look, while great for portraits, can be a bit much on other types of shots, not to mention only the center of a Sonnar is sharp at large apertures.  A 50mm Summilux ASPH is sharp from corner to corner, even wide-open, and doesn't add its own personality to most images.  I've wanted this lens for years, but it is expensive.

 

The 35mm Summilux does the same thing as the 50mm, only wider.  Right now I don't have any fast 35mm lens for Leica, just the Summarit, which is excellent.  At present if I want a wider than 50mm view in low light, I have to take my Canon 6D with Carl Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon ZE, which is very smooth, more than sharp enough and just a great all-around lens even wide-open, but weighs a ton and a half.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

:rolleyes: Like many, after the first Summilux, the second would be "needed" (wanted if you prefer :p ), then the third after some time :ph34r: .

It might be endless Summilux-GAS.

 

So now we can choose from 21, 24, 28, 35, 50, 75 only 6 focal lengths, but some 50 or 35mm exist in many variations asph. or not.

 

Arnaud

 

 

Thats easy for me, I really don't enjoy shooting wider than 28mm on a rangefinder, and I can't focus a 90mm accurately enough at anything wider than f/2.8.  Wider than 35mm or anger than 90mm is SLR-territory for me, but for most travel I'm perfectly fine with just a 35mm and a 50mm lens.  I prefer the 50mm for events and portraits, and the 35mm for wandering.  

 

Not to worry, GAS has already struck with good and fast glass for my SLR system.  Carl Zeiss 135mm f/2 APO Sonnar anyone?

Link to post
Share on other sites

If my low light lens's story can help.

 

- I do use Noctilux F:1 for many years and Summilux pre-asph before the Noctilux in my happy film days of Kodachrome untill today

- then one day GAS allowed one 50mm Summilux-M Asph. to be used as project to replace the other former two 50mm

- not as projected, and the result is I keep them all, they are so different and one can not replace the other

 

As a side story, I have tried out (for six months) also one Voigtlander Nokton 1.1/50 to replace "Summilux/Noctilux",

but as usual the rendering of the Nokton has nothing of a Leica lens.

 

Arnaud

Link to post
Share on other sites

What is best is to own both, but I'm having trouble picking one for this year and one to put off to next.

 

The easier it is to choose what gear to bring, the stronger your vision.

 

I have just three M mount lenses and they are all I will ever own, 28 2.8 Asph, 35 1.4 FLE & 50 Planar. But that is just me, I am the odd duck of the bunch, I get that.

 

With two bodies in tow, this makes it really easy to make lots of great images happen, headed to Cuba for a month in May with an M6 & M3, the lenses above and 75 rolls of Fuji 400X. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The easier it is to choose what gear to bring, the stronger your vision.

 

I have just three M mount lenses and they are all I will ever own, 28 2.8 Asph, 35 1.4 FLE & 50 Planar. But that is just me, I am the odd duck of the bunch, I get that.

 

With two bodies in tow, this makes it really easy to make lots of great images happen, headed to Cuba for a month in May with an M6 & M3, the lenses above and 75 rolls of Fuji 400X. 

 

 

I tried that but was overcome with GAS. Having said that I'm very selective about what I actually take out with me and it's usually a 28 and 50.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I tried that but was overcome with GAS. Having said that I'm very selective about what I actually take out with me and it's usually a 28 and 50.

 

 

Hehe....I may give the impression I don't have lots of gear but truth be told, the Leica system I have ( three bodies, three lenses ) is one of the smallest systems I own. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

What is best is to own both, but I'm having trouble picking one for this year and one to put off to next.

 

 

I don't get it either. Why don't you know whether you'd prefer a 35 or 50? Presumably there's something you want to achieve photographically that either of the Summiluxes will more obviously help you with?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm moving exactly in the opposite direction as you, towards slower lenses. I reckon the ISO capabilities of the forthcoming Leica M/Monochrom cameras are going to be astounding, judging from the Leica Q/SL sensors. 

 

I've sold my Summilux 35 FLE and kept for the time being only the 50 Summilux.

 

I think a couple of Summicrons are going to be all I'll need, and these are going to be smaller than the respective 'Luxes, not to mention cheaper.

 

And yes, I also shoot a Leica MP

Link to post
Share on other sites

The easier it is to choose what gear to bring, the stronger your vision.

 

I have just three M mount lenses and they are all I will ever own, 28 2.8 Asph, 35 1.4 FLE & 50 Planar. But that is just me, I am the odd duck of the bunch, I get that.

 

With two bodies in tow, this makes it really easy to make lots of great images happen, headed to Cuba for a month in May with an M6 & M3, the lenses above and 75 rolls of Fuji 400X. 

 

I just sold my 28/2.8 ASPH.  Beautiful lens, but after a year or so of trying, I've decided that anything wider than 35mm (or longer than 90mm) is best left to an SLR.

 

I own a late 1960s 90mm f/2.8 Elmarit that I am very happy with for the rare occasions I use 90mm on an M (I prefer 85mm on an SLR to 90mm on an RF), so 35mm and 50mm are the ones that matter to me most.  Looking through my Lightroom catalog from the last two years, I was maybe 5% 90mm, 10% 28mm, 35% 35mm and 50% 50mm, with the 50mm shots roughly 30% Summicron and 20% Sonnar.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't get it either. Why don't you know whether you'd prefer a 35 or 50? Presumably there's something you want to achieve photographically that either of the Summiluxes will more obviously help you with?

Because both are roughly equal in use for me, and combined make up 85% of my Lightroom catalog.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I just sold my 50 Cron today, so a 50 Lux it will be.  The 35 Summarit will remain my only Leica 35 for another year, to be supplemented by a 35 LUX FLE in the future.  

50 Lux should be a great 90% solution for what I use 50mm for, and the Sonnars remains very small and light, not to mention distinctive for when those attributes are needed.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Good choice,50 Summilux Asph and 35 Summarit are my favorite lenses (I only shoot film).

A very nice setup, at the moment I don't own any other lenses.

 

Have fun shooting that 50, it is such a nice lens.

 

I love the 35 Summarit, while I only "really liked" the 50 Cron.  Ultimately that is what made my decision.  I should have my 50 Lux by Wednesday or Thursday, just in time to shoot in San Franscisco  Thursday evening while I wait for the city traffic to clear.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...