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Leica 50mm Summicron APO vs 50mm Summilux (unmarked, but also APO) - is there a drastic difference at f/2?

sleyatx

By sleyatx
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Peter H

Peter H

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This sounds to me as if you would say: „I prefer to believe emotions than facts“.

 

 

Probably the opposite: tables give some information on some features and ignore others altogether. 

 

So to rely solely on tables is to deliberately ignore some of the facts. 

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lct
lct

50/1.4 asph at f/2: http://lctphot.smugmug.com/photos/3878259694_cZN3DN2-D.jpg 50/2 apo at f/2: http://lctphot.smugmug.com/photos/3878262917_vFtxJSS-D.jpg (M240, tripod, self timer, focus on "IX" wi

lct
lct

Welcome to the forum Same boring view with 50/1.4 asph and 50/2 apo at f/2.8. Taken at the same time, under the same light and with the same focus settings as the f/2 pics above. (M240, tripod, se

Dirk Mandeville
Dirk Mandeville

The lux is a great lens and I generally prefer a lux to a cron if weight is not an issue. But I swear I see something special in most pictures I see taken with the APO Cron. A certain sharpness and mi

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Flu

Flu

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Just how far do you (or others) find you need to stop down to get the images perfectly sharp? I was recently looking at some images that I took — using the 50mm Summicron v5 — of a mountain scene that fills the frame from left to right. Up to f4, I’d say about 20% of both the left and right of the image (40% of the image in total) is very obviously less sharp than the centre of the image. At f5.6-8, it’s getting better, and probably takes f8-11 for the whole image to be equally sharp from left to right.

 

Is that level of stopping down normal in order for this lens to get both sides in full sharpness?

 

I'd agree that f8-11 or even 13 should do the trick for landscapes. For smaller and mid range subjects such as a person head to toe "filling the frame", it's possible to achieve sharpness at the edges starting at f4-5.6 IMO.

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onasj

onasj

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Just how far do you (or others) find you need to stop down to get the images perfectly sharp? I was recently looking at some images that I took — using the 50mm Summicron v5 — of a mountain scene that fills the frame from left to right. Up to f4, I’d say about 20% of both the left and right of the image (40% of the image in total) is very obviously less sharp than the centre of the image. At f5.6-8, it’s getting better, and probably takes f8-11 for the whole image to be equally sharp from left to right.

 

Is that level of stopping down normal in order for this lens to get both sides in full sharpness?

One of the key features of the 50 APO is that no stopping down is needed to get very sharp captures across the frame. Both my photos and Leica’s MTF curves demonstrate this point.

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james.liam

james.liam

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Summilux has better bokeh at F1.4.  APO is sharper by a very small degree.  I could make it out in the corners on large print.   Other than that they are pretty similar.

 

 

A bit more to it than that. If there wasn't, Wetzlar wouldn't have bothered in the first place.

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albertknappmd

albertknappmd

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I have both and the 'cron is in its own league.... Period...

It is the harbinger for future high resolution lenses that are needed to match the constantly improving sensors...

 

Albert   :D  :D  :D

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

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M11 for me

M11 for me

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Quite the contrary, I trust my own eyes and hands. And print workflows vary; otherwise we’d each produce the same results. The lens is but one tool in the chain from subject to print display.

Apart from IQ, had I not rented the APO, I would not have known the ergonomic issues I noted above. Didn’t see that in a table.

Nor anything about color or tonal transition. Or flare. Or....

And yes, a lot about photography escapes measurement. Thank heavens.

Jeff

Thank you for your expanation. Indeed my post was a bit cheeky. Sorry for that.

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B-A-C

B-A-C

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I have both and the 'cron is in its own league.... Period...

It is the harbinger for future high resolution lenses that are needed to match the constantly improving sensors...

 

Albert   :D  :D  :D

 

iPhone capture?  I kid, I kid   :D

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Jeff S

Jeff S

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I heard the lux has more sample variations, is it so?

The stats are unknown, but 50 Summilux ASPH lenses are sometimes reported to have tight/sticky focus action, while APO 50 Summicron lenses can suffer from loose aperture rings (the initial veiling flare issues were corrected). Always good to test samples when purchasing, or at least buy from a reputable dealer with warranty and return policy.

 

Jeff

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jaeger

jaeger

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really?!  the summilux 50mm is also APO?  How about the summilux 50mm black chrome, is it also APO?  

 

 

Between these two APO designed lenses, only the 50 Summicron has the reputation for biting sharpness above all else. Considering the similar design, is this difference very noticeable? Are there any decent published tests?

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B-A-C

B-A-C

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really?!  the summilux 50mm is also APO?  How about the summilux 50mm black chrome, is it also APO?  

 

Yes, per Peter Karbe the Lux is also an APO.  They decided not to name it as such.

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jaapv

jaapv

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I heard the lux has more sample variations, is it so?

Not really, but the tolerances of the floating element mechanism are exceedingly tight, up to 1/1000 mm. In fact they are at the limit of manufacturing possibility. that means that one or two examples may need returning for finetuning.

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pgk

pgk

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Yes, per Peter Karbe the Lux is also an APO.  They decided not to name it as such.

 

He has said that the 75mm Apo-Summicron was derived from the 50mm Summilux Aspheric design. Think about this for a moment. Is it likely that an Apo design can be easily derived from a non-Apo design? No, I don't think so.

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lct

lct

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P. Karbe: « One Saturday morning, I woke up and remembered that the Summilux 75mm f/1.4 was derived from the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 (designed by Dr. Mandler) and I decided to try the same basic idea with the 50mm Summicron. Thus, the APO Summicron 75mm ASPH was born »

https://www.shutterbug.com/content/leica-lens-saga-interview-peter-karbe-page-2

E. Puts: «The color correction is excellent, but not of APO calibre. Some red and green color fringing can be detected at high magnifications »
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