Is the 50 Summicron still relevant?

[james.liam]

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Anyone has compared a digital M with the D800 or one of its successors?

 

Lloyd Chambers did.

 

A D8** might struggle only because the glass is not up to the task, as Nikonians discovered of many of their existing lenses when 36MP appeared.

[Jeff S]

It's relevant if you own it; it's not relevant if you don't.

 

Jeff

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[bocaburger]

I have the tabbed V4 (11819).  Whatever advantages the ASPH version has,  the price is too rich for my blood.  As for the ASPH Summilux, the size and weight are more than I want to add to my travel kit.  I have a V2 e43 Summilux, it cost me $600, I use it once in a while when I'm going to be shooting in low light situations.  But less now with digital than with film.  The V4 and V5 (same optics) Summicrons are thoroughly modern performers. 

[Westend_jon]

If you don't print much beyond 10 x 15 inches does it really matter? i'd stick with the 35mm and crop where required. You can carry one lens and that will make life very simple.  

[pippy]

I am not sure what went wrong with your test...

 

Lots.

 

Pip.

Edited October 10, 2016 by pippy

[fotomas]

Anyone has compared a digital M with the D800 or one of its successors?

Only for reprographic work here.

Guess the D800 is slightly sharper. But rather sightly. But it is not a D800E. Unfortunately I have no possibility to use the lenses vice versa. So the M240 is equipped with the Summicron 50 and the Nikon with a 55 mm Micro-Nikkor.

Left Leica, right Nikon

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Edited October 10, 2016 by fotomas

[dpitt]

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Only for reprographic work here.

Guess the D800 is slightly sharper. But rather sightly. But it is not a D800E. Unfortunately I have no possibility to use the lenses vice versa. So the M240 is equipped with the Summicron 50 and the Nikon with a 55 mm Micro-Nikkor.

Left Leica, right Nikon

...

 

This sort of confirms what I saw when comparing the DMR with the D800.

The left one looks sharper and more resolution to me than the right one. If you zoom in on the little branch on the tree stem, it is more detailed on the left.

 

IMO, what you gain in pixel numbers in the D8xx is more than compensated by the optimised filters on the M240 sensor.

Maybe the D800E would do better. 

 

Anyway, 2 M240 bodies and 50mm will easily fit in the same space where only one D8xx with lens will fit. With such a large difference in size, I would prefer the smaller Leica M even if it would have slightly smaller resolution.

[AceVentura1986]

I've got the version V and pretty much use it all the time. 50mm is, IMHO, the most versatile of all FF focal lengths. At a bit of a remove, it can capture a scene without much distortion. Close up, it'll double as a portrait lens. The cron is beautiful in its rendering. Love it on either my MM1 or my ME.