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Help, I just sold my 50mm Summilux ASPH


evikne

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Sometimes I felt I didn’t come close enough with my 50mm Summilux ASPH, and sometimes I wanted even more blurred backgrounds. So I sold it to finance a used 75mm Summilux. 

 

Don’t misunderstand, I love my new 75mm, even though it is a bit hard to focus, and it will need a calibration to be perfect. I love the rendering and bokeh, and the focal length fits me usually very well. But nevertheless I already miss my 50mm. I miss the very fast and easy focusing, the compact size, the sharpness wide open and the smooth, peach-like rendering.

 

Did I do something stupid? I sold a brand new, perfect lens to get an old, cumbersome and heavy lens? I know perfectly well that nobody else but myself can answer that dilemma. I love them both, but I cannot afford both. 

 

I still have a 35mm Summilux FLE, so I have at least one light and modern lens. I don’t use it as much as the others, so maybe I should sell it to finance a new 50mm? But I would definitely miss the 35mm too.

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HMMM sold the workhorse 50/1.4 for the "unique" 75/1.4?  Probably on the forum too much lol.  The 75 is an amazing lens, but will hardly be that daily driver that the 50 lux was for you.  If you really want a 50/1,4 you are going to have to bite that bullet. There are plenty of 50/2.0 lenses out there that are great and a bit less in the $$$.  I have a v4 Summicron that's a real winner, not aspherical or super modern, and I can tell some difference between that and my 50 AA but it's still a terrific lens for a lot less money.

 

Good luck!

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Leica life tip #1: never sell a lens from the collection, always wait while accumulating the funds, makes the arrival all the more sweeter.

 

To be honest a 35 - 75mm spread is my preferred choice. A couple of steps back and you can get effectively the 50mm focal view but with a bit more background compression.

 

You're ideally suited for a nice 3 lens spread of 21, 35, 75  :)

 

50 Elmar-M collapsible is also a cheap option and a lens worth having by all accounts.

Edited by Eoin
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Well ... selling a good lens is never a good idea. But if you just cannot afford to keep all three then Summilux-M 35 Asph + Summilux-M 75 make a gorgeous combo, and the 50 mm is the focal length easiest to get along without.

 

So—stop worrying and start doing good work with what you have right now.

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Leaving the dollars aside, although it is obviously an important factor, sorry but I think your misgivings are well placed unless you really don't use 50 much and wanted/needed a longer lens.  The 1.4/50 Summilux is about the best all-purpose lens, up there with your 35 Summilux FLE. Some Summicron users may disagree but you know what I mean.

 

I too have a 75 Summilux but it was a later purchase as a more specialised lens. I also have the 75 APO-Summicron. I found that the look of the 75 Summilux was different enough form my 35 FLE that I didn't like using the two together. So I bought an old 35 Summicron IV to use with it for a more compatible imaging. 

 

If you bought the 75 Summilux for the speed and FL rather than the '75 Summilux magic', then the APO-Summicron would have been the better and cheaper lens to get as it's imaging would be more sympathetic to your 35 Summilux FLE and you may have been able to afford to keep the 50 Summilux.  Personally I'd have a 75 APO-Summicron over a 75 Summilux to pair with a 35 Summilux FLE.

 

However, If you wanted the 75 Sumilux for its 'magic' then that's fine and enjoy your fabulous new lens.

 

 

 

Edited by MarkP
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I just sold my Summilux 50/1.4 Asph as well, but I couldn't be happier. 

 

My trade was somewhat different though. My most used lens is the Cron 75, which is the lens I always pick for portraits, but also for so many occasions, even street photography. The Lux was just sitting there, and it was a waste to have both. So I traded down and re-purchased a Cron 50 (v5) which offers a perfect compromise between optical quality, mechanical quality, price (in Leica terms) and weight. 

 

For what its worth, there are plenty of Lux'es sold second hand in Norway, with prices being fairly moderate:)

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It would never, ever, be my choice, that Summilux 50 more or less lives on my M240, but congratulations on modifying your kit to your needs. (Disclosure: I sold my Summilux 75 years ago because I hardly ever used it, beautiful lens though it was - I should not have, I would have gotten a lot more for it now :( )

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It would never, ever, be my choice, that Summilux 50 more or less lives on my M240, but congratulations on modifying your kit to your needs. (Disclosure: I sold my Summilux 75 years ago because I hardly ever used it, beautiful lens though it was - I should not have, I would have gotten a lot more for it now :( )

(highlight mine)

To a toddler, a Summilux is not very useful. I am not surprised you sold it 75 years ago. :D

 

(It is Friday afternoon for me... already thinking about my evening drink. :) )

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Sometimes I felt I didn’t come close enough with my 50mm Summilux ASPH, and sometimes I wanted even more blurred backgrounds. So I sold it to finance a used 75mm Summilux. 

 

Don’t misunderstand, I love my new 75mm, even though it is a bit hard to focus, and it will need a calibration to be perfect. I love the rendering and bokeh, and the focal length fits me usually very well. But nevertheless I already miss my 50mm. I miss the very fast and easy focusing, the compact size, the sharpness wide open and the smooth, peach-like rendering.

 

Did I do something stupid? I sold a brand new, perfect lens to get an old, cumbersome and heavy lens? I know perfectly well that nobody else but myself can answer that dilemma. I love them both, but I cannot afford both. 

 

I still have a 35mm Summilux FLE, so I have at least one light and modern lens. I don’t use it as much as the others, so maybe I should sell it to finance a new 50mm? But I would definitely miss the 35mm too.

 

I had real regrets, when I sold my MP. I just solved that p;roblem with buy a new one. I don't have the impression, that I will part from my 50/1,4 asph ever in live, although I don't think its the most exiting lens. The 24 2.8 asph really exites me more, but it's a modern lens and focusses like no other. Buy it back I would say. You say you cannot afford it, but you can always sell your car or your wife or something. Just be creative in solving that issue.

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However, If you wanted the 75 Sumilux for its 'magic' then that's fine and enjoy your fabulous new lens.

 

Yes, I wanted it for its legendary bokeh and rendering, and for the close focusing capabilities. 

 

I think the best thing I can do for now, is to get it calibrated and get to know it even better. Then after a while it's probably easier to decide what to do. As several have pointed out, 35 and 75 mm is a great combo. And if I don't get comfortable with it, it is no problem to sell it and buy another 50mm.

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Close focusing capabilities at 1m? My only reason to get and keep my 75/1.4 is its softness at f/1.4. It has a unique rendition there but if you don't need this softness, i wonder if you chose the right lens actually, unless f/1.4 is a necessity for you. Otherwise, you would have better close focusing capabilities with the excellent Summarit 75/2.4 which is much smaller and has a 0.7m MFD, let alone the superb Summicron 75/2 apo which has the same 0.7m MFD with a rendering very close to the 50/1.4 asph. FWIW.

Edited by lct
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(highlight mine)

To a toddler, a Summilux is not very useful. I am not surprised you sold it 75 years ago. :D

 

(It is Friday afternoon for me... already thinking about my evening drink. :) )

What gives you the idea I was a toddler 75 years ago?? :lol:

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Sometimes I felt I didn’t come close enough with my 50mm Summilux ASPH, and sometimes I wanted even more blurred backgrounds. So I sold it to finance a used 75mm Summilux. 

 

Don’t misunderstand, I love my new 75mm, even though it is a bit hard to focus, and it will need a calibration to be perfect. I love the rendering and bokeh, and the focal length fits me usually very well. But nevertheless I already miss my 50mm. I miss the very fast and easy focusing, the compact size, the sharpness wide open and the smooth, peach-like rendering.

 

Did I do something stupid? I sold a brand new, perfect lens to get an old, cumbersome and heavy lens? I know perfectly well that nobody else but myself can answer that dilemma. I love them both, but I cannot afford both. 

 

I still have a 35mm Summilux FLE, so I have at least one light and modern lens. I don’t use it as much as the others, so maybe I should sell it to finance a new 50mm? But I would definitely miss the 35mm too.

Hi!

I have got M35 Lux Fle, M50 Apo and M75 Lux with two body (M10 & SL601). I often shoot M35 Fle and M75 for many purpose and happy with morden len and old len together.

I still keep M50 Apo for landscape & street life since its impressed render & sharpness although It is not much used!

Please happy with 35 Lux and 75 Lux. If You still miss 50 Lux, just get fund to buy in the future!

Have a nice day!

Thanks!

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Did I do something stupid? I sold a brand new, perfect lens to get an old, cumbersome and heavy lens? I know perfectly well that nobody else but myself can answer that dilemma. I love them both, but I cannot afford both. 

 

 

There's nothing in the world can replace the 50mm asph FLE. it's tough but you have to make a choice!

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Close focusing capabilities at 1m? My only reason to get and keep my 75/1.4 is its softness at f/1.4. It has a unique rendition there but if you don't need this softness, i wonder if you chose the right lens actually, unless f/1.4 is a necessity for you.

 

No, the near limit is 0.7 m. And I “need” at least f/1.4, because I love shallow DoF. When I was a Canon user one year ago, the 85/1.2 was more or less my standard lens.

 

My ultimate Leica lens would probably be a 50mm Noctilux. I usually prefer the rendering from the f/1.0 rather than the more “correct” f/0.95. But then there is the 1 m near limit that I think is too long for a 50mm. Therefore I landed on the 75mm Summilux, which renders pretty similar to the f/1.0 Noctilux.

Edited by evikne
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