What would be the reasons to keep both: 50 APO & 50 Summilux?

[Lins-Barroso]

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I am buying the 50 APO LHSA Limited Edition and can buy the 50 Summilux Black Chrome 1959 Edition at a good price too!

 

What to do? 

 

Buy both or just the 50 APO LHSA Edition?

[Bill W]

A tough question for this forum and a lot of folks that love a lens. I have 5 50's and love all of them so I of course would say buy both. I know the 50 APO is a superb lens that I have used a lot. I cannot speak for the other one. 

[darylgo]

Both, add the noctilux to complete your collection. Seriously...both, then time will help make your decision.

[Ko.Fe.]

Are you comparing very old (59) lens to modern one? On digital?  Do you have this old lens? Used it?... Oh, you could buy it... Best of luck...

You could buy both? Why not? 

[mmradman]

Typical first world dilemma, buy both of course...and start bemoaning about different filter threads

[geetee1972]

The reason to keep them both? You have more money than you know what to do with - I mean come on is the regular APO not expensive enough?

[Flu]

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I currently have 12 50mm lenses..... 2 zeiss and 10 leicas. I have a plan also to get both LHSA versions of the APO which would make 14 total. Between the nocts and the apos, I find I do not ever use the lux. Maybe I will sell the luxes and go down to 12 from the eminent 14... Only time will tell if I am to be successful in doing so. Wish me luck! In other words, get both!

Edited December 26, 2017 by Flu

[Donzo98]

14 50's?? WOW... I assume you are a collector.

 

I can not see any reason to have both of those 50's for use.

 

As a collector I can understand... but then you want to keep them in perfect condition... and thus not really use them much.

 

I actually have 2 50's... the 0.95 Noct and SL 50. I don't need both, but I like to have AF on the SL.

[thighslapper]

I currently have 12 50mm lenses..... 2 zeiss and 10 leicas. I have a plan also to get both LHSA versions of the APO which would make 14 total. Between the nocts and the apos, I find I do not ever use the lux. Maybe I will sell the luxes and go down to 12 from the eminent 14... Only time will tell if I am to be successful in doing so. Wish me luck! In other words, get both!

 Ditto ....... but I have come to my senses and had a clear out in the last few months ...... the 50/1.4 summilux was the first to go ...... followed by my Zeiss Planar and some older 50 Leicas. 

 

The Apo 50, Noctilux and 50/1.4 SL are the only 3 I have used in recent years ..... anything else just has occasional novelty value .... I've kept a 50/2.8 collapsible - but that's a bit daft as without an M body I can't collapse it - more for sentimental reasons than rationality.

Edited December 27, 2017 by thighslapper

[meerec]

OK so I'm kinda lucky not having all those 50's – have only the humble summicron-M 50 f2 which I like a lot. But enough to read of your posts here at LUF and GAS is guaranteed. So what should I buy next: SL-50, 50-APO, 50-lux or the nocti? If I was to buy only ONE of them.

[tobey bilek]

50 APO will make the pre asph lux look like a sick puppy.   Current 50 1.4 is pretty comparable with APO.

 

If your criteria is anything other than image quality, it`s up to you.

[meerec]

50 APO will make the pre asph lux look like a sick puppy.   Current 50 1.4 is pretty comparable with APO.

 

If your criteria is anything other than image quality, it`s up to you.

IQ is my criteria, then interesting drawing.

[Donzo98]

IQ is my criteria, then interesting drawing.

 

I think there is a third... size.

 

IQ, I think goes to the SL 50. Different look goes to the Noctilux. Size goes to neither of those.

 

I think it also really depends on what body you are using them on... the small lenses on the SL seem to small.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Donzo98

[robgo2]

The reason to keep them both? You have more money than you know what to do with - I mean come on is the regular APO not expensive enough?

 

Obviously, cost is not an issue in this case. It is more a matter of possessing everything that one finds desirable. Anyone who has ever had GAS knows the feeling, but some have it worse than others.

[Flu]

IQ is my criteria, then interesting drawing.

 

If IQ is what you are after, then look no further than the 50 apo. It is leagues above any other 50 in this regard.

[Dr. G]

If IQ is what you are after, then look no further than the 50 apo. It is leagues above any other 50 in this regard.

 

I had the 50 APO and now the Summilux-SL 50.  They seem to be pretty comparable in terms of IQ.

[tpf1952]

Feeling guilty for owning three 50s: 50 SL, 50 M Summicron and 50 M Summilux (newest). Of the three, the 50 M Summilux is by far the most useful. It can be mounted on an M or an SL, it's fast and it's image quality is stunning.

[Donzo98]

I had the 50 APO and now the Summilux-SL 50.  They seem to be pretty comparable in terms of IQ.

 

Agreed... plus it's cheaper and has AF (although slow).

 

Only downside is size...

[Dr. G]

Agreed... plus it's cheaper and has AF (although slow).

 

Only downside is size...

 

I still haven't decided if that's a downside as the camera feels incredibly balanced when the Lux-SL is mounted. 

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[Donzo98]

I still haven't decided if that's a downside as the camera feels incredibly balanced when the Lux-SL is mounted.

Agreed... on the SL It feels fine. On the whole though, it’s crazy big and heavy compared to every other Leica 50.