bobbbee55 Posted January 22, 2019 Share #1 Posted January 22, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I thought I would purchase a 50mm Summarit 1.5 produced, I believe in 1955. That happens to be the year I was born so I wanted to give it a try for $800. It's in great cosmetic condition but focus is stiff. My question is what kind of performance can I expect from this lens? I have no clue about coatings, etc. Any info would be appreciated. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 22, 2019 Posted January 22, 2019 Hi bobbbee55, Take a look here 50mm Summarit 1.5. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted January 22, 2019 Share #2 Posted January 22, 2019 The performance is very good, a bit vintage wide open, sharp with a soft glow, crisping up fast when stopped don to f 2.8 and onwards. Bokeh will be a bit swirly and busy.. Have a good repair shop give it a CLA and it will be as good as new. Stiff focus would make me haggle over the price. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbbee55 Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted January 22, 2019 Thank you for the reply. Would it make financial sense to get a CLA on this lens? The focus is stiff enough where it may be bothersome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted January 22, 2019 Share #4 Posted January 22, 2019 56 minutes ago, bobbbee55 said: Thank you for the reply. Would it make financial sense to get a CLA on this lens? The focus is stiff enough where it may be bothersome. Yes, I had my ltm Summarit 1.5 serviced, and besides focus ease the images gained contrast from the haze removal - but the lens has less contrast than modern designs. The Summarit is the same optically as the 1930s Xenon, but with added 1st generation coating. The first 50 Summilux ('59-60) was based on the Summarit optics with new glass types. The quick redesign after a couple years improved the contrast. I use both a Summarit on ltm bodies, and a Summilux v1 on M bodies, and they can give pleasing images. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted January 22, 2019 Share #5 Posted January 22, 2019 I have two of these, one in M mount and the other in LTM. Of course, it's not sharp by modern standards (especially wide open) and shows all kinds of aberrations, but a clean copy will serve you well if you want images with a vintage look. Excellent for portraits, but not the most beautiful bokeh when shooting against a busy background, such as foliage. You'll probably see many reports complaining about these lenses being unsharp, fuzzy, etc. across the aperture range. I suspect this is often due to their owners not bothering to get them CLA'd: the elements tend to get hazy over time and need cleaning. A competent technician will do that in the context of a CLA. Without seeing the lens, I'd say that if you are not going to have it CLA'd, you might be disappointed and perhaps you should pass. 800$ is not a bargain price so, as Jaap suggested, I'd try to get the seller to cover part of the cost of the CLA. Also, despite the (early) coatings, the Summarit can flare pretty easily, so I'd consider getting a hood for it, which may add to the cost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbbee55 Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share #6 Posted January 22, 2019 Thank you, again, to the responders. It does include a hood but looks to be 3rd party. I also see the aperture ring is reverse from modern lenses. Modern lenses have the largest aperture on the left while this lens it's on the right. Is that correct? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted January 22, 2019 Share #7 Posted January 22, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) 3rd-party hood should be OK, as long as it's effective. And yes, the aperture is reversed compared to, say, a current Summilux 50 ASPH. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted January 22, 2019 Share #8 Posted January 22, 2019 (edited) 51 minutes ago, bobbbee55 said: I also see the aperture ring is reverse from modern lenses. Modern lenses have the largest aperture on the left while this lens it's on the right. Is that correct? The numbers run backwards - BUT with the Summarit, the numbers are fixed, and the ring you turn has the single indicator mark on it. Study the pix carefully. Thus you turn the ring from right to left to stop down the lens, just like modern lenses. The spacing of the apertures is non-linear (you have to turn the ring more to get from f/2.8 to f/4 than you do to get from f/11 to f/16). Doesn't matter much, unless you are habituated to stopping down "by feel" instead of by actually looking at the numbers. I agree with jaap's evaluation, except to note that the "vintage" quality wide-open is pretty extreme - it is after all a 1930s super-speed Schneider Xenon design "borrowed" by Leica (and with better coatings by the 1950s). I tried one on my M10 a couple of years ago, (M-mount, 1950s) and found the apertures wider than f/3.5 to be "of historical interest" rather than usable. The phrase "bottom of a Coke bottle" came to mind at f/1.5. But below f/4 it was still vintage in feel, without simply being blurry. Edited January 22, 2019 by adan Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darylgo Posted January 22, 2019 Share #9 Posted January 22, 2019 My experience with a single copy was positive optics but negative mechanically. About $500(the rate I see here in the U.S.), I returned it to the store for repair for the mechanical issue, they returned it repaired but the lens failed again within a week. I was disappointed because the imaging was so fun and somewhat unique. I replaced it with a 1959 Summilux, 1st version that is bullet proof, and similar optics. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted January 22, 2019 Share #10 Posted January 22, 2019 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! Leica M (Typ 240); Summarit 5 cm 1:1.5 50 mm; f/1.5; 1/90 s; ISO 3200/36° 5 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Leica M (Typ 240); Summarit 5 cm 1:1.5 50 mm; f/1.5; 1/90 s; ISO 3200/36° ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/293554-50mm-summarit-15/?do=findComment&comment=3669758'>More sharing options...
Tailwagger Posted January 22, 2019 Share #11 Posted January 22, 2019 A few year back I bought mine for $800, but it was mint and had just been CLA'd. It a heavy little bugger. Some describe its bokeh as painterly, more brush strokes than bubbles, depending. Stopped down its quite good, with a tad less contrast than more modern offerings. I dont use it often, but its certainly worth owning for its character. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted January 22, 2019 Share #12 Posted January 22, 2019 800$ is too much, IMO. I had it, nice, but too heavy lens. I prefer Jupiter-3 for small size and no glow f1.5. If not already, filter adptor needs to be installed before using it, to have modern filter on it. The glass of this lens is very soft. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdg1371 Posted January 23, 2019 Share #13 Posted January 23, 2019 Occasionally I think about selling mine, and then I use it— 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! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/293554-50mm-summarit-15/?do=findComment&comment=3669982'>More sharing options...
mdg1371 Posted January 23, 2019 Share #14 Posted January 23, 2019 You can also provoke some serious flare: 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! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/293554-50mm-summarit-15/?do=findComment&comment=3669983'>More sharing options...
Edgar1920 Posted January 23, 2019 Share #15 Posted January 23, 2019 Dear Bob The Summarit was my first lens used on my M2. For over two decades I used it regularly on holidays. Mine is in mechanical not very good condition (some clearance in the focus mount) and the glass has some cleaning marks. About 4 years ago I cleaned the front lenses in order to remove the slight haze and since used it as well on digital and film. if you are interested you find a collection of pictures taken with this lens here (tap on the picture): Pictures before 2014 are made with lens prior to cleaning. Maybe this helps you to get an impression of it’s performance. Best regards Frank 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar1920 Posted January 23, 2019 Share #16 Posted January 23, 2019 Dear Bob The Summarit was my first lens used on my M2. For over two decades I used it regularly on holidays. Mine is in mechanical not very good condition (some clearance in the focus mount) and the glass has some cleaning marks. About 4 years ago I cleaned the front lenses in order to remove the slight haze and since used it as well on digital and film. if you are interested you find a collection of pictures taken with this lens here: https://flickr.com/photos/149009476@N07/sets/72157684558890786 Pictures before 2015 are made with lens prior to cleaning. Here one picture taken in summer 2017 (lens wide open as very often because my M9 is not supporting high ISO 😉 ) 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! Maybe this helps you to get an impression of it’s performance. Best regards Frank 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Maybe this helps you to get an impression of it’s performance. Best regards Frank ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/293554-50mm-summarit-15/?do=findComment&comment=3670499'>More sharing options...
bobbbee55 Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share #17 Posted January 23, 2019 Great image, Frank. I hope my version will look like this. I just sent it for a CLA. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar1920 Posted January 23, 2019 Share #18 Posted January 23, 2019 Hope so for you. I really like this lens with its character. Quite good for a design which is now 70 years old or so. Good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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