Which 50 (m) leica lens to get?

[ktmrider2]

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If you want something faster and a lens getting rave reviews, the Nokton 50f1.2.  If you google it, there is a review written for the VIEWFINDER (LHSA's in-house publication) which sings it capabilities.   It was written by Leicaman (from this forum) who has been a LHSA's past president and editor of the VIEWFINDER for twenty years.

I own it and current 50 Summicron V.  I would sell the cron.

Edited March 5, 2020 by ktmrider2

[samuco]

Just placed a Summarit-M 50/2.4 for sale, here on the forum. Loved it, but I have too many.

 

[Harpomatic]

On 3/5/2020 at 8:37 PM, ardbeg said:

If you do consider 1.4 then 50mm Pre-ASPH is also quite nice.

I went through so many 50s, and the only ones listed here I didn’t use were the Summarits. I have been looking for best size/haptics/performance combination for ages and returned to the Summilux E43 pre-Asph after having owned it in the past: small, great optics and a joy to use. The Summicron V was a close second but I thoroughly disliked the useless integrated hood, which I thought it would be a strength but it never (and I mean NEVER) stays in place for more than 2 minutes! At the end though there are no dogs among the ones I used, be it Voigtlanders (5 different ones), the great Zeiss Planar, or others. Even the Jupiter-8 yielded great pictures!

[Herr Barnack]

@Nachtmsk,  either the 50 Summicron f/2 or the 50 Summarit f/2.4 would be an excellent all-around 50mm.

I have not had a chance to shoot with a 50 Summicron but I do have a 50 Summarit and am very pleased with the image quality it produces.  It is also very small and light which makes it an excellent choice for a travel lens or a daily carry lens. 

I don't see any way you could go wrong with either of these 50s.

[RexGig0]

If f/2 is “fine,” modern is preferred, and Leica is the preferred brand: Summicron-M IV or V, with “V” being the same optical formula, as the IV, but with a different exterior. (Some consider the Summicron APO ASPH to be the “fifth” version.)

If Leica is not necessary, I would not hesitate to select the Zeiss Planar option, if cost is a concern, or not. While I have not actually used this one, I do have 21mm and 35mm Zeiss ZM lenses, and Zeiss SLR lenses.

For the external aesthetic appearance and ergonomics, and a classic look in the images, the “Rigid” is so very nice, to my eyes.

My actual 50mm f/2 purchase choice: Summicron-M, with IV optical elements, but in a 50-Jahre Special Edition, with the external appearance of the Rigid. The “50” part of the edition’s name refers to the 50th year of the Summicron model designation, not the 50th year of Leica. Of course, the cost was higher, for this limited-availability lens, but I bought pre-owned, in very good to excellent, less-than-pristine condition, during a period of time when sellers had to drop their asking prices. I liked the first one, so much, I bought a second one, of the same edition, not long afterward. These were not my first Leica M fifties, as I had actually been lured into the M system by the Summilux-M ASPH, but I had known, from the beginning, that I would want to have both Summilux and Summicron 50mm lenses, if I made the move to add the M system.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by RexGig0

[james.liam]

The 50 Summicron v.5 is a 40 year-old design and really cannot be deemed ‘modern’ in the contemporary sense. It renders a gentle glow @ f/2 and is a clear evolutionary descendent of the 50 Rigid. 

[lct]

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2 hours ago, RexGig0 said:

If f/2 is “fine,” modern is preferred, and Leica is the preferred brand: Summicron-M IV or V, with “V” being the same optical formula, as the IV, but with a different exterior. (Some consider the Summicron APO ASPH to be the “fifth” version.)

The 50/2 apo has a "modern" rendition in that it has a high acutance especially at wide apertures whereas 50/2 v4 and v5 were modern in the past but show less acute edges and are rather classic now. If you're after a modern rendition, better look for a 50/2 apo or a 50/1.4 asph as far as Leica lenses are concerned at least.