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I have the M10M paired with the current 50lux And rarely take it off the camera, I’ve only had it about a month and with the CV 19 situation here in Northern New Jersey, I’ve probably shot about 15 images with it before we got locked down but I can tell you the results are stunning. If you’re in the US, PM me and I can give you a great authorized dealer in California.  If you tell him I sent you he will probably work with you on price, been buying from him for 30 years, honest and true. A real class act and as you can imagine the California economy is getting devastated as we speak. Good luck, I’m sure you’ll find a great choice

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Summilux ver 1 if you like glow wide open, sharpening up nicely by 5.6, choose  your aperture by its effect and adjust for exposure with shutter. Zeiss 50/1.5 C. Summilux ver 2.  You can reach back to the Contax IIIa lenses and buy a Sonnar, this lens dates quite far, you will need an adapter from Contax-Leica for rangefinder focus.  The screw mount 50 Summarit can be had for little money but always with scratches on the elements and I found the lens build not up to Leica standards.  Venturing outside 50, the Summilux 35 ver 2 (~1960- 1990) is small with beautiful low contrast and good sharpness. On the other side, the Thambar will give more character than  most want with  quite modern rendering by f6.3.  

Edited by darylgo
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I own the 50mm Noctilux, APO Summicron and Summilux, all the most recent versions. The latest version of the Summilux had nice bokeh, is easy to focus and relatively light. That said, the APO Summicron is still my favorite 50mm lens.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/budjamesphoto.

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I recently bought the Retro version in black chrome.  A beautiful lens - the focus and aperture rings are just perfect.  It may be slightly heavier than the regular version, but still a very compact lens with a slightly smaller filter thread: 43mm compared to 46mm on the regular version.  

I bought from Red Dot Cameras in London, but they have now stopped online orders because of COVID- 19.  The Leica UK online store is now showing 'out of stock' so this lens maybe difficult to source.  Still well worth looking . . .

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I'm a big fan of the 50mm lens too. Currently have a 50mm Summicron v5, and 50mm Summilux ASPH (black chrome version). Summicron is a lovely lens, diminutive and razor sharp. But obviously it can't do the 1.4 trick that the Summilux can.

The 50mm Summilx ASPH is wonderful, and a great all-rounder, without the weight penalty of a Noctilux. It blends a little of the magic from both the Summicron and the Noctilux in a compact package. I don't think I'd ever wish to be parted from mine.

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This is my old Summilux E43 : one of the best built Leitz lenses of mine (in those happy years, Leitz factory was imho at his top as manufacturing quality) : compact, solid as a rock, sharp as a Summicron from 2,8 on, fine OOF at wide apertures : a lens I will NEVER give away even if is towards its 60th birthday... 😎 (maybe I'll take another cleaning in the occasion.. the first was performed 16 years ago...)

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To avoid confusion... I define this as a V2 Summilux 50 (E 43) ... the V1 is the Summilux with the same look but with s/n below 1.844.001 - different optics - a "striped" Summarit.

If one finds an item of this lens with glass in good conditions (and, smartly built as is, mechanically is very maintainable by a good lab) , I think is NEVER a mistake to get and use.

 

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Wide open (maybe f 2 ?) in candle light

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Edited by luigi bertolotti
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33 minutes ago, luigi bertolotti said:

To avoid confusion... I define this as a V2 Summilux 50 (E 43) ... the V1 is the Summilux with the same look but with s/n below 1.844.001 - different optics - a "striped" Summarit.

If one finds an item of this lens with glass in good conditions (and, smartly built as is, mechanically is very maintainable by a good lab) , I think is NEVER a mistake to get and use.

Perfectly agree Luigi. I was able to acquire one and besides its nice character I enjoy its wonderful construction. A cult object !

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To the OP's question, I also find the Summicron V4 made in Canada having good character and properly used it could provide a good well distinguishable "signature". I had found the V5 a bit "boring" and sold it and acquired V4 which I like a lot as a travel lens.

Edited by newnew
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2 hours ago, luigi bertolotti said:

This is my old Summilux E43 : one of the best built Leitz lenses of mine (in those happy years, Leitz factory was imho at his top as manufacturing quality) : compact, solid as a rock, sharp as a Summicron from 2,8 on, fine OOF at wide apertures : a lens I will NEVER give away even if is towards its 60th birthday... 😎 (maybe I'll take another cleaning in the occasion.. the first was performed 16 years ago...)

To avoid confusion... I define this as a V2 Summilux 50 (E 43) ... the V1 is the Summilux with the same look but with s/n below 1.844.001 - different optics - a "striped" Summarit.

If one finds an item of this lens with glass in good conditions (and, smartly built as is, mechanically is very maintainable by a good lab) , I think is NEVER a mistake to get and use.

 

Same for me Luigi - I have the V2 and it's as you say a fabulous build and great performer

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12 hours ago, colint544 said:

I'm a big fan of the 50mm lens too. Currently have a 50mm Summicron v5, and 50mm Summilux ASPH (black chrome version). Summicron is a lovely lens, diminutive and razor sharp. But obviously it can't do the 1.4 trick that the Summilux can.

The 50mm Summilx ASPH is wonderful, and a great all-rounder, without the weight penalty of a Noctilux. It blends a little of the magic from both the Summicron and the Noctilux in a compact package. I don't think I'd ever wish to be parted from mine.

Hoodless or filterless? Only a black chrome owner must decide. :  )

I second this recommendation as I love the 50 Lux BC and both it and the regular version have tons of character. It is also one great looking lens. 

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9 hours ago, dkmoore said:

Hoodless or filterless? Only a black chrome owner must decide. :  )

I second this recommendation as I love the 50 Lux BC and both it and the regular version have tons of character. It is also one great looking lens. 

Yes, I don't know what they were thinking, designing it with a hood you can't use filters with? I go mostly with the hood. Very occasionally I'll use an ND filter, so can't use the hood then but generally I'm not much of a one for using filters at all, certainly not just a clear one to protect the front element.

And yes, the 50 Summilux ASPH has a lovely character. I don't see the 'sterile' quality which some people ascribe to it. 

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2 hours ago, colint544 said:

Yes, I don't know what they were thinking, designing it with a hood you can't use filters with? I go mostly with the hood. Very occasionally I'll use an ND filter, so can't use the hood then but generally I'm not much of a one for using filters at all, certainly not just a clear one to protect the front element.

And yes, the 50 Summilux ASPH has a lovely character. I don't see the 'sterile' quality which some people ascribe to it. 

Agree, I don’t see the “sterile” quality at all. I think it got that reputation with the M240 but I think in general the output of the 240 was sort of Canon 5D, more so than the M10 or M9. That’s the best way I can explain it anyway. 
 

I use a lot of color filters on M10M which is why I commented. Green, yellow, orange. 

OP, let us know what you choose! While not rare In rendering, the 50 Lux ASPH BC is rarer in nature and the signature is indeed “nicely rendering.” A V1 or V2 Lux would be rare and nicely rendered as well. Ah!! You can’t go wrong. So many awesome 50 choices.   

 

Edited by dkmoore
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On 3/30/2020 at 1:29 AM, M10Alpine said:

I need help deciding on a 50mm that  has character that I can glue on my M10-Monochrome. 

Might I suggest the 50/2 Rigid Summicron?  It has a lovely gentle character in terms of micro-contrast and transitioning from black to white more gradually than the modern higher-contrast lenses, which would suit the M10 Monochrom's exceptional tonal graduations.

Pete.

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15 hours ago, dkmoore said:

Hoodless or filterless? Only a black chrome owner must decide. :  )

I second this recommendation as I love the 50 Lux BC and both it and the regular version have tons of character. It is also one great looking lens. 

While expensive, I got the Overgaard screw-in hood for the 50 Lux BC which provides a step up from E43 to E46 for filters thus you can use hood + filters. The original hood I leave in the box.

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Am 30.3.2020 um 02:29 schrieb M10Alpine:

Small size matters for me?

I am not sure what the question mark means - though I can only recommend to make up your mind: either a Summilux or small size, both don't go together.

The first version of the Summilux is a rather large and heavy lens. It was regarded as a "bad" lens in this forum some years ago, though recently it acquired some popularity (you might find some results in the "View though older glass"-thread.

(All my examples shown below use the "proper" hoods for each lens - don't let anybody tell you, that you should use one of the lenses without hood - it is not true):

 

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The Summarit was the Sumiluxes precedesssor - it is certainly "worse", though on a Monochrom it might be interesting. The lens is smaller, but the hood is larger:

 

 

 

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