sm23221 Posted August 24, 2007 Share #1 Posted August 24, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) How does the 50mm Elmar 2.8 compare with the Summicron 2.0 as far as image quality? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 Hi sm23221, Take a look here Elmar vs Summicron. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Bavaricus Posted August 24, 2007 Share #2 Posted August 24, 2007 How does the 50mm Elmar 2.8 compare with the Summicron 2.0 as far as image quality? It's made by Leica, GOOD! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbretteville Posted August 24, 2007 Share #3 Posted August 24, 2007 I find that I use it a lot more than the 'cron. It is small, light and reasonably fast and very sharp. My only 'dislike' with it is that it doesn't have a focusing tab. I recently had an M8 image shot with the Elmar enlarged to 70x100cm, no problem. Here is a link to a shot I posted in a thread from May. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/25677-elmar-50-2-8-poor-mans-2.html#post269066 - Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted August 24, 2007 Share #4 Posted August 24, 2007 There was a 50s review in LFI last year, and they found that the Cron was slightly sharper, but they were pretty similar. I could dig it out if you like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom0511 Posted August 24, 2007 Share #5 Posted August 24, 2007 There was a 50s review in LFI last year, and they found that the Cron was slightly sharper, but they were pretty similar. I could dig it out if you like. at short distances the elmar is said to be slightly better (even better than the 50/1.4asph) at comparable f-stops Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivar B Posted August 24, 2007 Share #6 Posted August 24, 2007 How does the 50mm Elmar 2.8 compare with the Summicron 2.0 as far as image quality? If you want a collapsible and compact 50mm lens, Voigtlander Heliar 2/50 may also be a good choice. According to Popular Photography its performance is in every way comparable to the Summicron 2/50 at all f stops. I have also been unable to see any difference in optical quality, and build quality is also second to none. Price is crazy to at about $400. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morten Grathe Posted August 24, 2007 Share #7 Posted August 24, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) No matter small differences in imagequality, I wood always prefer the Summicron. 2,8 is a little limiting for a 50mm in my opinion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share #8 Posted August 24, 2007 I'm considering buying one before it's discontinued. I have the Summicron but like the idea of the compactness of the Elmar; it seems like it would fit nicely in a fanny pack which is what I use to tote my camera & lenses around with. I just didn't want to compromise image quality. Carsten, I'll search for that article - thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share #9 Posted August 24, 2007 Carl, beautiful photo - thanks for the link. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted August 24, 2007 Share #10 Posted August 24, 2007 Lfi 4/2006. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack_Flesher Posted August 24, 2007 Share #11 Posted August 24, 2007 Bottom line is Leica designs (or at least used to design) all of their M lenses to be totally usable wide open. Generally, the lens improves to its maximum performance on stopping down one or two stops. And you can take that to the bank for the current and earlier M-mount lenses. However, there were always a few exceptions that performed so well wide open, they get only very slightly better stopped down -- the Summicron 50 and 35 and Elmar 50 and 90 are examples. That said, if you shoot your 50's at f4, you will not notice any difference between the Cron and the Elmar. At f2.8, the Cron will be a bit better, and of course at f2, the Cron kicks the Elmar's butt If you want compact and the best all-around performance, the Cron is the choice. If you want the most compact with great perfromance, the Elmar is the one. If you don't care about size or cost, then the Summilux offers outstanding wide open performance and is equal to the other two by f4 as well. With digital's excellent high ISO performance (even the M8's relative to film), the uber-fast lenses are not really needed to capture images in limited light. The big difference however, is: with the cropped sensor, DoF lengthens at the same image magnification as for full-frame (we have to drop down one focal spacing for the same image magnification). So even faster lenses are needed to create a paper-thin DoF look in an image. Unfortunately, there is no free lunch. Cheers, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted August 24, 2007 Your comments and explanations are well made and taken. Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tummydoc Posted August 24, 2007 Share #13 Posted August 24, 2007 Unfortunately, there is no free lunch. I'm constantly reminding myself of that fact whenever a sales rep offers me one Your comments re: the fifties are spot-on. Leica hasn't a bad apple in the bunch, it's merely a choice of paying the price in currency and weight for each added f-stop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share #14 Posted August 24, 2007 Thank you Vinay, that really sums it up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbretteville Posted August 24, 2007 Share #15 Posted August 24, 2007 Carl, beautiful photo - thanks for the link. Thanks! Glad you like it. Good luck in deciding. - Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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