Elmarit-r 35mm vs Summicron-r 35mm on SL

[Johannes Adriaan]

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I have bought a secondhand SL together with an elmarit-r 35mm. Although I like the character of the lens, I am slightly underwhelmed w its contrast, bokeh and sharpness. Are there any users out there who are able to give me advice on whether the summicron-r 35mm will make me happier (although I suppose not my purse)? Thanks in advance!

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[jaapv]

Well I would advise to get a Sigma L lens if your budget is a concern.

[BernardC]

5 hours ago, Johannes Adriaan said:

I have bought a secondhand SL together with an elmarit-r 35mm. Although I like the character of the lens, I am slightly underwhelmed w its contrast, bokeh and sharpness. Are there any users out there who are able to give me advice on whether the summicron-r 35mm will make me happier (although I suppose not my purse)? Thanks in advance!

I keep two sets of lenses: a classic set made-up of 1970-to-1990 lenses, and a modern set. They both have their uses, but I find that I can't mix them.

The classic set is great for black and white, or when you want to emphasize flare or atmosphere (that's a cine term for "smoke", but any type of haze applies). I think of it as a Godfather look, it adds instant glamour to anyone in evening wear.

The modern set is sharper and less flare-prone, but it's equally useful. It makes your subjects pop-out of images, instead of blending-in.

[Anakronox]

I owned the Summicron-R 35mm briefly and it had much lower contrast than the APO Summicron-L 35mm, Summilux-M 35mm FLE, and Voigtlander Ultron VM 35mm.  Sorry I can’t directly compare it to the Elmarit-R but I would expect the contrast between the two R lenses to be similar.

[hansvons]

6 hours ago, BernardC said:

The modern set is sharper and less flare-prone, but it's equally useful. It makes your subjects pop-out of images, instead of blending-in.

Exactly. The older R glass from the 80ies renders pretty flat, especially the 50mm SummicronR. I don't own the 35mm SummicronR yet, but I assume to expect similar characteristics. However, the 35mm is said to have a pronounced curved focus plane, making the focus fall-off's rendition somewhat more out-of-focus at the corners. These effects are best visible at a relatively open aperture when shooting people in an environment that shows depth, such as streets or rooms. 

As @BernardCalready said, R lenses are superb glass for filmmaking and vintage-like portrait photography. But when shooting landscapes or architecture, you won't get the sharpness and contrast of modern SL-glass, not remotely. Personally, I like the 50mm SummicronR's look a lot for portrait's (what filmmaking often is all about). It's substantially cooler than the SL lenses. It renders attractive skin tones with a friendly subtlety and no 3D pop at all. I somewhat suppose the 35mm SummicronR is in the same ballpark. But due to the considerable wider field of view and slight stretch in the picture's geometry, plus its unusual focus plane, it shows some dimensionality.

These lenses only become more valuable. I've been looking around for a good 35mm SummicronR that doesn't break the bank time and again. So far, no luck. 

[Johannes Adriaan]

Thanks all of you - your quick feedback shows this really is a forum of dedicated Leica lovers. 
@bernardc ‘s remark about classic vs modern lenses is of course very true and the smoky character is indeed one reason why I do like the old elmarit-r 35. I just wondered whether there might be a good compromise regarding sharpness and contrast. Perhaps it’s better to keep the elmarit and look for another additional, modern 35 for the purposes that it serves. I’ve thought about the above mentioned voigtlander. Is the Ultron bettter than the Nokton Classic II (Isuppose the latter is not exactly what you’d call sharp, but from what I’ve read it seems to have more contrast, no?). Budget is not the main concern, but buying an SL lens or summilux would leave less for other lenses. Compromises, compromises… (I do own a sigma 45 sl, but am not thrilled).