In love with the Summarit's!

[DahlumMP]

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Hey all,

I wanted to start a thread devoted to the Summarit line since they don't seem to get much love.  I just recently got the 35 and 50 f2.4 versions and my goodness I can't say enough about these little lenses.  I've always been a Summilux guy and relied on both my 35 and 50 f1.4's for almost everything but I decided I wanted something smaller for everyday shooting.  I honestly wasn't expecting much when I bought the Summarit's but these things, in my eyes, are every bit as good as any Summilix or Summicron I've ever shot.  They render in such a pleasing way, to me, and when you combine that with the size and handling, they're perfect everyday lens.  The 3D pop is there in spades and you couldn't want for any more sharpness.  I mainly just do family photography but I dabble in some street stuff as well.  Share your thoughts and images if you get a chance!  

I'm new to this forum so I don't know how to post images with any resolution but I'll try to provide a link to a few when I figure it out.  I shoot mainly on the M10R-BP and the M10M but I have a few on the M10D as well.  I would love to hear what others think of these lenses.  I can't get enough!

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[adan]

2 hours ago, DahlumMP said:

.....these things, in my eyes, are every bit as good as any Summilux or Summicron I've ever shot.

Which is why Leica killed them off - competed too well with the pricier cron/lux lenses, for many uses.

I actually liked the 75mm f/2.4 the best - good close-focus range in the studio; very sharp; not quite as apochromatic as the 75 APO-Summicron - faint red fringes at f/2.4 - but more reliable focusing mechanism (no floating element).

The 50 was also very good, except I prefer 0.7m close-up ability instead of 0.8m, especially for small faces. I ended up cropping a lot.

I didn't get along with the 35 or 90 as much; contrast a bit too "hot" and stark for me.

However, I'm weird - what brought me to Leica in the first place were the 1970s-1980s Canadian lenses (generally less contrast, cooler color), so mostly I have stayed with those.

But the Summarits were definitely top-drawer optics in small packages otherwise. I get the appeal.

Edited May 6, 2022 by adan

[tom0511]

I once had a 35/2.5 and liked it a lot. Too bad Leica stopped producing/selling the Summarit.

[pippy]

Hi and welcome!

I have the 75 and 90 f2.5 Summarits and think they are superb lenses in every way. I prefer a screw-in hood to the slip-out type and I even like the much-derided-at-the-time rubber focussing-ring.

As far as posting photographs in the forum goes - and in case you haven't come across the relevant post yet - here's how;

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/309599-how-to-post-and-view-images/

Philip.

Edited May 6, 2022 by pippy

[M11 for me]

@DahlumMPI fully understand your enthusiasm. I own the 50mm Summilux and I always found it was very/too heavy. And when I heard that Leica is going to discontinue the Summarit line I rushed to the next dealer and could buy a well kept second hand Summarit 50mm. Since I have it I do not use the Summilux anymore as I shoot normally in good lighting conditions. I love that small lens. 

[pgk]

20 minutes ago, pippy said:

I have the 75 and 90 f2.5 Summarits and think they are superb lenses in every way. I prefer a screw-in hood to the slip-out type and I even like the much-derided-at-the-time rubber focussing-ring.

You mirror my lenses and I fully agree! They represent excellent modern lenses and are actually relatively expensive compared to most fixed focal length lenses, and only 'cheaper' in comparison to other Leica lenses. So they should be good and are. Of the two the 75 is rapidly gaining my confidence as a small, short tele with many uses.

[Danner]

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I'm keen to find a 75mm Summarit as my first 75mm lens.  They don't seem to come up for sale often, but when they do, somebody buys them quickly, which says a lot.

[Pyrogallol]

I have a 75mm f2.5 Summarit due to arrive on Monday.

[a.noctilux]

I love them ALL 😊.

...even if Summarit is NOT Summarit-M !

Please note that here we are talking about Summarit-M lenses.

As we know that older 1.5/50 Summarit is another kind/type of Summarit (without -M !), in Wiki

I know them well, and nothing of the new Summarit-M can duplicate the older "not-M" special/lovely characters.

In another nice thread Summarit-M talking

 

 

...

Old 1.5/50 gives lovely things that the new can not compete

 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by a.noctilux

[rpsawin]

I have two Summarit-M lenses and they are both jewels. I have the 35/2.4 ASPH and the 75/2.5. I shoot mostly landscape/nature and cityscape using M10-M and a M262. These lenses perform well and I find the results very pleasing. I understand why Leica dropped the Summarit-M lenses and I think the high end lenses are so well established that bringing back the Summarits would add value and increase sales rather than take away from the high end lenses. 

 

Just my thoughts...

[Jeff S]

Leica Miami has a petition to bring back the Summarits.  Probably a waste of time, but apparently the list is growing.

Jeff

[Herr Barnack]

Quote

.....these things, in my eyes, are every bit as good as any Summilux or Summicron I've ever shot.

Quote

Which is why Leica killed them off - competed too well with the pricier cron/lux lenses, for many uses.

Thanks SO freaking much for thinking of your loyal customers, Leica. [/sarcasm]  😡

I have the 50/2.4 Summarit, should have gotten the 75/2.4 when they were still in production.

Edited May 11, 2022 by Herr Barnack

[Jeff S]

If the company doesn’t make sufficient profits, the customers won’t matter anyway… none of them.  Funny, though, when the Summarits  were in production,  there wasn’t nearly this much enthusiasm for them. 

Jeff

[pippy]

5 hours ago, Jeff S said:

...Funny, though, when the Summarits  were in production,  there wasn’t nearly this much enthusiasm for them...

I do wonder if that was because any positive comments made on-line by those photographers who were using them didn't generate anything like the same Click-Bait attraction and popularity as did all the self-aggrandising negative bombast from the 'NaySayers'?

Just a thought!

Philip.

[Jeff S]

47 minutes ago, pippy said:

I do wonder if that was because any positive comments made on-line by those photographers who were using them didn't generate anything like the same Click-Bait attraction and popularity as did all the self-aggrandising negative bombast from the 'NaySayers'?

Just a thought!

Philip.

As I’ve said elsewhere, if they had been double the price, and hard to get, the forum would have enthusiastically embraced them. 
 

Jeff

[Chris Nebard]

I bought my Summarit 75mm f2.4 five years ago when I had my M262. I now use a Q and an SL2-S and I’ve kept the 75mm to use with the M-L adapter. I love how it handles on that camera (with the magnified m/f etc.) but the thing that really matters is the results. They are consistently great (to me) throughout the aperture range and although f2.4 isn’t the fastest, the out of focus rendering is still lovely. The colours it produces on the SL2-S sensor are very nice. During my time with the Ms I owned,  I tried the 28mm Elmarit, 35 Summicron, a 90, and a 50mm Summilux, but, the Summarit 75 is the M lens I can’t part with. If I come across a minty 35 Summarit to go with it, at a good price, I’ll be getting it. I’ve given the 75 some stick for five years now and it’s in great Nick. Fantastic lens. 

[Capuccino-Muffin]

On 5/11/2022 at 7:54 PM, Jeff S said:

As I’ve said elsewhere, if they had been double the price, and hard to get, the forum would have enthusiastically embraced them. 
 

Jeff

Maybe that’s the problem. You should have said it here.

[Jeff S]

6 minutes ago, Capuccino-Muffin said:

Maybe that’s the problem. You should have said it here.

I did… post #15.

Jeff

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[a.noctilux]

Leica may re-launch same lenses with 100% price increase, to see if this works.

This would sell enough for years to come.

...

Take me thinking of our Frenchy adage...

"Pas assez cher, mon fils",

something like 'not expensive enough, my child'

[Ernstk]

The Leica Store Manchester (UK, not New Hampshire) have one for sale for what seems a very reasonable price.

https://www.leicastoremanchester.com/75-summarit.html

Ernst