King of Bookeh or something else ?

[Ray Vonn]

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@vonrozen, I fear for you potentially going into a bottomless pit of threads giving you more and more issues and alternatives, resulting in doubts which make your decision ever more difficult. There will always be a (relevant and not so relevant) reasons not to buy a particular lens, from members whose interest is collecting lenses as much as actually using them and this may not always helpful in a thread like this.  Honestly, if *any* lens get your attention, make a point of going to the seller with your camera, try it and if *you* like how it renders, buy it.  As I said, if it is a properly maintained Leitz/ Leica lens, it will be good.

[lct]

1 hour ago, vonrozen said:

to be honest it is so stressful to buy a Summicron, I think I will consider as an alternative the Leica M 2.8/35mm Summaron , which may be just as suitable but cheaper and always made in Germany (!) especially as i tend to shoot at f16 or 22 with long pauses , etc .

If you're on a budget, you may wish to consider a new or like-new Zeiss Biogon 35/2.8 which is one of the best 35/2.8 lenses ever made instead of buying an ancient Leica lens with scratches on the front element if you ask me but YMMV .

[pedaes]

41 minutes ago, lct said:

with scratches on the front element

..and haze on the internal ones (irrespective of what the seller says). Totally agree about Zeiss Biogon - be quick and you might find a new one.

Edited June 30, 2022 by pedaes

[pippy]

6 hours ago, vonrozen said:

...I tend to shoot at f16 or 22...

Don't! Unless, of course, you really need an enormous amount of depth-of-field...

As Arnaud has already written in the post which immediately followed yours; if you shoot at f16/f22 the resultant images will be MUCH softer than had they been shot at f11 due to diffraction.

I also agree with what Ray Vonn says in post #41 in that you could find yourself spiralling into a bottomless pit unless you take a step back and really give some serious consideration to your position. There is a very good reason as to why the 35mm Summicron - of all versions - has been held in such high regard by so many photographers for over six decades.

Good luck.

Philip.