Which single Leica lens?

[evikne]

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23 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

For me this "one lens" would be the 75mm Summilux, as it is a classic Mandler design, build quality is off the charts, and it is so versatile...very soft and glowy wide open (but not mushy...some detail is rendered, but at low contrast), but nearly as sharp and contrasty as the APO Summicrons and fully modern lenses stopped down. It is also the lens for which, at least from what I have seen, there is no true substitute from a third party. The 50mm Summicron is an obvious choice too, but the 50mm M Hexanon and 50mm Planar are very very close. There are dozens of great 50mm lenses. All the other 75mm lenses that I am aware of are pretty sharp and modern and don't have a distinct "Leica look" (dare I even invoke that term, lol).

Perhaps it is not the lens I would use the most, but I think in a kit made with a few other lenses from other companies, I would take the 75mm summilux as the Leica standard bearer.

In light of what the OP was asking for, an iconic Leica lens to be combined with other non-Leica lenses, I pretty much agree.

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[lct]

38 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

It is also the lens for which, at least from what I have seen, there is no true substitute from a third party.

You may wish to try the Nokton 75/1.5. Kind of modern Summilux the same way as the Nokton 35/1.4 SC v2. Perfect combo for those looking for 2 lenses with good enough sharpness at full aperture and no clinical rendition. I'm fortunate enough to own both Summiluxes and Noktons but i use the former less and less i must say. YMMV.

[costa43]

It's a good shout on the 75mm. The images look so nice on the thread here. 

[Stuart Richardson]

1 hour ago, lct said:

You may wish to try the Nokton 75/1.5. Kind of modern Summilux the same way as the Nokton 35/1.4 SC v2. Perfect combo for those looking for 2 lenses with good enough sharpness at full aperture and no clinical rendition. I'm fortunate enough to own both Summiluxes and Noktons but i use the former less and less i must say. YMMV.

It would be interesting to see, but I cannot see a world in which I would seek it out, as I am fully satisfied with the 75mm Summilux, and have had it for twenty years. That said, I bought mine used in mint condition for less than half the going rate currently. If I had to get one now, I would look at the Nokton. Still, I think for what you get with the 75mm lux, it is a pretty good deal considering the absurd prices that the Noctiluxes go for.

[lct]

No problem of course if you are satisfied. I was satisfied too and i still like my Summilux 75 for the same reasons i still like my Summilux 35/1.4 v2, its softness at full aperture and probably some sentimental reasons. But for general use, the Nokton is smaller, lighter and less soft at f/1.5 so it is hard not to use it for general photography. It does well on portraits too w/o showing skin details the same way as asph/apo lenses like the otherwise superb Summicron 75/2. YMMV as usual.

[Henners]

It's a personal choice depending on your style of photography and what your subjects usually are. For me though, I'd probably go with the Summilux 50mm ASPH V2, you get character wide open and at other apertures a more clinical-ish look.

I'd probably always think I should have got the Summilux 35mm since it's the best everyday/travel focal length for me but I just like 50mm too much, or maybe I'd get the 35.... agh. My current combo of 28mm and 50mm is pretty much perfect so I don't have to worry too much about it. 

Edited February 16, 2024 by Henners

[evikne]

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"Everyone" says that the 75 Lux is soft and glowy wide open, but I don't recognize myself in this description. The time I had it I used it mostly wide open and I can't remember seeing anything like that. It's obviously not a modern ASPH lens, but wide open it was sharper than both my 50 Noctilux f/1, my 50 Summilux pre-ASPH, and of course much sharper than the 35 Summilux pre-ASPH. Maybe I was just lucky to get a very good copy (apart from the focus issues that I eventually also got sorted out).

I remember it as sharp and gentle at the same time. The perfect portrait lens.

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Edited February 16, 2024 by evikne

[Ray Vonn]

4 hours ago, mfunnell said:

I now have one - an early M-mount collapsible (which is still a very nice lens). I have non-Leica fast 50s (ZM C-Sonnar 50mm/f1.5; Canon 50mm/f1.4 in LTM) so: much though I see the attraction, I’m thinking more seriously (as in: buy next week) about the latest Summilux 35mm. I don’t have a fast 35mm so I can con myself into it. I’d like the 50mm equivalent as well, maybe: but I just can’t convince myself.

   …Mike

What an excellent way of putting it (mainly because your circumstances align pretty much exactly with mine 😅 but hey ho, that's internet forums for you).

Edited February 16, 2024 by Ray Vonn

[mfunnell]

4 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

For me this "one lens" would be the 75mm Summilux, as it is a classic Mandler design, build quality is off the charts, and it is so versatile...very soft and glowy wide open (but not mushy...some detail is rendered, but at low contrast), but nearly as sharp and contrasty as the APO Summicrons and fully modern lenses stopped down. It is also the lens for which, at least from what I have seen, there is no true substitute from a third party. The 50mm Summicron is an obvious choice too, but the 50mm M Hexanon and 50mm Planar are very very close. There are dozens of great 50mm lenses. All the other 75mm lenses that I am aware of are pretty sharp and modern and don't have a distinct "Leica look" (dare I even invoke that term, lol).

Perhaps it is not the lens I would use the most, but I think in a kit made with a few other lenses from other companies, I would take the 75mm summilux as the Leica standard bearer.

For the record, I dearly love my 75mm/f1.4 Summilux. So much that when I acquired my M240 I had them away together, being adjusted, for months, so the 75 could focus "just right" with digital (it worked fine with film, but that's a whole different thing).

(Which reminds me: I need to use my 75 more - I haven't, really, for way too long.)

   ...Mike

[lct]

1 hour ago, evikne said:

"Everyone" says that the 75 Lux is soft and glowy wide open, but I don't recognize myself in this description. The time I had it I used it mostly wide open and I can't remember seeing anything like that. It's obviously not a modern ASPH lens, but wide open it was sharper than both my 50 Noctilux f/1, my 50 Summilux pre-ASPH, and of course much sharper than the 35 Summilux pre-ASPH. Maybe I was just lucky to get a very good copy (apart from the focus issues that I eventually also got sorted out).

I remember it as sharp and gentle at the same time. The perfect portrait lens.

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Nice pic and model 🙂 Glowy i would not say so but my copy has been calibrated when i bought it s/h in 2016 and i focus it easily since then. Comparing it with the Summicron 75/2 shows a signifiant softness though. I should do the same with the Nokton 75/1.5 but i hate those rulers...

[evikne]

55 minutes ago, lct said:

Glowy i would not say so but my copy has been calibrated when i bought it s/h in 2016 and i focus it easily since then. Comparing it with the Summicron 75/2 shows a signifiant softness though.

 

My copy at f/1.4. Apart from the focus shift that put the focus at "2", the sharpness was almost equivalent to yours at f/2. I think I had a very good copy.

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Edited February 16, 2024 by evikne

[lct]

36 minutes ago, evikne said:

 

My copy at f/1.4. Apart from the focus shift that put the focus at "2", the sharpness was almost equivalent to yours at f/2. I think I had a very good copy.

Or is it the effect of focus shift? Mine has none at f/2 BTW.

[evikne]

16 minutes ago, lct said:

Or is it the effect of focus shift? Mine has none at f/2 BTW.

I'm not sure, but I don't think so. Unfortunately, I haven't kept any tests from when I finally got it properly calibrated (I hate those rulers too!).

Edited February 16, 2024 by evikne