Which 50... Summicron or Summilux

[bourne]

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I am currently using and loving a 35 mm Summicron (non APO).  Thinking about purchasing a 50mm and can't decide between the 50/2 Summicron (non APO) and the 50/1.4 Summilux. I like the small size of my 35 and am very pleased with the rendering.  Should I stick with Summicron or go with the Summilux for a different look?  Willl I find the Lux heavy compared to my summicron?

 

Thanks.......

[Tailwagger]

Personally, I never bonded with the latest 50mm 'cron. It's the only M lens I ever sold off.  I replaced it with the lux BC which has become my favorite and most used lens. That said, if you prefer the more modern, high contrast look, you'd might be better served by the 'cron. The slight addition in weight has never been an issue for me.

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[Jeff S]

I guess you mean 35 Summicron ASPH (v.1 or v.2). I pair my v.1 with the 50 Summilux ASPH v.1.  I sold my 50 Summicron (current non-APO) years ago; great size and weight, but care needed to avoid flaring. IQ-wise, all capable choices. For handling and ergonomics, my approach is to demo or rent and decide.

Jeff

Edited May 17, 2023 by Jeff S

[wdshuck]

I have the 50 Summicron and have rented the 50 Summilux. 
 

I really like the 50 Summicron, it has a very gentle rendering. The bokeh is a bit busier than the Lux and it can flare if you get light just to the outside of the frame. However, in most situations I really love the images it provides. It is very sharp in the center of the frame. I believe the Lux is sharper, but I don’t notice any difference for my uses.

The 50 Summilux is also a wonderful lens. It has a more modern rendering, but still has some character. The bokeh is definitely creamier than the Cron. 

[trisberg]

3 hours ago, bourne said:

 Willl I find the Lux heavy compared to my summicron?

I know I would. I have the 35mm ASPH and also the 50mm Summicron v5 and I find that a great pairing. I tend to shoot more with the 35 but it is nice to have the 50 when I want or. I also prefer lighter and smaller lenses for the M series cameras so the Summicron series is a good fit for me.

-Thomas

 

[spydrxx]

If you can afford the Lux go for it. Yes it will be heavier than your current Summicron (look up the specs), but if it renders the images the way you want, who cares about a little extra weight...it's not like switching to a MF camera. Then you'll never regret passing up the Lux. FWIW I sold my lux in favor of a cron, as I rarely used the Lux wide open. Saved money and got a CV 50/1.5 which serves me just fine when I need the extra stop. YMMV.

[jakontil]

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Either way they r great lens, but i prefer the lux for its extra stops and gentler rendering for portraits, if u ever need to, otherwise the cron it is

[hdmesa]

3 hours ago, bourne said:

I am currently using and loving a 35 mm Summicron (non APO).  Thinking about purchasing a 50mm and can't decide between the 50/2 Summicron (non APO) and the 50/1.4 Summilux. I like the small size of my 35 and am very pleased with the rendering.  Should I stick with Summicron or go with the Summilux for a different look?  Willl I find the Lux heavy compared to my summicron?

 

Thanks.......

You don't say which 35 Cron you own (pre-ASPH or ASPH) nor which 50 Lux you're considering (pre-ASPH, ASPH, or the new ASPH II close focus). You don't mention what kinds of photos you like to shoot. Please elaborate!

[Ouroboros]

I wouldn’t have a 50mm as my only portrait lens, 75mm is usually the better choice for separation and perspective and I’d much rather use my 75mm or 90mm apo-summicron  when portraits are the sole purpose of picking up a camera.  I do occasionally use a couple of 50mm lenses, ZM c-sonnar and Voigtlander Heliar Classic f.5 specifically for some portraits because of the unique effects these lenses offer.
 

If I were considering which to buy between the 50mm summicron and 50mm summilux for general use such as travel, landscape, urban, street etc, I’d stick with the summicron, a choice I made a long time ago.  Small, sharp and compact is more important to me than f1.4 and I’ve never felt the need for a 50mm summilux only for being a couple of stops faster than a summicron.

Others will have their own opinions and any one lens with come with it’s own advantages and compromises. 

[la1402]

I like shooting into the sun, and the way the Summicron flares is not attractive. So it was not for me though I liked it a lot otherwise and sold it twice. In the moment I have the Voight APO 50mm which is excellent but gets little use as i use mainly 35mm, and 50mm is not different enough. If I could afford it, I would buy the new 50mm lux as I find the close focus capability very helpful.

Edited May 17, 2023 by la1402

[Lelmer]

10 hours ago, bourne said:

I am currently using and loving a 35 mm Summicron (non APO).  Thinking about purchasing a 50mm and can't decide between the 50/2 Summicron (non APO) and the 50/1.4 Summilux. I like the small size of my 35 and am very pleased with the rendering.  Should I stick with Summicron or go with the Summilux for a different look?  Willl I find the Lux heavy compared to my summicron?

 

Thanks.......

I have both for many years (Summicron v5 and Summilux Asph - black version). I like both, but I prefer the rendering of the Summilux, which is my go to lens. It is true that the Summilux is a bit heavier, but once mountes to the body, it is pretty much negligible, IMO.

[RayD28]

I have the Summicron v4 and the Summilux ASPH v1.  If I could have only one it would be the Summilux, but I actually use the Summicron twice as much because of it's size and it is adequate for my purposes.   

[Ray Vonn]

It's a really good point about the weight of the Summilux 50mm ASPH if small and light is a priority.  Obviously one could come accustomed to it and no doubt the image quality more than offsets the issue (if it is indeed an issue at all), but as someone with Summicrons/ Elmarits/ Zeiss/ Voigts in my arsenal, I was surprised by how comparatively heavy it was in the hand and long attached to the camera.  I mean it's not like this compared other specced lenses on other cameras of course, but it did feel that way attached to a rangefinder considering the amount of smaller/ lighter lenses available for it.  For all that though perhaps none of this will be an issue once you see the images rendered.

[TheBestSLIsALeicaflex]

Back almost 20 years ago or so, I had both a 5th Summicron and the 50 Asph Summilux, purchased new at the then astounding sum of $2500, thinking it would be my be-all lens.  Due to size and weight considerations, I ended up using the Summicron more.  If I still had these lenses I would probably use the Summilux more often, because I like to play with DOF, but since then I gravitated more to the 35mm focal length.  Over time both those 50's hit the used market.  

Edited May 17, 2023 by TheBestSLIsALeicaflex

[Storm Chaser]

Following this thread with interest as I am in the market for a 50.  Cron or Lux (the APO is not an option). It seems they are pretty much equal on balance overall - just depends if I want 1.4 or 2.0. Looking for opinions

[Chris Nebard]

I love using the 50mm Summicron-M via the M-L adapter on my SL2-S. I can’t put my finger on it but the rendering always seems very natural to me; sort of rounded and gentle but still more than sharp enough. I’ve used one previously on the M262 and, again, enjoyed it very much. With modern sensors and generous iso performance these days, I don’t need f1.4 - but fully accept why others would. There’s no right or wrong answer to the question at all but, as I think I mentioned in another thread (and regardless of the APO version) there’s a reason the old Mandler designed Summicron-M 50 hasn’t been changed and why punters still buy it. It’s a beauty. 

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[TomB_tx]

Which 50... Summicron or Summilux?

Short answer: Yes.

Both are fine lenses. I've preferred the Summicron for over 50 years. Eventually got a Summilux - went back to the Summicron. Used the v3 Summicron until I got Digital and was curious, found the v5 was a bit crisper wide open. Still use v3 on film. Now mainly use 2.5 Summarit on digital.

[a.noctilux]

Like TomB,

I'd say Yes.

Beginning so many years ago with Summicron, with my first Leica M, happy for years.

I don't care which lens came after Summicron, maybe Summilux or even Noctilux, for years the only thing that matters

was the images produced.

Now I use happily the Summarit-M 2.5/50 on Ms, keeping of course those funny heavier/bigger lenses, just in case.

[Olaf_ZG]

19 hours ago, Ray Vonn said:

It's a really good point about the weight of the Summilux 50mm ASPH if small and light is a priority.  Obviously one could come accustomed to it and no doubt the image quality more than offsets the issue (if it is indeed an issue at all), but as someone with Summicrons/ Elmarits/ Zeiss/ Voigts in my arsenal, I was surprised by how comparatively heavy it was in the hand and long attached to the camera.  I mean it's not like this compared other specced lenses on other cameras of course, but it did feel that way attached to a rangefinder considering the amount of smaller/ lighter lenses available for it.  For all that though perhaps none of this will be an issue once you see the images rendered.

I have a silver lux asph, and indeed, for a 50 it is heavy and it surprises me every time I pick up the camera.

I also have a sonnar, so of weight is an issue, I can go lighter.

Ofcourse one should put things into perspective: next to the SL with a SL35 it isn’t heavy anymore.

 

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[hansvons]

Summicrons are middle-of-the-road lenses. They deliver high sharpness at full aperture and tend to show their full performance already at f 4-5.6. 
From an egineer’s perspective they deliver the best compromise in speed, performance, size, and manufacturing costs. 
I like their unexcited character. The 50mm Summicron v4 and v5 are the pinnacle of unexcitement, yet they have character, are exciting in their humble way and deliver pictures that don’t leave a question unanswered. 
For a range finder system, I find even f 2.0 at 50mm for portraits risky. But perhaps that's just me because the only real issue I have with images is a lack of focus.