50mm Summilux - my first NEW Leica purchase...

[Mikep996]

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I've owned 8 different Leica bodies over quite a few years - 5 film Ms, 2 digital Ms, a Q2 and 14 M lenses.  I purchased all of that gear used.  I currently have 4 lenses, an M10R, my original M6, and the Q2.  But yesterday was a day of two "firsts."  I purchased the new version 50mm Summilux lens.  It is the first time I ever bought a brand new Leica product AND the first Summilux lens I have ever owned.  I almost bought a mint "still in the box" 'old' Summilux but the closer focusing and the sharper edges shown in the example comparison photos I have seen convinced me to just suck it up and spend the money on the latest version.   I probably could have waited a few weeks and saved some money.  I'm sure someone who has recently bought one will decide it sucks and put it on ebay but I needed (OK, "wanted") the lens quickly.

As I said, this will be the first Summilux I've ever owned (or used) and I was most interested in the subject isolation the f1.4 stop can provide over my 50mm 'Cron.  I also ordered a 6-stop ND filter for it.  I'm looking forward to using the lens and to unboxing a Leica product for the first time!  

 

[jakontil]

Congrats! I can feel the excitement…

m10r with a low base iso 100 i hardly ever need an ND when shooting summilux wide open though but it’s always nice to have

[Photon42]

The Summilux 50 ASPH is an absolutely wonderful lens - I think you will be a happy camper for a very long time with it. I only have the previous incarnation, with which I went through all three different regularly available variations to finally arrive at the black anodised version. As for the ND filter, I found that with cameras going up to 1/4000 maybe a three stop can be handy at times. Never felt the need of going six stops.

[logan2z]

Congrats on the new lens.  I've yet to own a Summilux as I rarely need the subject separation for the type of photography I do, but if you need the speed then you've made a great choice. 

Just curious, did you intend to post this on the film M forum?  Might it have been better on the M Lens subforum?

[Mikep996]

I didn't think about it but yeah, it probably would have been more appropriate on the lens forum but I posted here because I'm a regular poster here/never been on the lens forum. 🙄

If the moderator wants to move it, that's certainly OK by me!

[MaticB]

Congratulation, first! Well, I've had previous verson 50 summilux for 8 years. It was my first M lens, along with M 240. Because I bougth M 10R BP a year ago, M240 was more or less on reserve, so I decided to put it in for M11Mono. As it happened, retailer also got new 50 summilux in stock, and I couldn't resist, from the same reasons you mentioned. I put combo M240 with 50 summilux in, and take M11mono and 50 summilux II.

The old lens probably looked more familiar, more "Leica-ish" to me, but anyway, new version is superbe! My old version had a little bit of back focusing issue, which I compensate with focusing a little bit frontaly, but new one is spot on! I mainly used it with M11 Mono, but it is perfect also with M 10R. Regarding sharpness it's no match with APO summicron 35, but the lens have different purpose. Anyway, in close focus range I found it more useful than APO 35 summicron.  I hope you will enjoy it!

[Kim Dahl]

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4 hours ago, MaticB said:

Congratulation, first! Well, I've had previous verson 50 summilux for 8 years. It was my first M lens, along with M 240. Because I bougth M 10R BP a year ago, M240 was more or less on reserve, so I decided to put it in for M11Mono. As it happened, retailer also got new 50 summilux in stock, and I couldn't resist, from the same reasons you mentioned. I put combo M240 with 50 summilux in, and take M11mono and 50 summilux II.

The old lens probably looked more familiar, more "Leica-ish" to me, but anyway, new version is superbe! My old version had a little bit of back focusing issue, which I compensate with focusing a little bit frontaly, but new one is spot on! I mainly used it with M11 Mono, but it is perfect also with M 10R. Regarding sharpness it's no match with APO summicron 35, but the lens have different purpose. Anyway, in close focus range I found it more useful than APO 35 summicron.  I hope you will enjoy it!

Thanks for your comparison with the 35mm APO. I have that too. Keg does not have any 50 mm. But have you thought about whether it is "necessary" with 50 mm summilux? What do you think ?

[MaticB]

6 hours ago, Kim Dahl said:

Thanks for your comparison with the 35mm APO. I have that too. Keg does not have any 50 mm. But have you thought about whether it is "necessary" with 50 mm summilux? What do you think ?

This is hard to say. I mean, it is very personal. In my case, as I mentioned, 50mm was my very first Leica lens and for 2-3 years i only shoot with it. It was later I added 28mm (elmarit first, then summilux) and I usualy hang around with both lens. Only last year I purchase APO 35 and since then I mainly shoot 35 for some time - to get used on perspective and complete rendering of the lens. However, adding M11Mono to my gear, with it I shot again 50mm. But, to answering your question, if having only one lens, my choose, right now, would be APO 35.