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

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[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.

[Al Brown]

One of the most unique and recognizable Leica M lenses that is both ASPH and APO (the latter remains unmentioned on the barrel), one of the cheapest Summiluxes sold new and one of the definite Karbe masterpieces. There is no comparison of this lens with the previous versions.
For isolation assessment wide open I have put up a dedicated thread for this lens specifically: