The overlooked workhorse: 35mm Summarit

[Lesslemming]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

46 minutes ago, pgk said:

This cannot be. You are not seeing focus shift due to colour focus variation because if this was the case then colour photographs would exhibit significant flaws too because red objects would appear fuzzy from your description (and this is not so!). I'd say this is much more likely due to a filter issue - the thickness of the filter you are using - and not the lens.

Behold what cannot be.

 

I did not move the camera or change the focus. 
The filters used are B+W light red and Heliopan Slim Orange (doesn't get thinner than those).

Summarit 35mm f/2.4 wide open

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

Vs. Nokton 35mm 1.2 wide open

 

Disclaimer: I honestly do not know the cause for this.

Edited February 24, 2024 by Lesslemming

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[pgk]

1 hour ago, Lesslemming said:

Behold what cannot be.

I’m not disagreeing with the shift, just the reason. At a guess I’d suggest that the Summarit is sensitive to filters with varying thickness of filter glass perhaps? What it will not be is the colour as this would show up on B&W and colour sensors. One way to check this would be to focus then position the filters some way in front of the lens and see what effect this has. My Summarit has a Leica UV filter which shows no discernible focus shift that I’ve noticed so I would think that your filters are the cause, but not the colour of them.

[Lesslemming]

4 hours ago, pgk said:

One way to check this would be to focus then position the filters some way in front of the lens and see what effect this has.

I actually did that and did not find a difference.
Also, there is really no thinner filters than the ones I am using, so for all intents and purposes this effect is inevitable for the Summarit 35mm.

Posts like this and this one lead me to believe the correction for red might be at fault. The common denominator with my experiences is the shift towards infrared light becoming dominant when going from none to orange to red in increasing order of magnitude. Infrared is simply negligible when shooting normal or in colour, hence the problem is not apparent.

[pgk]

It could be an IR component but testing to find out could be messy. But I very much doubt that its visible light because it would show up as softness around red subject matter if it was.

[hansvons]

On 2/24/2024 at 10:37 AM, Lesslemming said:

Unexpected findings and Quirks

My filters don't shift focus on my copy. I would think that perhaps the lens’ retro-focus design (I assume that, don't know it) may be sensible to filter thickness and distance to the front lens. I would think that attributing this to the coatings being less/more sensible to red light is unlikely as this would be visible in regular, non-filtered images. However, I read that IR filtering can cause focus shifts. Perhaps you are up to something. 

Anyway, I can relate to your assessment on the lens’ character. Good findings!! 

[tom0511]

Am 24.2.2024 um 12:34 schrieb Lesslemming:

Behold what cannot be.

 

I did not move the camera or change the focus. 
The filters used are B+W light red and Heliopan Slim Orange (doesn't get thinner than those).

Summarit 35mm f/2.4 wide open

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

Vs. Nokton 35mm 1.2 wide open

 

Disclaimer: I honestly do not know the cause for this.

quite interesting.

[sometimesmaybe]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

On 2/24/2024 at 10:34 PM, Lesslemming said:

Disclaimer: I honestly do not know the cause for this.

there is another thread discussing the issue

 

[JTH 36]

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia Pa

Leica M10M, 35 Summarit 2.4, B+W yellow filter

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited April 12, 2024 by JTH 36

[JoshuaR]

I’m curious about this lens. A couple of years ago I owned a 35 FLE, then sold it to head in a more “classic” direction. Right now my only 35 is the Steel Rim Reissue. But I sometimes miss having a “simple” 35mm. I have a 50mm f/2.5 Summarit and really like using it; I enjoy the rendering and the haptics. And the 35 is so affordable!

Edited April 12, 2024 by JoshuaRothman

[Lesslemming]

3 hours ago, JoshuaRothman said:

I’m curious about this lens. A couple of years ago I owned a 35 FLE, then sold it to head in a more “classic” direction. Right now my only 35 is the Steel Rim Reissue. But I sometimes miss having a “simple” 35mm. I have a 50mm f/2.5 Summarit and really like using it; I enjoy the rendering and the haptics. And the 35 is so affordable!

I recommend it. It is such a neat lens and surprises me time and again with being so no-fuss and lightweight.

 

I would also like to amend my earlier comment about orange filters. Indeed, the focus shift with the red filter is too significant for me to rely on the viewfinder. However, with the orange filter I can get away with it almost all of the time, even close up and wide open. The focus shift with orange is just not that significant 

[TomB_tx]

8 hours ago, JoshuaRothman said:

I’m curious about this lens. A couple of years ago I owned a 35 FLE, then sold it to head in a more “classic” direction. Right now my only 35 is the Steel Rim Reissue. But I sometimes miss having a “simple” 35mm. I have a 50mm f/2.5 Summarit and really like using it; I enjoy the rendering and the haptics. And the 35 is so affordable!

I have both 35 & 50 (2.5) Summarits, and love both for the size and handling (which are identical for both - easy to switch back and forth). They are now my main lenses on my M10, while my Summicrons, Summilux, and other faster lenses either stay on film cameras or in storage. Get the 35!

[cinejay]

On 12/27/2023 at 6:06 AM, logan2z said:

The 35/2.4 Summarit was my first M lens and I shot with it exclusively for a few years.  I own a bunch of other Leica M lenses now and, despite it being the least expensive, the Summarit more than holds it's own.  I have the 75/2.4 as well and it's also a very nice lens, although it's not a focal length I shoot much.  

The 35/ 2.5 Summarit is my first Leica lens and I have no regrets and I echo everything you all are saying because it ticks so many boxes for me. I recently did a video reflecting on the use of a 35mm for a full year. 

One Lens, a full year.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!