Looking for the Right 50mm (M10/M4)

[armevans]

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7 minutes ago, chris7273 said:

I would continue to use the collapsible and never shorten it if you are concerned with potential problems. But if you suffer from gas, maybe try a Summarit 2.4 (easy to resell) ? 

Yeah, that's certainly an option, though the compact appeal of the collapsible lens is lessened somewhat when it's fully extended, particularly when a hood is added to prevent flare.

I ended up getting a Summicron V5—should also be easy to resell, but I'm liking having dedicated 50s for my M4 (collapsible) and M10 (v5).

[lct]

My Summicron 50/2 v1 (L39 collapsible) was yet an old lens when the M4 was launched. I bought my M4 with a new v3 that  was more contrasty in the seventies and v4 was even more so on my M4-2 in the eighties. v5 has the same contrast as v4 German variant actually so with v1 and v5 versions you own all what you need contrast wise besides the Summicron 50/2 apo.

[Big Jim]

On 6/24/2024 at 7:08 PM, armevans said:

I figured I'd come back and give an update for future readers and anyone else who's interested.

At the suggestion of a few people, I decided to get my hands on a Summicron V5. There's no Leica store in my area, and the only Leica dealer nearby didn't have this lens to loan out, so I ended up buying a used copy from MPB, knowing I could return it in fourteen days if it didn't work for me.

The build quality of the V5 is perhaps not quite as spectacular as the V1 (the 50s chrome over brass lenses set a really high bar when they're in good condition), but the lens is just fantastic ergonomically—the dampening of the focus is better than any of my other lenses, and the focus throw is absolutely perfect—shorter than both the V1 and the Elcan. I was on the fence about the integrated hood initially, but I'm now totally sold on it. I like to travel light, and I often eschew a hood even when I know I'd be better off with one, just to shed a bit of bulk. Having a hood that adds essentially zero size or weight to the lens is just awesome and really saved me shooting in pretty harsh sunlight this weekend. I do wish the V5 had a focus tab, but I've ordered one of the stick-on 7Artisans ones. I used one of those back when I had a Nokton 50/1.5 II, and it worked well enough.

Now, onto the images. In my initial post, I said that I was looking for a lens that had some of the same magic as the V1 collapsible Summicron. The V5 Summicron is not exactly that—out of focus areas look different, colors look different. This isn't surprising given the many design revisions between my two copies, but it's worth noting that images taken with both lenses are noticeably different. I think the V1 would still be my pick for shooting black and white film in good light—there's something extremely appealing about the images it produces, but for everything else, the V5 is phenomenal. At f/2.0 or f/2.8 on the M10, the images it takes remind me a bit of photographs I've taken on medium format cameras in the way they transition from in focus to out of focus—it's both really sharp and slightly dreamy. The colors are fantastic—not super modern or ultra saturated but extremely accurate and visually pleasing. The V5 flares significantly less than the V1, and while I could force it to veil a little bit even with the hood extended, the results still totally usable and still quite attractive, much nicer than the blobby ghosting flare of the LLL Elcan, even with its bulky IROOA hood. I've been shooting with the V5 for less than a week, but I'm pretty sold on it—it won't be going back to MPB, and the Elcan will likely be up for sale soon.

So, I think that probably solves my 50mm problems for the time being, and I'm really loving using my M4 and M10 with my Mandler-designed lens duo (28mm f/2.8 Elmarit V3 and 50mm f/2.0 Summicron V5). I'd love a nice 90mm to cover my telephoto end, but beyond that, I think I'm pretty well set for all occasions. Now to take some photos!

Thank you all for your insights—I really appreciate it!

Thanks for the feedback. I was very interested to read your comment regarding preferring the V1 for black and white film in good light. From what I read the Summicron delivers a more vintage look compared to the modern Zeiss 50mm. Did you find the Summicron didn’t deliver a look that you found pleasing or impressive on BW film ? I’d be interested to know more. 

Edited January 17 by Big Jim