Summarit 50mm 2,5 / 2,4 in 2024

[AHAB]

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Hallo everybody,

I have been searching the internet and this forum now for some time. There is not very much information about the Summarit 50 2,5 lens. 

Do we have Summarit 50mm users here who can share experience with the Summarit on a digital Leica (M9 240 ...)  in 2024
Or on the other hand are there users who would avoid this lens now and recommend another lens in 2024

Thanks for answers.

Regards from Germany

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[johnwolf]

I own one. I use it mainly on an M2, but also on an M10 and in the past on an M246.

it gives a modern rendering with excellent flare control and very nice bokeh. I’m partial to small lenses and it’s among the smallest 50s available. Very short focus throw, with a tab. I also have the 35 2.5 - my two main lenses.

What would you like to know?

Edited July 2, 2024 by johnwolf

[AHAB]

14 minutes ago, johnwolf said:

I own one. I use it mainly on an M2, but also on an M10 and in the past on an M246.

it gives a modern rendering with excellent flare control and very nice bokeh. I’m partial to small lenses and it’s among the smallest 50s available. Very short focus throw, with a tab. I also have the 35 2.5 - my two main lenses.

What would you like to know?

Thanks for the answer - it seems it would fit for my use for the flare control and size 

[johnwolf]

It also looks very good on the body, if you care about such things. Before them I had the Zeiss Planar and C Biogon, but developed a real distaste for that shiny chrome front hood mount. Between the 2.4 and 2.5, I like the slightly tapered look of the 2.5 over the 2.4’s barrel design. Superficial, maybe, but it matters to me.

There are many reviews from when the Summarits came out, especially comparing them to the Summicrons. 

The same rectangular hood is used on the 35 and 50. I have it but don’t use it much. I use UV filters to protect the glass.

All pics on the M2 journal link below were taken with the 50. 

Edited July 2, 2024 by johnwolf

[JTLeica]

Go for it, sharp and contrasty, small and will hold their value as they are relatively cheap, can find bargains if you are patient.

[AHAB]

7 minutes ago, JTLeica said:

Go for it, sharp and contrasty, small and will hold their value as they are relatively cheap, can find bargains if you are patient.

I have an offer for one in near mint condition fresh from Leica Headquaters - I will order tonight 

[lct]

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Very good little lens with no significant flaw, excepted for flare that can be nasty in some circumstances, typically at 10:00 AM when the sun is outside the frame. No problem in LV mode though since the flare is visible in the EVF. In RF mode, a good hood is recommended. BTW you may wish to check if the aperture ring does not wobble and the focus ring is not too loose or too stiff as the quality of f/2.5 Summarits is not always perfect. My 35/2.5 and 50/2.5 suffer from that and i broke the aperture ring on my 75/2.5 that was too fragile actually. Very good little lenses otherwise.

Edited July 2, 2024 by lct

[a.noctilux]

I bought one for me, some years ago, as the second hand price was too good to pass by.

The result is for so many occasions, I use this small/light lens over other lenses I have.

If not convinced, the Wiki can do the rest (link).

And in there many links ...

The 80cm mini focus is not smart but ...

The "loose" focus is something to beware of comparing to other Leica lenses.

...

Oh wait ...

and I plan to buy second one as this 2.5/50mm is used by my wife.

While waiting, I appreciate other Summarit-M (2.5/35 and 2.5/75mm)

Not perfect, but good enough and light family.

Edited July 2, 2024 by a.noctilux

[AHAB]

48 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

I bought one for me, some years ago, as the second hand price was too good to pass by.

The result is for so many occasions, I use this small/light lens over other lenses I have.

If not convinced, the Wiki can do the rest (link).

And in there many links ...

The 80cm mini focus is not smart but ...

The "loose" focus is something to beware of comparing to other Leica lenses.

...

Oh wait ...

and I plan to buy second one as this 2.5/50mm is used by my wife.

While waiting, I appreciate other Summarit-M (2.5/35 and 2.5/75mm)

Not perfect, but good enough and light family.

Thanks for the links to wiki and the thread - I always search the wiki first 😉

most threads are not special for the 50 seems the 28 75 90 are more common 😉 

for me I could not find recent comments so that is why I asked again 

Edited July 2, 2024 by AHAB

[a.noctilux]

28 is not Summarit-M family.

Only 35/50/75/90 that is plenty already.

Even if (for me) the Elmarit-M 28mm asph. (this one ) could be in this compact/light/very good/cheap for Leica family.

[AHAB]

40 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

28 is not Summarit-M family.

Only 35/50/75/90 that is plenty already.

Even if (for me) the Elmarit-M 28mm asph. (this one ) could be in this compact/light/very good/cheap for Leica family.

Sorry my fault not 28 - 35 .... I cannot edit last answer

Edited July 2, 2024 by AHAB

[TomB_tx]

The Summarit 35 & 50 f2.5 are my main lenses on my M10, in spite of owning Summicrons and many other lenses in both F.L.

The 50 is basically a slightly slower Summicron design, and as LCT mentions above both can suffer from "central veiling flare" in certain lighting where the sun is slightly outside the frame, so I often use the rectangular lens hood that Leica sold for the lens though it adds a lot to the length. The 35 is a very different optical design and mine doesn't have a flare issue, so I use it without hood. This Summarit hood mounts on an external thread at the front of the lens, normally covered by a trim ring.

Both lenses are identical size and handling, so makes it easy to change between them.

I bought my 35 used, and it did have a very loose feel to the aperture ring then. This is caused by the retaining ring that secures the optical head in the focusing mount coming loose, which also loosens the aperture ring click-stop. It took about 2 minutes to tighten the retaining ring with a pin spanner from the rear of the lens to eliminate the problem, and it has not returned. I suspect that (like many other lenses) mounting / dismounting the lens on the camera by gripping the front of the lens may cause the retainer to slowly work loose. Grip around the base of the lens to avoid this on all lenses.

[105012]

I have the 50mm f/2.5 Summarit. It's a great lens (no loose aperture ring) except it has a very short focus throw, which I find makes focusing by feel slow in street situations, so I don't use it anymore. Oh well, just part of the journey of my learning process...

[sebben]

I found the Minimum focus distance irritating. I was also not happy with the build quality, it somehow felt flimsy mainly because the focus and the aperture felt very loose. 
 

In the end I sold it and I think I will replace it with the 50mm Summicron. 

[JonathanSi]

50mm is my fav. After I have used more than 10 lenses at this focal length, I only kept a voigtlander 50mm 1.2 (a better choice than 50 summilux asph.), a 50 Rigid (for the look on film camera), and a 50 summarit (for its compactness). I found when I need a 50mm lens, I only wanted to use summarit because it is one of the smallest 50mm lenses on the market (before voigtlander released 50mm f2.2, summarit f2.5 was the smallest).

Regarding sharpness, 50mm f2.5 is defintely not the best, but it's good enough to be used on M11 (when I paired on A7R5 through techart adapter, the images are not as sharp as on M11). I prefer summarit to summilux as I don't have to lower the sharpness in the post process.

As for rendering, summarit gives a very pleasing bokeh - in the middle of modern and vintage. VM 50mm 1.2 and 50 summilux asph are very modern (when it comes to modern creamy bokeh, I always prefer using Sony camera and lenses). The bokeh from Rigid sometimes can be too messy for my usage.

 

Edited August 24, 2024 by JonathanSi

[JonathanSi]

shot at f2.5

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[JonathanSi]

shot at f4.8

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[TommyTang]

Own both Summarit 35&50 2.5, mainly used on M246, I like the balance of optical performance and compactness, build quality is good, at least on my copies, I personally highly recommend this lense.

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