Sigma 50 1.2 vs Summilux-SL - Image Samples

[hansvons]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

1 hour ago, LocalHero1953 said:

FWIW I do not like bokeh balls of any shape in my images (too unnatural), and try to avoid the light that produces them. Sunlight filtering through trees is one of the worst scenarios for this. I would certainly try to avoid them in portraits (too distracting).

In an alternative world, cinematography could be a viable option for you. The term bokeh was never a thing in cinematography until some dude came around at the beginning of the last decade and made it a thing. The first time a client asked me about bokeh was in 2018, and I didn't know what he was after until he said the light balls in the out-of-focus area. Ah, alright, you mean the orbs! Let's see what we can do about it. Let's make some orbs.

I never cared about bokeh. I cared about flatness and dimensionality, especially with faces. That was an essential thing when choosing lenses. So was sharpness, of course, predominately for pack shots. And not to be missed, flaring, as this is THE thing for moods besides light.

People nowadays care about bokeh because it's easy to spot and criticise, such as being not round enough, etc. It is the same with corner sharpness—easy stuff. On the other hand, personality in lenses is a personal thing, like in real life. I prefer not to have a perfect picture, as perfectness seldom pays into diversity, which I consider the most interesting thing in life. However, an engineer may have a very different outlook. 

[Dr. G]

2 hours ago, LocalHero1953 said:

* Initially I misread the labels and thought the second image in post #1 was the Summilux: the first image (f/1.2) clearly shows swirl while the second (f/1.4) does not (or much less).  Both lenses push the aberrations to the absolute edges of the glass. I wonder how the same shot looks in the Summilux at f/2? Perhaps more like the Sigma at f/1.4. 

These are only a few of the images.  For each scene I started at the widest aperture for each lens and took shots at f/1.2, f/1.4, f/2, f/3.2, f/4, f/5.6 and f/8.  I also took the same series with the 50mm APO Summicron-SL.  I just didn’t want to post so many images in this thread.  Maybe if I have time later I’ll set up a Dropbox folder with all the files at different apertures.

[Dr. G]

I'll, at the very least, try to post the f/2 comparisons between the three lenses when I get home later.

[Dr. G]

As promised, here are the f/2 comparisons with the Sigma 50 1.2, Summilux-SL and APO Summicron-SL

Sigma 50 1.2 at f/2

 

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 July 9, 2024 by Dr. G

[Dr. G]

Summilux-SL at f/2

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!

[Dr. G]

50mm APO Summicron-SL at f/2

 

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!

[Dr. G]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Sigma 50 1.2 at f/2

 

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!

[Dr. G]

Summilux-SL at f/2

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!

[Dr. G]

50mm APO Summicron-SL at f/2

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!

[Dr. G]

Sigma 50 1.2 at f/2

 

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!

[Dr. G]

Summilux-SL at f/2

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!

[Dr. G]

50mm APO Summicron-SL at f/2

 

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!

[Dr. G]

Sigma 50 1.2 at f/2

 

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!

[Dr. G]

Summilux-SL at f/2

 

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!

[Dr. G]

50mm APO Summicron-SL at f/2

 

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!

[hansvons]

#25 shows that the Summilux renders faces flatter than the APO and the Sigma, and it’s cooler. The APO shows more pop than the Sigma and even more so than the Summilux.

It would be nice if these were real people, real skin, real hair etc., but it’s a nice comparison that shows that lense do render differently, even in modern times and at the highest level. 

[Olaf_ZG]

@Dr. Gthanks for the comparison, but having recently bought the lux, I am not trading…

[tom0511]

Dr. G., what's your conclusion and opinion about those lenses?

[Ghiry6591]

Many thanks Dr. G, absolutely interesting comparison!

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Dr. G]

On 7/13/2024 at 12:35 PM, tom0511 said:

Dr. G., what's your conclusion and opinion about those lenses?

There was a thread about the 50 Summilux-SL on the regular SL forum and I posted my thoughts - here is what I wrote:

Summilux-SL: If I want an all around beautiful image I’m probably using this lens.  It has the ability to isolate a subject and the transition is slightly less abrupt than with the Sigma, although it still creates good separation.  The in focus areas is sharp, but not bitingly sharp and the in focus area doesn’t have quite as much contrast/microcontrast as the Sigma does.  It produces an overall pleasing image and the image, under the right circumstances, has a very distinct look that others do notice.  
 

APO Summicron-SL: This is my go to lens for high contrast, sharp black and white photography.  Because of the high levels of sharpness, contrast and microcontrast it can create very impactful images that can border on almost being hyper-real.  It doesn’t have the smoothest out of focus rendering wide open, though.  

Sigma 50 1.2.  Still exploring this one because it’s so new to me.  This lens is sharper in the in focal plane than the Summilux.  It also has more contrast/microcontrast in the focal plane at 1.2/1.4.  I haven’t played with black and white yet, but I imagine it may be able to create images that can be striking in terms of isolating what’s in the focal plane while maintaining good background blur as opposed to the Lux which, again, I feel renders a more all around beautiful image.  So if you’re looking for more impact in the isolation of the subject, or with specific elements, this may be the better choice.  
 

In a recent trip I took my APO 21, 35, 50 and 75 and my Summilux-SL.  I used both the Lux and the APO depending on what I was shooting.  So, for me, it’s not really a one or the other situation.  The Sigma may be able to walk the line as a lens to replace both for travel - but I still need to really explore the capabilities of the lens.