Summilux-M 50mm f1.4 center sharpness

[JTLeica]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

3 hours ago, Shac said:

Looks like heat haze to me.

Kinda yeah, but it's definitely not that. Evently out of focus everywhere, heat distortion would get worse with distance

[Advertisement]

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

[kraxel69]

50mm pre.Asph., CLA in wetzlar, M262-D
focused to infinity, estimated 80 m.
General view and 2x 100% Centercrop at 1.4 and 4.0

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 August 21, 2024 by kraxel69

[swatch]

6 hours ago, kraxel69 said:

50mm pre.Asph., CLA in wetzlar, M262-D
focused to infinity, estimated 80 m.
General view and 2x 100% Centercrop at 1.4 and 4.0

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!

Thank you kraxel69 for sharing these samples which shows this is a lens with two characters:

wide open~large aperture : gentle rendering with halos (feels like having soft filter)

stop down to 4.0 and above : increased contrast (normal sharp / non-clinical sharp)

now I see why people use it mainly for portrait and prefer it instead of asph version.

Edited August 21, 2024 by swatch

[swatch]

EVF makes focusing Lux 50mm V3 (pre-asph) easier than rangefinder patch and I take four photos at different aperture to show its two characters.

The first one at 1.4

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!

[swatch]

EVF makes focusing Lux 50mm V3 (pre-asph) easier than rangefinder patch and I take four photos at different aperture to show its two characters.

The second one at 2.0

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!

[swatch]

EVF makes focusing Lux 50mm V3 (pre-asph) easier than rangefinder patch and I take four photos at different aperture to show its two characters.

The third one at 2.8

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!

[swatch]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

EVF makes focusing Lux 50mm V3 (pre-asph) easier than rangefinder patch and I take four photos at different aperture to show its two characters.

The fourth one at 4.0

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!

[swatch]

For center sharpness, I would guess current asph version will be better (higher contrast) than V3 (pre-asph).  For landscape photo, I would guess either current asph or V3 need to stop down to be good at center.

[SudaliuS]

Have tested my M11with Summicron 50 on wide open (f2.0) to infinity
https://postimg.cc/JyMSMNB0
I think it's amazing result with sharpness in the center.

And here is another Summicron 50 wideopen
https://postimg.cc/t18PF5tC
Looks pretty the same as my previous Summilux 50. The center has no details and sharpness, but look at the sides! Very sharp and lot of details.

Three different lenses, but two of them has the same optic issue.
If it weren't for the test of one of the Summicrons, I would have thought that there was something wrong with my camera. But one Summicron and the Biogon before showed details and sharpness perfectly at infinity.

[lct]

I would use the infinity mark of lenses for infinity only. The moon, remote mountains, etc. I seem to have told you already but i would try to focus with focus magnification in LV mode and the photos will be normally sharp i bet. Won't hurt to try.

[SudaliuS]

36 minutes ago, lct said:

but i would try to focus with focus magnification in LV mode and the photos will be normally sharp i bet

I did it. Result was the same

[lct]

I own those lenses as well and it is not my experience i must say. The only advice i can give you is to try to compare the exact same scene at the exact same distance and the exact same aperture to get valid results. Better use a tripod then.

[SudaliuS]

Hello, guys!
Today I closed a question about that my M11 is totally fine.
Have tested in the store Voigtlander 50mm 1.0. Compared it with my Summicron with no focus at center. Here is results 100% crop from DNG center:

Summicron first.

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!

Voitlander second...By the way, Voigt is on F1.4

Edited August 29, 2024 by SudaliuS

[lct]

Not sure what you mean by "no focus at center". Were you using the RF, an EVF or the infinity mark of the lens? Then which part of the frame did you focus on exactly? Sorry to ask all those questions but the yellow building on the left looks sharper (or less soft) on your Summicron shot and i try to understand why.