Is the Summilux 50/1.4 asph too big?

[fabianoliver]

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good morning. strange question to answer, I know!
I have the chance to trade one of my 6x6s to a friend for his Summilux 50/1.4 asph.
He lives in another city so I cannot see the lens before the swap. The question is: is the summilux 50 too big? Has it happened to you that you don't use it much because of its size?
I know it will be bigger than my 28 Elmarit!
thank you very much for your opinions

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[AZach]

No, it is just the right size..

[UliWer]

Here you may make up your mind:

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From left to right: 1:2.8/50mm Elmar-M, 1:2/50mm Summicron, 1:3.5/50mm Apo-Lanthar, 1:1.4/50 Canon Lens (LTM), 1:1.4/50 Summilux asph. (all with their proper hoods which really can make the difference as the Canon shows).

You may see that there is not much difference in size as you need a certain length to achieve 50mm. The Apo-Lanthar as the slowest lens isn't the smallest (as it has a rather complicated optical design). 

Edited November 28, 2024 by UliWer

[evikne]

I don't think it's particularly big (at least not when you consider its very high performance). I've had it several times and find it a bit long though, but that's probably just me.

In 2023, a new version was introduced that was a little thicker and has two extra aperture blades for slightly rounder bokeh balls when stopped down, and 0.45 m close focus (from 0.7 m live view only).

Edited November 28, 2024 by evikne

[jgeenen]

On camera, the Summilux 1.4/50 asph. in black feels just right. It is a bit front-heavy, but nothing that bothers me. The chrome variant is substantially heavier - I had the non-asph Summilux and it felt too heavy. When traveling light however, I prefer smaller lenses. For that reason I have the Elmar 2.8/50mm, which is most cases more than adequate. 

 

[Cobram]

Yes it is. Especially chrome version is too bulky.

This is my most dramatic love/hate relationship in my entire life😅

Every time I use it I come back to home with "definitive" decision to sell it. Than I transfer DNGs to my PC and always postpone/change my "final" decision😂

 

Edited November 28, 2024 by Cobram

[TomB_tx]

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Depends on your criteria. I even switched from the 50 Summicron V to the Summarit 50 2.5 as I like the smaller size and handling, so wouldn't consider the Summilux Asph

[RexGig0]

Perfect size, in my opinion. Perfect heft. Feels “right.” Outer glass element stays cleaner. (Further explanation, below.) Nicely “grip-able.”

I formed my idea of a “perfect” Leica M lens, with the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, by handling one, and test-shooting with it, on pre-owned and demonstrator M9 and M Type 240 cameras, at a nearby Leica dealer, in early 2018. I had searched for a lens with a distinctive “character,” or “visual signature,” to be a post-retirement gift to myself, to be an antidote to the “perfect” macro and close-range lenses I had used during the final 7+ years of my career in public service, when photographing crime victims and crime scenes had become an added duty. Some Leica shooter say that ASPH lenses are “too modern,” but, I do not see it that way. (I do like some classic/vintage lenses’ renderings, too, including the “crazy” Thambar.)

I actually PREFER a lens that has enough heft, such that it encourages the camera to tip forward, just a bit. The facilitates letting the camera hang face-down, which keeps the outer element cleaner. I have noticed that my “Re-Edition” Steel Rim Summilux 35mm accumulates debris, water spots during drizzly/misty days, and spots from things nastier than water, when among people. My Summilux, and Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM, by facing downward, stay much cleaner, longer. I do not simply let the camera hang at a tilted angle, but place the camera’s base plate flat against my torso.

When walking with the camera in-hand, I like the lens to be of “grip-able” size, so that my left hand does the work of supporting the weight/mass. The lens, itself, is my “add-on grip accessory.” 😉 When I added the Leica M system, almost seven years ago, I simply liked this “feature.” Since then, my right hand has not aged as well as my left hand, so, a grip-able lens has an “orthopedic” benefit.

Edited November 28, 2024 by RexGig0

[lct]

Too big for me, one of the reasons why i don't use my Summilux 50/1.4 asph v1 as often as i used to. Lenses like Sonnar 50/1.5 and Nokton 50/1.5 are significantly smaller. To be fair with Leica, earlier Summilux 50/1.4 lenses were not that compact either and the Summilux asph is sharper at f/1.4 than both Nokton and Sonnar.

[Robert Blanko]

vor 8 Stunden schrieb fabianoliver:

... The question is: is the summilux 50 too big? Has it happened to you that you don't use it much because of its size?
...

No, not at all!

BTW, do you mean the current version (the thicker version) or the last but one version which is slightly slimmer? In any case, this would not change my opinion.

[fabianoliver]

Good evening, thank you for your comments, and Uliwer, thank you for the very clear image. Perfect.
There are certainly mixed opinions, but there is no doubt about the quality of the Summilux.
Since I only have a Summitar 50/2 (collapsible), and I find it very soft, apart from not being very smooth mechanically and the 50 focal length attracts me and I like it, perhaps despite being the Summilux a "large" lens for what I am used to, and since it seems like a good deal for me, I may end up closing the deal.
I also have a Summicron R 50/2, which I use with an adapter sometimes with my 240, and despite finding it heavy and large, it always gives me satisfaction when it comes to seeing the photos it delivers.....
Other opinions?

[Jeff S]

If you’re using a 6x6, I would think you’d consider the Summilux petite, like the majority of M lenses. I’ve had the original 50 Summilux ASPH for decades, and it has been a favorite on both film and digital M bodies.  That said, I recently bought a 50 Summicron v.5 (current), which I find pairs extremely well with my M10 Monochrom.  Both lenses are relatively small in my judgment, even though the Summicron is more compact. Both superbly capable. 
 

Jeff

[shirubadanieru]

I do find it too big for a 50mm to be honest. The pre-asph Summilux e43 have the perfect size, and of course Summicron V2~V4 also have a perfect size. (And perfect weight)

[lct]

Summicron 50/2 v4, Summilux 50/1.4 v3, Summilux 50/1.4 asph v1.
I have not the Sonnar 50/1.5 at hand but i wouldn't be surprised if it is even shorter than the Summicron. Same for the Nokton 50/1.5 v2.

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Edited November 29, 2024 by lct

[evikne]

16 minutes ago, lct said:

Summicron 50/2 v4, Summilux 50/1.4 v3, Summilux 50/1.4 asph v1.
I have not the Sonnar 50/1.5 at hand but i wouldn't be surprised if it is even shorter than the Summicron. Same for the Nokton 50/1.5 v2.

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Great comparison! You don't happen to have the 50 Summicron v5 as well? I've never seen it next to the 50 Summilux v3.

[lct]

Summicron 50/2 v4, Summicron 50/2 v5, Summicron 50/2 apo.
No Summilux 50/1.4 v3 at hand sorry.

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[don daniel]

Yes, it is too big.

[nykv]

On 11/29/2024 at 3:01 PM, lct said:

Summicron 50/2 v4, Summicron 50/2 v5, Summicron 50/2 apo.
No Summilux 50/1.4 v3 at hand sorry.

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Aren't the Summicron version 4 and version 5 optically identical? 
The built-in suboptimal lens hood of the v5 can not be the only reason for the additional bulk. 

I'd really appreciate knowledgeable info about the evolution from v4 to v5.

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Hallo,

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[lct]

V4 and v5 have the same optics. Only difference is coating on early v4 and built-in hood on v5.

[Jeff S]

32 minutes ago, lct said:

V4 and v5 have the same optics. Only difference is coating on early v4 and built-in hood on v5.

And focus tab on v.4, not v.5.

Jeff