Popular Post jonoslack Posted February 20 Popular Post Share #1 Posted February 20 Advertisement (gone after registration) On February 20th, 2025, Leica announced a new member of their successful 'classic' series where they have resurrected old lens designs and remade them with modern manufacturing and tolerances. So far they have released four lenses: 28mm Summaron (2016) 90mm Thambar (2017) 50mm Noctilux f1.2 (2021) 35mm Summilux (steel rim version 1) (2022) The fifth is the 50 Summilux, a lens that was the mainstay of many a photographer's kit for many, many years. The four previous lenses were faithful reproductions of the original lens, but this time it's a little different. 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! I have had a copy of the lens to test since May last year, and just like the 35mm Steel Rim and the f1.2 Noctilux I've fallen very much in love with it. First of all I'll have a look at the history of the original lens, then I'll talk about the new lens. History The original Leica 50mm Summilux was produced between 1959 and 1961. It was released in two versions, a black lacquered version in brass and aluminium in very small numbers and a chrome plated brass version with a scalloped focusing ring. There were about 19,600 made in what was probably the shortest manufacturing run of any of the M lenses (just over two years). It was 'designed' by Walter Mandler and Erich Wagner and it was constructed of 7 elements in 5 groups, with elements 2 and 3 cemented together. It was released in both screw and M mounts, the M mount version weighed 360 g. It was very similar in design and performance to the lens it replaced, the 50mm f1.5 Summarit, but with updated glass. The Summarit was designed by Otto Zimmermann and manufactured from 1949 to 1960. This lens was based very closely the Xenon and on an original design by Taylor,Taylor & Hobson from 1936. Professor John Cheng from Hong Kong recently posted this picture of his lovely silver and black paint version 1 lenses. The black paint lens is in brass with its reverse scalloped focus ring in aluminium alloy, and with a brass mount. He has kindly given me permission to show them here. In 1961 the version I was replaced with the version II designed by Walter Mandler. The new lens was still 7 elements in 5 groups, but this time elements 2 and 3 were separate, but elements 6 and 7 are cemented. Once again, there were black (11113) and chrome (11114), but this time it was black anodized on aluminium (275 g) or chrome plated brass (380 g), both had knurled focus rings. Leica didn't acknowledge the new design until 1968, perhaps because they didn't want to upset people who had already bought the inferior version I, or maybe they just didn't update the design in the catalogues. This basic configuration continued in production until 2004, there were updates in 1969 and more significantly in 1992, when it was changed from a 43mm filter to a 46mm filter, the clip on lens hood was replaced by a telescoping hood and the minimum focusing distance was reduced to 0.7 metres (this is usually known as version III). However the optical design remained the same, making this lens one of the longest running Leica lenses in production, with about 62,000 being made overall. Appearance The lens body of the new lens is very much reminiscent of the version 1, although with it's chrome over brass construction it is now heavier at 417 g. Unlike some of the original lenses it has a normal (rather than reversed) scallop. It's a beautiful object, and although heavy, it balances very nicely on a modern digital M camera Handling My copy is an early prototype; the eagle eyed will notice that the exif information for the lens is not right, because mine had the wrong 6 bit coding (it was a mirror image!). However, it handles beautifully, the aperture click stops are just perfectly weighted, and the focus ring is delightfully smooth and tactile (I just can't bring myself to say "buttery-smooth" . . but it certainly is!). The only thing which might be less than perfect for modern users is the rather long focus throw, especially when getting down to 0.7 metres for close up work. Performance Sadly, I haven't managed to get hold of any of the original lenses to do a comparison, but in the knowledge that this time around, rather than trying to reproduce the quality of the version 1 (as they did so successfully with the steel rim), Leica realised that perhaps it wasn't quite as much of a classic as the version 2 and 3 and have tried to make this lens a synthesis of all the good things about all 3 versions of the pre-Aspherical Summilux. So the optical formula of the lens is the same as that of version 2/3 i.e. with elements 2 and 3 separate, but elements 6 and 7 are cemented. Then Peter Karbe was called in to help, his concept was to make, in effect, 2 lenses, one which had the lovely gentle bokeh of the version 2 and 3, but which, when stopped down had more of the performance of a modern lens. This was done by using different glass and new coatings that weren't available when the lens was first designed. Hopefully the images here and in the attached gallery will give you an idea of the qualities of the new lens. As you stop down it becomes very sharp (in much the same way as many classic lenses), but on the whole I've shot it wide open, because that's what I like to do, and because that is when lenses really show their character. I think that the bokeh is lovely - quirky but not agitated, and whilst the lens characteristics might not be quite the same as the original lens I do think it has a real classic feel about it. As you would expect, it isn't quite as sharp in the corners as modern lenses (even when stopped down) and whilst surprisingly resistant to flare, there are some circumstances when flare can happen. The 50 Summilux Aspherical (from 2004 onwards) also has a floating element, which greatly reduces focus shift, something this lens is subject to. It's quite interesting to look at MTF curves for the versions 1 and 2/3 together with the modern Asph lens and the remade non aspherical lens. Leica with Peter Karbe certainly have been doing some magic here, and the figures for the new classic are getting towards being as good as those of the modern Aspherical lens. Conclusion Assessing a classic lens like this is a little difficult - clearly comparing it to modern lenses is badly missing the point, on the other hand it must have a character of it's own, and be capable of taking photographs which are both interesting and technically good. It should also be a satisfying object. This new classic is cheaper than the modern 50 Summilux, and as such seems to me like an excellent deal. With the classic 50 Summilux Leica have produced a lens which is delicious to use and produces great images which have a lovely bokeh when wide open, and great acuity when stopped down a little. The handling and mechanics of the lens are a joy, and it's just a great experience to shoot with it. In short, another excellent addition to their classic range of lenses, it will be interesting to see what comes next! Acknowledgements Leica history is not my strongest side, so I have reached out to a number of people during the course of writing this article, and I'd like to thank the following: Frank Dabba Smith for his wonderful Leica BIG Pocket book, for his emails and his permission to use the MTF graphs, the poor scanning is entirely my responsibility! Ivor Cooper at Red Dot cameras in London for his generous gift of the Leica Big Pocket book. Also Stefan Daniel, Christoph Mueller, Bill Rosauer, Marke Gilbert and William Fagan for help and advice, and finally to Professor John Cheng from Hong Kong for generous permission to use the photograph of his lovely version 1 lenses. 38 27 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I have had a copy of the lens to test since May last year, and just like the 35mm Steel Rim and the f1.2 Noctilux I've fallen very much in love with it. First of all I'll have a look at the history of the original lens, then I'll talk about the new lens. History The original Leica 50mm Summilux was produced between 1959 and 1961. It was released in two versions, a black lacquered version in brass and aluminium in very small numbers and a chrome plated brass version with a scalloped focusing ring. There were about 19,600 made in what was probably the shortest manufacturing run of any of the M lenses (just over two years). It was 'designed' by Walter Mandler and Erich Wagner and it was constructed of 7 elements in 5 groups, with elements 2 and 3 cemented together. It was released in both screw and M mounts, the M mount version weighed 360 g. It was very similar in design and performance to the lens it replaced, the 50mm f1.5 Summarit, but with updated glass. The Summarit was designed by Otto Zimmermann and manufactured from 1949 to 1960. This lens was based very closely the Xenon and on an original design by Taylor,Taylor & Hobson from 1936. Professor John Cheng from Hong Kong recently posted this picture of his lovely silver and black paint version 1 lenses. The black paint lens is in brass with its reverse scalloped focus ring in aluminium alloy, and with a brass mount. He has kindly given me permission to show them here. In 1961 the version I was replaced with the version II designed by Walter Mandler. The new lens was still 7 elements in 5 groups, but this time elements 2 and 3 were separate, but elements 6 and 7 are cemented. Once again, there were black (11113) and chrome (11114), but this time it was black anodized on aluminium (275 g) or chrome plated brass (380 g), both had knurled focus rings. Leica didn't acknowledge the new design until 1968, perhaps because they didn't want to upset people who had already bought the inferior version I, or maybe they just didn't update the design in the catalogues. This basic configuration continued in production until 2004, there were updates in 1969 and more significantly in 1992, when it was changed from a 43mm filter to a 46mm filter, the clip on lens hood was replaced by a telescoping hood and the minimum focusing distance was reduced to 0.7 metres (this is usually known as version III). However the optical design remained the same, making this lens one of the longest running Leica lenses in production, with about 62,000 being made overall. Appearance The lens body of the new lens is very much reminiscent of the version 1, although with it's chrome over brass construction it is now heavier at 417 g. Unlike some of the original lenses it has a normal (rather than reversed) scallop. It's a beautiful object, and although heavy, it balances very nicely on a modern digital M camera Handling My copy is an early prototype; the eagle eyed will notice that the exif information for the lens is not right, because mine had the wrong 6 bit coding (it was a mirror image!). However, it handles beautifully, the aperture click stops are just perfectly weighted, and the focus ring is delightfully smooth and tactile (I just can't bring myself to say "buttery-smooth" . . but it certainly is!). The only thing which might be less than perfect for modern users is the rather long focus throw, especially when getting down to 0.7 metres for close up work. Performance Sadly, I haven't managed to get hold of any of the original lenses to do a comparison, but in the knowledge that this time around, rather than trying to reproduce the quality of the version 1 (as they did so successfully with the steel rim), Leica realised that perhaps it wasn't quite as much of a classic as the version 2 and 3 and have tried to make this lens a synthesis of all the good things about all 3 versions of the pre-Aspherical Summilux. So the optical formula of the lens is the same as that of version 2/3 i.e. with elements 2 and 3 separate, but elements 6 and 7 are cemented. Then Peter Karbe was called in to help, his concept was to make, in effect, 2 lenses, one which had the lovely gentle bokeh of the version 2 and 3, but which, when stopped down had more of the performance of a modern lens. This was done by using different glass and new coatings that weren't available when the lens was first designed. Hopefully the images here and in the attached gallery will give you an idea of the qualities of the new lens. As you stop down it becomes very sharp (in much the same way as many classic lenses), but on the whole I've shot it wide open, because that's what I like to do, and because that is when lenses really show their character. I think that the bokeh is lovely - quirky but not agitated, and whilst the lens characteristics might not be quite the same as the original lens I do think it has a real classic feel about it. As you would expect, it isn't quite as sharp in the corners as modern lenses (even when stopped down) and whilst surprisingly resistant to flare, there are some circumstances when flare can happen. The 50 Summilux Aspherical (from 2004 onwards) also has a floating element, which greatly reduces focus shift, something this lens is subject to. It's quite interesting to look at MTF curves for the versions 1 and 2/3 together with the modern Asph lens and the remade non aspherical lens. Leica with Peter Karbe certainly have been doing some magic here, and the figures for the new classic are getting towards being as good as those of the modern Aspherical lens. Conclusion Assessing a classic lens like this is a little difficult - clearly comparing it to modern lenses is badly missing the point, on the other hand it must have a character of it's own, and be capable of taking photographs which are both interesting and technically good. It should also be a satisfying object. This new classic is cheaper than the modern 50 Summilux, and as such seems to me like an excellent deal. With the classic 50 Summilux Leica have produced a lens which is delicious to use and produces great images which have a lovely bokeh when wide open, and great acuity when stopped down a little. The handling and mechanics of the lens are a joy, and it's just a great experience to shoot with it. In short, another excellent addition to their classic range of lenses, it will be interesting to see what comes next! Acknowledgements Leica history is not my strongest side, so I have reached out to a number of people during the course of writing this article, and I'd like to thank the following: Frank Dabba Smith for his wonderful Leica BIG Pocket book, for his emails and his permission to use the MTF graphs, the poor scanning is entirely my responsibility! Ivor Cooper at Red Dot cameras in London for his generous gift of the Leica Big Pocket book. Also Stefan Daniel, Christoph Mueller, Bill Rosauer, Marke Gilbert and William Fagan for help and advice, and finally to Professor John Cheng from Hong Kong for generous permission to use the photograph of his lovely version 1 lenses. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/419363-jono-slack-review-leica-50mm-summilux-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5759796'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 20 Posted February 20 Hi jonoslack, Take a look here Jono Slack Review: Leica 50mm Summilux f1.4. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
elmars Posted February 20 Share #2 Posted February 20 Great review like always, Jono! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
satijntje Posted February 20 Share #3 Posted February 20 Thanks for this excellent review dear Jono! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted February 20 Share #4 Posted February 20 Lovely photos, and I can see that the lens produces great image quality, especially wide-open. It will not be for me: every time I buy a 50mm (most recently an original v2) it languishes on the shelf in favour of a 35mm until I sell it. I have to keep reminding myself of this fact when looking at your photos and those of Milan. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorda@ Posted February 20 Share #5 Posted February 20 « but in the knowledge that this time around, rather than trying to reproduce the quality of the version 1 (as they did so successfully with the steel rim) » funniest thing I’ve seen today! pretty nice lens tho! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakontil Posted February 20 Share #6 Posted February 20 Always love reading your thoughts jono! Thanks for sharing 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted February 20 Share #7 Posted February 20 Advertisement (gone after registration) Great review as usual. 417g really? Thanks no thanks then. With 380g my chrome v3 feels heavy yet. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danner Posted February 20 Share #8 Posted February 20 We're lucky to have Jono amongst us. Great review! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiggiGun Posted February 20 Share #9 Posted February 20 Merci beaucoup @jonoslack demain, je serai dans « mon » Store 😉 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbatop Posted February 20 Share #10 Posted February 20 @jonoslack thank you for the review! What are your thoughts on the character of this lens relative to the 1.2 noctilux? Are there situations you would prefer this lens? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott kirkpatrick Posted February 20 Share #11 Posted February 20 (edited) Curiouser and curiouser! The MTF charts for the new 50 Summilux IV appears in Ivor's 2023 book. Has this been an open secret for all that time? Oh, my bad! Ivor's figure was for the long-standard ASPH model. The MTF of the new/old lens match the asph nicely at f/4 and up, but look at how only the center survives at f/1.4. Edited February 20 by scott kirkpatrick 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raizans Posted February 20 Share #12 Posted February 20 What’s the shape of the aperture when stopped down two to three stops? That’s what I usually do to get the smoothest bokeh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted February 20 Share #13 Posted February 20 (edited) Very nice. The last pre-asph 50 Lux is one of my favorite 50's. Great bokeh with a long smooth transition from sharp to out of focus. Wide open it has a perfect balance of sharpness and softness with a touch of that Dr Mandler glow. Very good for portrait work. Very sharp when stopped down a little. Flare is well controlled and light sources do not have that star shaped pattern. I got mine around 2000 and shot it heavily until it failed from element separation and had to be retired. Wide open it now glows like a Verito portrait lens and I still shoot it when I want that effect. I've put off replacing it with another vintage copy, but this new offering is very tempting... 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 February 20 by thrid 5 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/419363-jono-slack-review-leica-50mm-summilux-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5760535'>More sharing options...
jgeenen Posted February 20 Share #14 Posted February 20 Thank you very much for your review. Unfortunately it is another one of those Leica Retro lenses that is offering nothing else but an aged design with a respectable history for a premium price. I hope, Leica has something new in the works that will hit the market sooner or later (I have time - Voigtländer, Thypoch and probably others are filling this gap meanwhile) I personally had the old Summilux in the 90s body shape with retractable hood in parallel to the asph. Although I liked it very much, the character differences to the current asph. had been not substantial enough for me to justify owning both. Finally I sold the non-asph. because for me the character was more often distracting fromthan contributing to the desired result. I understand why Leica took the 60s body design, but I still prefer the more modern design that fits - to my taste - to the M body design more consistently. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 20 Share #15 Posted February 20 The lens may be modernized but the results are as lovely as the ones from the original This looks like a winner. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
evikne Posted February 20 Share #16 Posted February 20 54 minutes ago, raizans said: What’s the shape of the aperture when stopped down two to three stops? That’s what I usually do to get the smoothest bokeh. With 12 aperture blades I guess it's the same as the v3 (= very smooth)! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonoslack Posted February 20 Author Share #17 Posted February 20 1 hour ago, raizans said: What’s the shape of the aperture when stopped down two to three stops? That’s what I usually do to get the smoothest bokeh. Hi it has 12 blades, so it’s very good! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raizans Posted February 20 Share #18 Posted February 20 No sawteeth or concave points? Just a regular polygon? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmars Posted February 20 Share #19 Posted February 20 vor 1 Stunde schrieb jgeenen: it is another one of those Leica Retro lenses That does not do justice to the character of the lens. In my review, I described it as a modern classic. At open aperture it is more of a classic, but also at a much higher level. Slightly stopped down, it has the qualities and rendering of a modern lens. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot Harper Posted February 20 Share #20 Posted February 20 Looks interesting. But.. I have a summilux 50 v2 and a noticlux 50/1.2 re-issue. I will pass on this one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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