adan Posted March 4 Share #81 Posted March 4 Advertisement (gone after registration) On 3/2/2025 at 12:47 PM, pippy said: I don't own a copy (sadly) but I did have a play with one the other day and fired-off a couple of frames at min. focus and max. aperture. I can't say that I was disappointed with the image sharpness. Glad to see some 0.7m examples. I use my current 50 Summicron v.III about 25% of the time at that distance (for realistic/documentary portraits). But folks should remember that there was a reason Leica limited the original 50mm Summilux v.2 min. focus to 0.9 - for 35 years! It simply got very mushy and Holga-esque in the closer range (combination of bright-ring bokeh and excessive glow) until stopped down - a LOT. And it wasn't character - just a different word beginning with "c" (plus 3 more letters, ending with "ap"). The revision, while not exactly a 75 APO-Summicron-M ASPH at 0.7m, shows some improvement. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 4 Posted March 4 Hi adan, Take a look here Modern Classic: Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f1.4. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
FrozenInTime Posted March 4 Share #82 Posted March 4 Smoother foreground corners v3 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! 3 1 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/419366-modern-classic-leica-summilux-m-50-mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5767424'>More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted March 4 Share #83 Posted March 4 Ugly foreground corners 11714 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! 3 2 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/419366-modern-classic-leica-summilux-m-50-mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5767425'>More sharing options...
pedaes Posted March 4 Share #84 Posted March 4 24 minutes ago, FrozenInTime said: Ugly foreground corners Crop to same point as V3 and there is not much in it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olaf_ZG Posted March 4 Share #85 Posted March 4 26 minutes ago, FrozenInTime said: Ugly foreground corners 11714 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! This looks very weird. Would not expect that from a new lens except when made by lensbaby… 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaaan Posted March 4 Share #86 Posted March 4 2 hours ago, Olaf_ZG said: This looks very weird. Would not expect that from a new lens except when made by lensbaby… I got the same issue as ugly lower corners, also heavy purple fringes that v2 does not have... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted March 4 Share #87 Posted March 4 Advertisement (gone after registration) When Leitz introduced the v2 Summilux it was a matter of pride to have the best 50 f1.4 lens. Now that Leica has the modern Asph version this one is relegated to the "Character" category, so performance criteria is different... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iaaan Posted March 4 Share #88 Posted March 4 1 minute ago, TomB_tx said: When Leitz introduced the v2 Summilux it was a matter of pride to have the best 50 f1.4 lens. Now that Leica has the modern Asph version this one is relegated to the "Character" category, so performance criteria is different... -VERY CHARACTERISTIC 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! 1 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/419366-modern-classic-leica-summilux-m-50-mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5767510'>More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted March 4 Share #89 Posted March 4 5 minutes ago, iaaan said: 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! This is the tradeoff made in tweaking the v2/v3 optic formula to achieve smoother background bokeh and central resolution. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Abrahams Posted March 5 Share #90 Posted March 5 My copy is on its way, maybe pick up tomorrow. I am looking forward to using the lens on the Monochrom or SL3S. The reports here so far look very nice indeed. Ken 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted March 5 Share #91 Posted March 5 I really should not pixel peep, but across all my images on film, it seems like of the two lenses, the v3 is sharper on center, perhaps with the plane of focus balanced around the rangefinder distance; with the 11714, it seems depth of field is shifted more to the rear of the focus point. "Paddington’s eyes grew rounder and rounder as he edged closer to the television set." v3 left, 11714 right. 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! There may be other factors, so scientific testing on a locked-off tripod needed ... but not before a few nice marmalade sandwiches. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! There may be other factors, so scientific testing on a locked-off tripod needed ... but not before a few nice marmalade sandwiches. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/419366-modern-classic-leica-summilux-m-50-mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5767748'>More sharing options...
lct Posted March 5 Share #92 Posted March 5 Doesn't look normal to me. I have not my Summilux 50/1.4 v3 at hand but another legacy lens of mine (ZM Sonnar 50/1.5) can do better. • M11, Sonnar 50/1.5, f/1.5, FF • M11, Sonnar 50/1.5, f/1.5, crop Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre68 Posted March 5 Share #93 Posted March 5 22 hours ago, pedaes said: I have posted these elsewhere but probably should be here. M11-P and f1.4 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! The last picture really looks weird! look at the bottom corners sharpness! Heavy crop on one side or heavily misaligned lens? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted March 5 Share #94 Posted March 5 4 minutes ago, Pierre68 said: Heavy crop on one side or heavily misaligned lens? Niether! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre68 Posted March 5 Share #95 Posted March 5 On 3/4/2025 at 5:51 PM, Ecar said: A bunch of wide open test shots on the M11. Only adjustments are WB, a mild S-curve and very slight straightening on a couple of them. I took these shortly after picking up the lens, so they were predictably unremarkable. In addition, it was a damp, overcast day. Sorry about this. Btw, have we settled on an 'official' forum lingo designation for this lens? Classic? Retro? Post-APO-Non-ASPH? Something else?😆 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! Here again in the last picture, the front focus bokeh looks weird and unpleasant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted March 5 Share #96 Posted March 5 16 minutes ago, Pierre68 said: the front focus bokeh looks What does this mean. Isn't focus and bokeh mutually exclusive. What do you expect the out of focus area in front of the plane of focus to look like? Can you post an example, please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted March 5 Share #97 Posted March 5 (edited) 2 hours ago, pedaes said: What does this mean. Isn't focus and bokeh mutually exclusive. What do you expect the out of focus area in front of the plane of focus to look like? Can you post an example, please? In order to smooth out the background bokeh outlining seen in the v2 and v3 Summilux lenses, the bokeh in front of the plane of focus has suffered. I have other lenses where foreground bokeh is poor, so not unique to this new Leica. Just need to avoid such subjects; similarly with the v3 lens some background pattens can become distractions. I think the location of the aperture iris is one design variable that can cause this shift in behaviour. The MTF curves of the v3 are also superior right to the corners for large image structures at 5 and 10 Lp/mm, but worse in the centre for 20 and 40 Lp/mm ; all suggesting that for the 11714 some re-computation of the elements and spacing occurred. Here is another image from the new 'classic' post-ASPH 11714 ( not sure that calling the lens a classic is a good fit, given the deviation from the v3 rendering ). The apparent distortion coupled to the blur on the lower right is also interesting. It is an image I would normally have deleted, as there really is no good reason to be taking daytime architectural image at f/1,4 - unless testing a lens. 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! Now I know the foreground blur can be an issue, I will take a few more test shots to explore it, including stopping down. Edited March 5 by FrozenInTime 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Now I know the foreground blur can be an issue, I will take a few more test shots to explore it, including stopping down. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/419366-modern-classic-leica-summilux-m-50-mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5767915'>More sharing options...
pedaes Posted March 5 Share #98 Posted March 5 56 minutes ago, FrozenInTime said: I will take a few more test shots to explore it, I think most of our images at the moment are 'testing'! There are times when 1.4 isn't appropriate as you say. Here is an uncroped snap I took today at 1.4, and have no problem with the foreground. I will watch this space! 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! 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/419366-modern-classic-leica-summilux-m-50-mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5767933'>More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted March 5 Share #99 Posted March 5 1 hour ago, pedaes said: I think most of our images at the moment are 'testing'! There are times when 1.4 isn't appropriate as you say. Here is an uncroped snap I took today at 1.4, and have no problem with the foreground. I will watch this space! 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! A clean foreground, and it’s a keeper; it seems the biker was so surprised to see the new silver summilux on the street that he choked on a chip 🙂 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Abrahams Posted March 6 Share #100 Posted March 6 (edited) 11714 What a beautiful lens. The focus action is superb, fluid and smooth. The aperture ring a smidge close to the lens hood but nothing that would worry me after a bit of routine use. An older lens, the 21 SEM is my subject here because it's 40 degrees celsius outside today and I needed to shoot something straight away. The SL3S handles the lens like one would expect from a Leica camera using magnification and focus peaking. The usual method if not shooting wide open on the SL by focussing on 1.4 then stopping down to desired aperture. I guess I will test for focus shift on the M10M but I don't see that as a problem, the way I work. On close inspection the sharpness does not disappoint nor does the bokah in my small test sample. The only other vintage lens I have to compare is the Planar T Zeiss 50mm 1.4 which is also pretty sharp but ancient old without coatings and adjustments to correct chronic chromatic aberration. Apparently Kristian Dowling is using the Summilux M 1:1.4 50 (1174) lens and loving it, is what I heard. I think this lens will help my image making develop in new ways being someone who started with a bunch of Summicron M lenses ten years ago. There is such a choice these days with using the adapters on SL's and the AF Apo Summicron lenses available. Such a huge range of lenses at the disposal of a Leica photographer. PS. The silver lens with black hood looks fantastic on the SL3S and I am sure it will also look great on the black M cameras 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 March 6 by Ken Abrahams PS 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/419366-modern-classic-leica-summilux-m-50-mm-f14/?do=findComment&comment=5768027'>More sharing options...
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