Peter Karbe, my 35 APO and a 10yr anniversary

[RMF]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Had the pleasure of attending a couple Peter Karbe presentations this past weekend at Leica Bellevue. I brought my 35APO silver box along to have Mr Karbe autographed it, as well as a spare 35APO lens hood that luckily Leica Bellevue had in stock for me.  The 3 hrs of presentations were great and very informative (obviously focusing on optics); it’s wonderful that Leica Bellevue invited him to the store to talk to all of us for their store’s 10 anniversary.

A few takeaways and selected quotes for Mr Karbe:

• As most know, Mr Karbe is a strong proponent of photography using Leica lenses near wide open.- “a Noctilux at f5.6 is only using 3% of its glass, what a waste to stop down”
• Considers the ASPH the third generation in Leica’s lens history
• Jokingly said that he should stop designing lenses with anything over f5.6 😀
• His optimal target for future new lenses is more compact, faster w/ better performance.
• Leica’s knowledge, based on their history…is their strongest asset
• Leica is not currently using AI in their optical development but he feels that it will adopted eventually.
• The 50 Summarit (the modern version) is a beautiful lens with near zero aberrations
• Leica and the optical team in early days considered the earlier glass (50’s and 60’s) as soft as ‘liverwurst’.
• He doesn’t really like MTF charts and considers looking at photo results as the true test of a lens optical performance.
• He went into great detail with DOF charts, discussed Contrast and the contributing factors with DOF for a photos overall impact/impression, and light flux g (Luminous Flux) measurements
• His simple technical standard for quality measurement is, ‘when you look closer at a photo you see more”
• The 35APO M is his masterpiece in the M lineup for its stellar optical qualities, fitted into a compact body it’s his favorite lens he designed and it’s the one he chooses to use.
• The 35apo and all of the SL lineup are ready and future proof with the capabilities to render well beyond 100 mp sensors, it was one of the original intentions when they were designed.
• In most applications there is no need to use a lens hood (he was specifically talking about this of the SL lens lineup)
• Asked if he recommends using a uv filter on lenses… “he smiled and said…. I never use them…..but then, I work for Leica. If I were you I’d use them” 😀

Happy Anniversary Leica Bellevue and thanks for the invite and generous hospitality!
 

 

 

 

 

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 31 by RMF

[Chuck Albertson]

Sorting out the technology for the presentation. A very gracious man, passionate about photography and Leica lenses. I thanked him afterwards for designing the 35 SLAPO.

 

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!

[sandro]

Thanks, very interesting, as Peter Karbe always is. I had the pleasure of hearing him twice in Wetzlar and one of the things I always think back about is the remark that he then also made about using lenses wide open. It doesn't make sense to generally stop down when you can use all of the capabilities of the lens.

Lex

[SrMi]

22 hours ago, RMF said:

Had the pleasure of attending a couple Peter Karbe presentations this past weekend at Leica Bellevue. I brought my 35APO silver box along to have Mr Karbe autographed it, as well as a spare 35APO lens hood that luckily Leica Bellevue had in stock for me.  The 3 hrs of presentations were great and very informative (obviously focusing on optics); it’s wonderful that Leica Bellevue invited him to the store to talk to all of us for their store’s 10 anniversary.

A few takeaways and selected quotes for Mr Karbe:

• As most know, Mr Karbe is a strong proponent of photography using Leica lenses near wide open.- “a Noctilux at f5.6 is only using 3% of its glass, what a waste to stop down”
• Considers the ASPH the third generation in Leica’s lens history
• Jokingly said that he should stop designing lenses with anything over f5.6 😀
• His optimal target for future new lenses is more compact, faster w/ better performance.
• Leica’s knowledge, based on their history…is their strongest asset
• Leica is not currently using AI in their optical development but he feels that it will adopted eventually.
• The 50 Summarit (the modern version) is a beautiful lens with near zero aberrations

I am not aware of the 50mm Summarit lens. Any info?

22 hours ago, RMF said:

• Leica and the optical team in early days considered the earlier glass (50’s and 60’s) as soft as ‘liverwurst’.
• He doesn’t really like MTF charts and considers looking at photo results as the true test of a lens optical performance.
• He went into great detail with DOF charts, discussed Contrast and the contributing factors with DOF for a photos overall impact/impression, and light flux g (Luminous Flux) measurements
• His simple technical standard for quality measurement is, ‘when you look closer at a photo you see more”
• The 35APO M is his masterpiece in the M lineup for its stellar optical qualities, fitted into a compact body it’s his favorite lens he designed and it’s the one he chooses to use.

In this video (7:07), he says that 50mm Summilux is his masterpiece:

https://youtu.be/EsMkNUCOQo0?si=jKcCBYFLh9M6YX-v&t=427

 

 

Edited April 1 by SrMi

[charlesphoto99]

8 minutes ago, SrMi said:

I am not aware of the 50mm Summarit lens. Any info?

 

 

https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/lenses/m/summarit-m-50mm-f2-4-silver

[SrMi]

1 hour ago, charlesphoto99 said:

https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/lenses/m/summarit-m-50mm-f2-4-silver

Thanks, one of those discontinued Summarits 😟.

[RMF]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

3 hours ago, SrMi said:

 

In this video (7:07), he says that 50mm Summilux is his masterpiece:

 

Perhaps his second masterpiece 🙂. We all know the contributions that Peter Karbe has made for Leica during his tenure, as well as the number of his designs over the years that are standouts (including the 50 ASPH Lux); he guided/brought Leica lenses into the modern digital age and as mentioned future-proofed many of the designs for the demands of 100+mp rendering in the future; a caveat he did emphasize is that everyone might not need that high level of performance, and am paraphrasing from memory here but he said “that one really needs to keep in consideration only the desired end result and output needed”. 
 

One addition to the bulletpoints I listed above is worth mentioning: 

• Mobile appears to be quite an emphasis at Leica now, and Karbe himself made mention that it might/is the next step of innovation for Leica. He said it’s all back to intent and end results desired, not everyone needs or requires a lens and sensor that renders very high frequency at nyquist 172 lp /mm.

[Yoyoid]

Sure wish they'd "future-proof" a few more new M lenses before they veer off into Mobile.

[LocalHero1953]

On 3/31/2025 at 9:30 PM, RMF said:

• In most applications there is no need to use a lens hood (he was specifically talking about this of the SL lens lineup)
• Asked if he recommends using a uv filter on lenses… “he smiled and said…. I never use them…..but then, I work for Leica. If I were you I’d use them” 😀

 

He is a lens designer and maker, not a photographer. I don't know if he designed the VE 24-90SL and 90-280SL, but both hoods and protective filters are needed if you have used your own scarce cash to buy those lenses, The front element of both is so close to the front of the lens that you need a hood to keep your fingers (or anything else) from touching/striking them. And with the hood removed or reversed for storage, the lens caps are easily knocked off, exposing the front element to scratches in the bag - I use sacrificial filters on both lenses.

 

Edited April 3 by LocalHero1953

[overexposed]

I just realized i also have a ten years anniversary, bought my first leica in 2015

[Eoin]

I also enjoy Peter Karbe's designs. All my lenses were his creations and I like what I get from them.

I have GAS lust for a APO Summicron-M 35, trying to resist. It's not a focal length I use much, but I love the colours of the FLE.
The Super APO 21 in L mount is so good.

[haikos]

Great post, thanks or sharing!

[wizard]

Am 1.4.2025 um 20:52 schrieb SrMi:

In this video (7:07), he says that 50mm Summilux is his masterpiece:

That may have been before the 35 Apo M was designed, as the Summilux 50 asph came to market many, many years earlier.

[streetrattakesphotos]

On 4/9/2025 at 2:59 PM, wizard said:

That may have been before the 35 Apo M was designed, as the Summilux 50 asph came to market many, many years earlier.

He says in the video that it's been technically surpassed, but I don't know if I buy it. The Thypoch Simera 50mm cleans up the rendering of his 50 Lux Asph, but at least from reviewer photos, I think I like the way the 50 Lux misbehaves.