What do you think about LEICA 50mm F2 SUMMICRON V5 ? Boring or Perfect?

[mottykytu]

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LEICA 50mm F2 SUMMICRON V5 what do you think about it ?

Some say it is good, some say it is the least character among PRE-ASPH SUmmicron 50mm

Any real experience ?

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[pedaes]

Why the large print?

To answer question posed, it is not perfect. Look to APO-Summicron for perfect (technically).

[lct]

Depends how you envision boring and perfect. To me, perfection is boring per se 😱 Good example (for me) is the Summicron 50/2 apo. Counter-example is the Summicron 50/2 v1. V4/V5 are in between. Gentle enough for portraits at f/2. Sharp w/o harshness above. Only cons are flare when strong light sources are outside the frame, a bit of focus shift at around f/4 and some color fringing in high contrast situations. For better results technically, try a Summicron 50/2 apo or a Planar 50/2. Happy snaps 😃

Edited April 30 by lct

[Ecar]

1 hour ago, mottykytu said:

Some say it is good, some say it is the least character among PRE-ASPH SUmmicron 50mm

Both 'somes' are right.

[evikne]

Check out all the recent images in the Nifty Fifty thread that @robbie3 in particular has posted with this lens. There's lots of great inspiration.

Edited April 30 by evikne

[robbie3]

5 minutes ago, evikne said:

Check out all the recent images in the Nifty Fifty thread that @robbie3 in particular has posted with this lens. There's lots of great inspiration.

Thanks Ernst, you're too kind.

BTW I'm not sure if this is a genuine query or some clickbait post.

Anyway, I think it's a good lens with no nasty surprises, other than those mentioned by LCT above.

What it doesn't give is the instant character of say a pre-Asph Summilux but with the right light etc can still provide character:

Couple of photos I like below:

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[Roy Bigsby]

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I think the 50cron v5 is amazing. Some of my favourite shots ever were captured with this lens. I think it has great character when shot on film; in my experience, it shines particularly well with TMax 400 (two examples shown below). 

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[JoshuaR]

It's an awesome lens. I have a 50 Lux ASPH, and sometimes I think I prefer the rendering of the 50 Cron v5, along with the smaller size.

[TomB_tx]

I've always preferred the Summicron models. including the V5, as I think they image reality - not adding to or taking away from what I saw. Now I use the Summarit 50 2.5 more for its size and handling, but it seems to me like a Summicron Jr.

[raizans]

Bokeh can get harsh, it’s not what you’d call flare resistant, the pull-out hood is a little meh, and there’s no focusing tab, so…not my cuppa tea. You can take good photos with it…but that goes for all lenses. It’s not something I’d personally recommend, but if you have one and it’s going fine, there’s no reason to fix what ain’t broke. Another shopper might think it’s exactly what they’re looking for, of course.

Edited May 1 by raizans

[mottykytu]

1 hour ago, raizans said:

Bokeh can get harsh, it’s not what you’d call flare resistant, the pull-out hood is a little meh, and there’s no focusing tab, so…not my cuppa tea. You can take good photos with it…but that goes for all lenses. It’s not something I’d personally recommend, but if you have one and it’s going fine, there’s no reason to fix what ain’t broke. Another shopper might think it’s exactly what they’re looking for, of course.

You mean nothing special about it ?

[mottykytu]

9 hours ago, TomB_tx said:

I've always preferred the Summicron models. including the V5, as I think they image reality - not adding to or taking away from what I saw. Now I use the Summarit 50 2.5 more for its size and handling, but it seems to me like a Summicron Jr.

I would take that at very neutral and nothing special ?

[TomB_tx]

1 hour ago, mottykytu said:

I would take that at very neutral and nothing special ?

I would say that very neutral is very special!

[evikne]

I have been on the verge of replacing my 50mm Summilux pre-ASPH in favor of Summicron v5 several times. But each time I've changed my mind or been prevented (maybe it's fate intervening). If only I could afford to keep both, the problem would be solved.

[raizans]

5 hours ago, mottykytu said:

You mean nothing special about it ?

Not inherently. Whether a lens is special is a matter of a person’s relationship with it, and that can vary widely as you’ve already surmised.

[mottykytu]

5 hours ago, evikne said:

I have been on the verge of replacing my 50mm Summilux pre-ASPH in favor of Summicron v5 several times. But each time I've changed my mind or been prevented (maybe it's fate intervening). If only I could afford to keep both, the problem would be solved.

any reasons to do that? size does matter ?

[evikne]

10 minutes ago, mottykytu said:

any reasons to do that? size does matter ?

Yes, the Summicron is a tad shorter and a tad sharper. Sometimes this is tempting.

But all in all I'm very happy with my Summilux, and it also pairs very well with my 35mm Summilux pre-ASPH v2.

[jja]

I used to shoot the 50/2 v5 Summicron a lot on film, and my experience echoes Roy's.  The tonal gradation on b&w film is fantastic.  I sold two copies because I found it to be the most flare-prone of all my lenses.  It was replaced by a 50/1.4 v3 pre-asph., which was in turned replaced by the the 50/1.4 asph.  I love the asph. but should have probably kept the pre-asph.

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[Vanillasludge]

3 hours ago, jja said:

I used to shoot the 50/2 v5 Summicron a lot on film, and my experience echoes Roy's.  The tonal gradation on b&w film is fantastic.  I sold two copies because I found it to be the most flare-prone of all my lenses.  It was replaced by a 50/1.4 v3 pre-asph., which was in turned replaced by the the 50/1.4 asph.  I love the asph. but should have probably kept the pre-asph.

Yes, flare is the main fault.   Not the “In vogue golden orbs” kind, but the “ruin your shot loss of contrast” type.  
 

It’s a great lens for its era, but considering the price, they should at least update their coatings. 

[pippy]

15 hours ago, mottykytu said:

You mean nothing special about it ?

Leica hasn't changed the optical design of the current 'normal' 50 Summicron (aka v5) since 1979 because by that year's iteration (the v4) the performance of the lens had become so superb - so 'complete' - as an overall package that to improve the IQ by any significant margin would result in such a price hike which - they assumed - would be unacceptable even for their already well-heeled clientele.

In (circa) 2013, however, Leica did finally release a 50 Summicron with a newer optical design; the 50 f2 APO. This lens has a performance which 'betters' the v5 in studio-controlled tests (depending on which sources one trusts) from anywhere between 3% to 5.5% across and towards the edges and corners of the frame when used at f2.8 or above. Below f2.8?......do you really need to ask?

The price - here in the UK- for the 'regular' v5 Summicron is £2,200. The price for the APO in black-chrome is £6,600 (the Silver-Chrome version is more expensive).

As TomB says in post #13 the v4 / v5 Summicron lenses are very special indeed.

Philip.

Edited May 1 by pippy