Leica M 35mm APO Summicron Magic?

[spersky]

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I have been shooting with the Leica M 35mm APO summicron for about 4 weeks.  This is a relatively new lens to my lineup.  I am not seeing the "Leica Magic" in my photos.  The Bokeh is nice and has perfect fade into the out of focus areas.  It's almost too linear. I do not pixel peep so the 300 percent critical sharpness is not important to me.  Micro contrast is great and the foreground subject really pops,  but then the linearity of the Bokeh disappoints. I do not say "wow" when I see the photos in my gallery compared to my other older Leica lenses.   I might prefer the character of the Summilux 35 ASPH instead.  I have yet to try the Steel Rim reissue,  but I plan too.

This might have been an expensive mistake.  I will working at it. 

 

 

 

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[W124]

I would appreciate an example 👍

Edited September 6 by W124

[spersky]

This may not be a great example of what I am talking about,  but I really like this photo. 

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Edited September 6 by spersky

[evikne]

What's not to like with these pictures? I think they look great, and if I could afford it I would love to have such a lens.

It is, of course, the complete opposite of a Steel Rim. But both are great in their own way.

[didier]

I use both the APO 35 and the SR reedition. 

Depending on my goal, I love the both. 

The APO is combining amazing (really amazing) sharpness and clarity with smoothness (particularly the bokeh as you wrote).
The SR reedition has a great highlight rendering and, in my view, a wonderful OOF area as well. Truly great in B&W, and with color film. I don’t use it @1.4 but it shines @2

 

But the way, I like your 2 pics, really !

[spersky]

Thank you

I will keep at it.  My plan is the 35mm APO on my M11-P and the Steel Rim on my Leica MP.   The Bokeh is something I will get used too on the APO 35mm (its so clean).  Here is example of the close-focus and biting sharp contrast and clarity using the APO.  I also really need to practice with the 35mm focal length in general. I have been mainly a 50mm photographer in the past.

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Edited September 6 by spersky

[jakontil]

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Honestly the most reason why i probably use the 35 apo is because of its closer focusing distance.. otherwise i’d prefer the 35 lux FLE II or even the 35 lux SR which im a fan of due to its compact size and heft

but of course adding a lens will always preferred.. though when im out and shoot, would only carry one

[GFW2-SCUSA]

Looking at the second picture, the man seated, I see a perfect picture. Sharp, crisp, colors wonderful. I see why people buy the APO 35. I also see why some feel it is too perfect which seems like an odd statement to me. It is a magnificent lens. That being said, I am not going to get one. I find it just too perfect for my taste. Were I in your shoes and had one, I would hang on to it, there are time when it would be the right lens. You can always put a thumb print on the lens if you want it a bit softer! 

[LocalHero1953]

13 hours ago, spersky said:

I have been shooting with the Leica M 35mm APO summicron for about 4 weeks.  This is a relatively new lens to my lineup.  I am not seeing the "Leica Magic" in my photos.

You just haven't had it long enough. In a couple of years' time you will buy a new lens and post here "I wish this new lens gave me the same magic as my old Apo Summicron".

😉

[costa43]

Nice pics. This is the only lens that gave me buyers remorse when I bought it so I sold it. A decision I still regret to this day, I just wasn’t ready for it I guess.

I own the pre-ASPH v2 which is the total opposite of this lens. With that lens, aperture becomes a more important decision in the imaging process. It makes you think all the time as it has a different visual signature at wider apertures. On the other hand, this lens is flawless across the board so you focus on the scene only and whether you need/want more or less depth of field. Something that I now find very appealing too as it simplifies the shooting experience even more and takes away yet another decision, a good thing for me. The two are a perfect pair. Maybe I will buy it again, but first, I must see the Noctilux. 

Edited September 7 by costa43

[spersky]

1 hour ago, costa43 said:

Nice pics. This is the only lens that gave me buyers remorse when I bought it so I sold it. A decision I still regret to this day, I just wasn’t ready for it I guess.

I did not have buyers remorse as such,  but I understand.  I definitely did not want to fall into that trap and sell the lens only to regret it later. That was such my concern that I decided to post this thread to see if some discussion could help alleviate or my concerns.

Edited September 7 by spersky

[costa43]

15 minutes ago, spersky said:

I did not have buyers remorse as such,  but I understand.  I definitely did not want to fall into that trap and sell the lens only to regret it later. That was such my concern that I decided to post this thread to see if some discussion could help alleviate or my concerns.

My buyers remorse had nothing to do with the quality of the lens, in my eyes, it’s fantastic and a real engineering feat to have something that high performing and that small. It had more to do with me not dealing very well with the fact that I was using ‘inferior’ lenses just as much, if not more than it. Now I can accept the fact that I can have expensive gear on the shelf for the times I wish to use it and it’s ok not to use it if you do not feel the need to. So it’s gone full circle to sellers remorse 😀

[Kiwimac]

The best one lens setup there is in my view is the 35 Apo Summicron on an M body. 
 

I loved it and I kick myself several times a day for ever selling it. 
 

I’ve got the 50 Apo which is equally excellent but I feel I’ve got insufficient breathing room when composing. 
 

As someone who grew up in the era when SLRs generally came with 50 mm lenses, I spent a fair while (at least 5 years )shooting with only a 50 and I thought I’d soon be happy again when I got the Apo 50. 
 

I’ve actually been very surprised at how tight it’s felt when composing. 

We’re all different. You won’t have any trouble selling that lens on if it’s not your thing. 

[lct]

3 hours ago, LocalHero1953 said:

You just haven't had it long enough. In a couple of years' time you will buy a new lens and post here "I wish this new lens gave me the same magic as my old Apo Summicron".

😉

Exactly what i hoped when i bought my Summicron 50/2 apo 10 years ago but the lens is still gathering dust, more or less, in a drawer. In the meantime i bougth a pristine Summicron 50/2 DR that i can hardly unstick from my M11. When i see how little i use my Summilux FLE 50 & 35 i'm (almost) convinced that i prefer character lenses definitely.  FWIW.

[darylgo]

I don't have the 35 Apo but I do have the 50 Apo and it sits unused for years for it's extremely high contrast and secondarily it's sharpness.  It has been a great teaching lens for me despite shooting landscape where sharpness is particularly well suited.  My preferred lens is the 50 Summilux Asph for 1.4 use in low light and it's lower contrast.  There are times when contrast is very low and the Apo lens would give an improved starting point for post processing.  Over the past few years experimenting with filters it is possible to lower resolution, more difficult to lower contrast.  As @GFW2-SCUSA suggests a simple thumb print is a good starting point, although it would be extremely disconcerting and perhaps impossible for me on such an expensive front element.  But, a nice filter works well.  A stocking over the lens and Vaseline are old time alternatives.  More modern alternatives can be found, but in the end the lens/camera is secondary to lighting.  

[Tseg]

I was out with the 35 APO Summicron yesterday.  It definitely has a certain modern "look" about it.  Either it resonates with you or does not.  I happen to like it.

M11-D

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[spersky]

On 9/12/2025 at 11:01 AM, Tseg said:

I was out with the 35 APO Summicron yesterday.  It definitely has a certain modern "look" about it.  Either it resonates with you or does not.  I happen to like it.

Oh yeah, It is growing on me.  I just needed more time with it.