wich 50 mm summilux you prefer??

M

monster

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Hi,

I fall in love with 50 mm focal lenght, now i'm use elmar 50 mm f/2.8 and have a good result but i want a brighter, faster lenes such summilux 50 mm f/1.4

could you help me choosing for best version of summilux.

Thanks a lot :)
 
Best, off course is what you define as best.
In my opinion the latest summilux asph. is the best.
Second best is probably the Nokton or the Zeiss zm 50.

Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
 
the latest pre-asph is my choice for outstanding bokeh, it's the E-46 version.

playin.jpg


poppies.jpg


1_4_trumpet.jpg


good luck,

Todd
 
Good pictures...I particularly like the third one.
I own a E43 version...like it a lot.
With a summilux and a elmar, I wish I have a summicron, ver 4, as well.
GAS problem? Maybe.
Cheerz
:) bm
 
Kalpana_798-vi.jpg


Which one? The one I have - not easy to justify buying 3 or 4 Summiluxes to find the one I like. Type 1 (E43) above shot on R-D1 - fabulous lens.

- John
 
Optically, the E43 and E46 are identical. The E46 focuses down to less than 0.7m (possibly as low as 0.65 m) vs 1m but mechanically the E43 focusing mount is more robust and I expect to never give way to play or wobble in the mount due to the difference in the helicoid design and better quality control with the earlier lenses from Wetzlar.
 
Optically the E43 2nd version and E46 3rd version pre-asph Luxs are the same. The advantage that the 3rd version has over the 2nd is the minimal focus distance of .7 m over the E43 2nd's 1 m. The slightly wider 3rd version protrudes more into the VF, though. I love these lenses; they are my favourite 50s. Accordingly, I think your decision has to be based on the minimum focussing distance and the built-in hood, as that is all that really seperates the two versions. I'd find the best price on a V2 or V3 and go with it....
 
tmfabian said:
pre-asph last version. it renders mighty pretty. I just despise that useless built in non-locking hood.
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That's why I didn't get that version, I have the version before which I like. However that one only focuses to 1M and it has quite a long focus throw. So I just got an ASPH version that I'm trying out and it focuses to 0.7M and has a short throw. It's nice to use but I haven't seen any results from it yet.
 
Can someone tell me how the size of the E46 pre-ASPH version compares to the current ASPH version?

I'm only interested in the length of protrusion from the camera body when mounted (with no filter or hood attached).

Is the ASPH any shorter?

THANKS
 
sleepyhead said:
Can someone tell me how the size of the E46 pre-ASPH version compares to the current ASPH version?

I'm only interested in the length of protrusion from the camera body when mounted (with no filter or hood attached).

Is the ASPH any shorter?

THANKS
Click to expand...

No experience with the E46 pre-asph (though I had the older E43 version); the asph. protrudes ever so slightly at infinity in the 50's frameline and at full extension it gets into the 75's framelines. I 'd say the protrusion is not terribly annoying and certainly not critical for any application but YMMV.
 
peter_n said:
Alkis you preferred the ASPH to the E43?
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Peter, I never warmed to the preasph. Summilux (NB I am talking about the older E43 version). At the time I had it along the Summicron Dr and the Planar ZM and the preasph was the one I preferred the least: soft corners (a nuisance if you want to put the subject at the edge of the frame), quite low contrast wide open and annoying 1m min focusing distance. Still, I carried it alongside for when I needed f1.4 (which was often). In the end I sold the lot of them to get the Summilux 50 Asph.

Having said all that, I am looking at the photos above and they are all great. Perhaps Leica revised the E46 later version, with modern coatings and such, at the same time as making possible the 0.7m min focusing distance, but what I see here is not what I remember from the early Summilux 50. (I find Todd's photo of the musician particularly striking, surely a testament of his ability as well as the lens' performance).

As for the Summilux 50 Asph., there's a long, long list of superlatives that come to mind but suffice it to say that if I had to have just one lens that would be it. And although street photography is not appropriate to illustrate the strengths of a lens, I think even there there's occasion where the Asph. shines for its uncanny ability to preserve tonality wide open and in very adverse lighting conditions.

Below, a couple of impromptu pics from yesterday. Summilux 50 Asph, TriX @ 1600, DDX 1+4.
 

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Alkis I think the E43 and E46 versions of the pre-ASPH are optically the same. There is the minimum focus difference and I have read that the coatings are better on the E46. Personally I like using my E43 and I actually got a 75/2 AA in part for the 0.7M focus. Anyway I'm trying out an ASPH so thanks for the rationale and especially for taking the trouble to post a couple of pics. I really like the rendering in the first one, that is just beautiful. It was actually posted pictures from Simon Larbalestier that got me interested in the 50 ASPH because I really liked some of the results he was getting from the lens.
 
Peter, thank you. Simon's photos are real gems and even if I feel he could be making them with any lens I am sure he 'll have many interesting things to say on how he finds in use the Asph.

Alkis I think the E43 and E46 versions of the pre-ASPH are optically the same. There is the minimum focus difference and I have read that the coatings are better on the E46.
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You are right, I just checked with the Leica Pocket book (doesn't mention anything about coating changes but if it was the case with the later Summilux 35 preasph. why shouldn't it be the case with the Summilux 50 preasph.).

I don't want to come across as saying that the E43 is not good, because that's not the case. But in comparison to the Summicron DR and the Planar it left me a bit cold. The Summilux 50 Asph just seemed on paper to combine the best of all possible worlds - speed and great wide open performance. If you like the Summicron 75 AA, you will definitely like the Summilux 50 Asph., they are not just similar in rendering but, if we believe Puts, the first is derived as a lens design from the latter.
 
I do like the 75AA so what I really need to do is get the 2 rolls I have taken with this tryout 50 developed. I will also keep tabs on your gallery Alkis! :)
 
The very first from 1959/1961.

The two preasherics have focus shift and distortion and are generally soft to f8.0. I tried a few and they were all the same.

The new one is superb if you got the money. Nothing can touch it
 
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