Leica LTM Help Me Choose one of these 50mm Lenses

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
denizg7

denizg7

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Hi guys,

I need a 50mm lens and KEH is having a sale and I am in a pickle between these two..50mm 3.5 Elmar and a 50mm 2.0 Summitar

http://www.keh.com/camera/Leica-Screwmount-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses/1/sku-LS069990850500?r=FE

http://www.keh.com/camera/Leica-Screwmount-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses/1/sku-LS06999049641Z?r=FE

Now I love how compact the elmar gets when collapsed and the summitar is compact enough , and I am not really looking for clinical sharp images.

One of the most important things for me is the focusing tab on these..

I recently got a 35mm summilux and it kinda needs greasing and my repair shop said it would cost 250 , so I said why not a new lens for now..
 
Get either. You will buy the other one eventually (I have both). If it was my money, I'd go for the Elmar first for no other reason than because there's no mention of any mechanical problem. And if you ever need to lube an Elmar focus helical, you can do it yourself at no risk. 😉
Or if you want to save a few bux, buy the Summitar and get a Russian Elmar.
 
funkydog said:
Get either. You will buy the other one eventually (I have both). If it was my money, I'd go for the Elmar first for no other reason than because there's no mention of any mechanical problem. And if you ever need to lube an Elmar focus helical, you can do it yourself at no risk. 😉
Or if you want to save a few bux, buy the Summitar and get a Russian Elmar.
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I think this is excellent advice. I got the Elmar first and really like the lens; I find it sharp and contrasty enough to give pleasant renderings. Of course you have to be sure that you get a coated version--from something like 1946 on. I don't see any info on that in KEH's listing.
 
ray*j*gun said:
Also, $250 is far too much for lubing any lens. I paid that much to have my Hassey 80 completely CLA'd which is a much more difficult job.
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Yeah I was puzzled too. But they said they would clean out the helicoid completely and re apply new grease..

At the same time I really want a 50mm lens for street shooting..
 
I guess one of my last questions is which lens was considered better when both were released? I know that when the summicron first got out , it was the reference lens and was supposedly the lens to get... Any old old timers know??
 
Benjamin Marks said:
Let me vote for the Summitar. It is a predecessor to the Summcron and has a great look for portraits. Look for the thread "Summitar the Star" here on RFF
[http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65248]

The Elmar is really tiny, but both lenses are small.

Ben
Click to expand...

thanks for the reference thread. Really liking some of the pictures, I hope focus shift is not a problem with these lenses otherwise I like the softness and the smooth bokeh on the backround...
 
denizg7 said:
thanks for the reference thread. Really liking some of the pictures, I hope focus shift is not a problem with these lenses otherwise I like the softness and the smooth bokeh on the backround...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry too much about focus shift with f/3.5 and f/2 lenses. If they shift a little, you learn it and take it into account when you're focusing. 🙂
 
denizg7 said:
hmm this is the hardest inexpensive choice ever...
Click to expand...

Just a couple of other comments for you to contemplate . . .

1. Have you considered the fact that the Elmar is far more resistant to glare than the Summitar? Ken Rockwell: "I don't find a hood necessary, even with the early uncoated lenses. If the sun's shining into your lens, use your hand to shield it."

2. When you are ready to buy you might inquire with Youxin Ye. He will sell you a CLAed lens for a reasonable price.

Best of luck!
 
^^ Don't ever believe Ken Rockwell on stuff like this. Any lens benefits from a hood, and shielding the lens of a RF with your hand is unwise because:
  • you will never know if your hand is causing vignetting since you don't see through the lens
  • lower shutter speeds will cause shaken shots since you only have one hand to steady the camera
This obviously is an advice that flies for shooting a high-ISO Nikon DSLR with fast enough shutter speed, but not a rangefinder camera. It's a layman advice! 😀
 
ray*j*gun said:
Also, $250 is far too much for lubing any lens. I paid that much to have my Hassey 80 completely CLA'd which is a much more difficult job.
Click to expand...
I agree with that. A decent lens CLA is usually less than $100, I've paid as little as $40 on simple lenses. Anyone charging $250 is ... well charging too much.
 
That said, if you want to buy a new lens, the Elmar would be my choice, but I'd look for one in very good condition and coated (no significant glass issues). I just marvel at what a good lens the Elmar is for its simplicity of design and compact nature so long as the slow speed is acceptable.
 
You should be aware of the fact, that changing the aperture on the Elmar is a fiddly task. They are both pretty compact when collapsed. I know many like the Summitar but i would rather get a collapsible Summicron if I were going the f2 route - better lens imo and not really more expensive lately, as there seems a Summitar hype going on. In all cases it will be tough to get an unscratched sample - in the pictures you will notice the scratches least with the Elmar though (smaller front element). The Industar-22 is indeed a lens to consider before you spend on an Elmar. IQ is not worse and they have better coatings, so it's easier to find them with clean glass - not as well built as an Elmar of course, but you could just buy about 20 of them for the price of one Elmar, keep the best one and sell the rest 🙂
 
Get the Summitar.. it will match with your Summilux 35 pre better. I use both.. (It says aperture ring stiff: Almost all my collapsibles used to have stiff apertures when I bought. It's easy to make them move smoothly. If you buy it then PM me for the remedy..)

As for the helicoid lubrication of the 35 Summilux for $250: Is he lubricating a truck?? I did it with some of my rangefinder lenses and it never took more than a quarter..
 
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