portocar
Member
I am looking for the 50mm that produces the best bokeh and neutral colors, specially skin colors. I am not necessarily looking for the lens that is considered razor sharp; but rather, the one that exhibits the Leica "magic" or "qualities". (whatever that is being called these days.)
Anyway I am trying to decide between the following:
1) 50mm summicron
2) 50mm summilux Pre-aspheric
3) 50mm summilux Aspheric
Thanks to all in advance!
Anyway I am trying to decide between the following:
1) 50mm summicron
2) 50mm summilux Pre-aspheric
3) 50mm summilux Aspheric
Thanks to all in advance!
Nachkebia
Well-known
50mm summilux Aspheric is the best 50mm of all time for all system 
summilux
Well-known
50 summilux asph.
clicker
Well-known
50 Summilux asph would be my choice.
akptc
Shoot first, think later
I wonder - what should one expect to pay for a used 50 summilux asph?
S
StuartR
Guest
Andy -- probably around 2000 USD. I bought mine from Tony Rose grey market for 2200 about a year ago. He sells them with 6bit coding for 2377 these days.
As for the original question -- I would agree with the rest. The 50/1.4 ASPH is the best 50mm lens. I also have a 50/2 and the 50/1.4 pre-ASPH and they are all superb lenses, but my opinion is that the 50/1.4 ASPH is the best. If you don't need the extra stop, then get the summicron. But in general, it is really hard to go wrong with a modern 50mm lens made for a rangefinder camera. The 50mm f/2 Zeiss Planar and Konica M-Hexanon are also extremely good lenses, as is the 50mm f/1.5 Nokton by voigtlander.
As for the original question -- I would agree with the rest. The 50/1.4 ASPH is the best 50mm lens. I also have a 50/2 and the 50/1.4 pre-ASPH and they are all superb lenses, but my opinion is that the 50/1.4 ASPH is the best. If you don't need the extra stop, then get the summicron. But in general, it is really hard to go wrong with a modern 50mm lens made for a rangefinder camera. The 50mm f/2 Zeiss Planar and Konica M-Hexanon are also extremely good lenses, as is the 50mm f/1.5 Nokton by voigtlander.
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Thanks Stuart. Btw, I just re-read this 2004 review of the 50/1.4 asph, very informative, also talks about the Nokton relative to the lux:
http://www.imx.nl/photosite/leica/mseries/SummiluxASPH/s14-50.html
http://www.imx.nl/photosite/leica/mseries/SummiluxASPH/s14-50.html
Nachkebia
Well-known
As Stuart said it is hard to go wrong with modern rangefinder lenses, I have zeiss 50mm f/2 planar and it is stellary perfectly amazing
harmsr
M5 Nut
50 Lux ASPH - without any doubt.
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
Leica magic or qualities? I think you're looking for the Dungeons and Dragons forum?
im(vvvvv)ho, any of the new Leica 50mm lenses will perform very well with the M8. Including the 1950's Canons and Nikon lenses.
im(vvvvv)ho, any of the new Leica 50mm lenses will perform very well with the M8. Including the 1950's Canons and Nikon lenses.
ywenz
Veteran
The Leica Summar or Summitar has the old school Leica glow.. "Literally" That would be the lens I want to try out, if I can get one..
pfogle
Well-known
I agree, except in that uncoated lenses (I had a 1935 Summar) can be a pain, as the contrast is soooo low you need to post-prod every shotywenz said:
In the end I went for a '50s Summicron collapsible, with a good coating. Not as sharp as the Nokton tho'... there's always something
Benjamin Marks
Veteran
I have been using the 50 'lux Asph on a n R-D1 have been very pleased with the results. I used to say that the 50 Summicron was the lens that they'd have to pry from my cold, dead fingers, but I gotta tell you. . . I buy precious little new equipment and I have never been happier with dollars spent on a new lens. It is quite astonishing.
Does anyone have a sense of how the Kodak chip in the M8 handles contrast compared to the R-D1? I know that Sean has made a case for using lower contrast lenses on the R-D1 to get as long a tonal scale as possible in RAW files.
Ben Marks
Does anyone have a sense of how the Kodak chip in the M8 handles contrast compared to the R-D1? I know that Sean has made a case for using lower contrast lenses on the R-D1 to get as long a tonal scale as possible in RAW files.
Ben Marks