35mm lenses for Leica M2

[scautez]

Hi,

I recently acquired an M2 and looking at 35mm lenses. I saw a sale today for a new 35mm f2.4 summarit. I was wondering how this lens might compare to the 35mm f2 summicron and the Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lenses? I have not done much research on the summarits but seems reasonably priced.

Thanks,
Shane

 

[scautez]

Thanks for the advice. Yes, the summaron, the voigtlander and the zeiss have been on my radar. I have noticed the f2.8 summaron goes for a reasonable price these days. It is difficult to find one without the goggles for under $1000.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I would also take the SC 35mm Voigtlaender 1.4 over the Summarit.

What is wrong with this Summarit?

Erik.

 

[Mute-on]

You bought a Leica body, so why not buy a Leica lens?

I use a 35 2.8 Summaron on an M2 and the two together are sublime. I've never been disappointed with the image quality from the Summaron, and its build quality is unsurpassed.

I've not used a 35 Summarit, but if you want a more modern rendition then this would suit the M2 just as nicely.

Cheers

J 🙂

 

[Doug]

...It is difficult to find one without the goggles for under $1000.

Don't discount the value of the goggles! 🙂 I find the 35mm framelines hard to see all at once with my M2. The goggles squeeze a 35mm view into the 50mm framelines, making things much nicer! You can see what's happening around the outside. Bonus that the goggled Summaron costs less...
BTW, Summicrons and Summiluxes also came in goggled versions.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I have 2.5 earlier version. Went through couples of Color Skopars, Jupiters-12, Summarons and one Ultron.
Don't need any other 35, except getting second Summarit-M, maybe.

It is perfect on my M-E. Sharp, very sharp, lovely OOF areas. Colors are simply amazing.
On film it is simply superior to both version of Summaron. Sharper, more micro-contrast, more Leica. Every time I'm looking at darkroom prints from this lens it is amazing. Classic, yet sharp.

I wouldn't bother with any 35 Zeiss. They are refusing to make normal focus tabs, but rudiments.

And build, Summarit-M 35 is simply best lens I ever have, which feels extremely well in handling. 2.4 must be even better, if it is possible. 🙂 You know, every over RF lens I have feels "broken" after Summarit-M. The smoothness of focus is next to the silk on woman legs!

 

[SaveKodak]

For top notch performance at an affordable price I would absolutely consider the Zeiss offerings. The 35/2.8 Biogon is pretty much perfect at all apertures. If you're ok driving with a 2.8 there just isn't a situation in which it will let you down. The F2, which I currently use, is also great, a little bigger. Some people say it's a little soft at f2, but really it's just not bitingly sharp. I'm ok with that as I use the speed. It still resolves fine detail on film, and stopping it down of course is a big performance improver. The lack of distortion wonderful too. As for tabs, this does not bother me at all. There is a highly technical procedure known as turning the focusing ring with two-finders known among cultists the world over which works pretty well.

I would also consider the VM 35mm 1.7 Ultron. If I had to guess, it's better than the 2 biogon, but at the expense of more size and weight.

 

[brennanphotoguy]

Honestly all the offerings from the 3 big M mount manufacturers are really good. It's just personal preference on whether you want classic or modern rendering, how precise you need to be (1/3 or 1/2 or full apterture clicks), budget, etc. If it was me though, I'd hunt down a 35/2.8 Summaron without the goggles and use that. I know the models without the goggles run a premium but they are so nice. They look good, render beautifully, compact and sharp through all apertures.

 

[Daryl J.]

Disclaimer:
I use black and white film.
Rarely do I use color film.
I prefer art to science.

My experience:

35mm F3.5 Summaron: A great lens with a "vintage" or "classic" rendering that seems to give photographs a warm emotional appeal and pleasantness. It's an excellent lens for old-school general photography. Some of my favorite photographs have been taken with this lens. Don't hesitate to use a tripod and slower shutter speeds to make up for the slower aperture. Color is not this lens' strong point.

35mm F1.4 Nokton Classic SC: Another great lens with a signature very similar to old Summilux lenses. Highlights flare a bit. If one wants images that have a 1960's-70's photojournalistic feel, this is an excellent choice. Bokeh with difficult backgrounds is every bit as busy/boingy/bouncy as the old Summilux if not more so. Used prices make it a bargain.

35mm F2.5 Color Skopar PII: A great general purpose lens, no barrel distortion. Sharp and contrasty, easy to use, inexpensive and rugged. Beautiful out of focus areas. A great walk-about lens. Fumblefingered folk might find ergonomics tricky. But they will with most smaller lenses anyway and might be better served with a SLR.

35mm F2 Summicron ASPH: The one-size-fits-all 35mm lens from Leica that is great for color, b&w, film & digital. It excels at everything. Spendy. And it is utterly emotionless. I prefer it for photographing custom cars, restored aircraft, old trains, etc. I don't photograph my family with it. Ken Hansen described it as "the bees knees of 35mm lenses" and I tend to agree.

So what do I use the most? The slow Summaron and the Nokton.

So in skipping my notes above, a bit of opinion if I may: if starting out with a 35mm lens in M-mount, the new Summarit M is a great choice. It's a lens that one could easily love for an entire lifetime. And in time, as one gets a feel for things, add a lens here or there to compliment it with their respective strengths. It's a lens that does everything well. And that in and of itself is great.

 

[Erik van Straten]

What about the Ultrons, Daryl?

Don't you think that the Nokton 35 f/1.4 has too much barrel-distortion?

Erik.

 

[Waus]

Nobody mentioned the Canon L39 lenses? (1:2,8 /1:2/1:1,5)
Canon made some great 35mm lenses, I own the 35mm 1:2, which I really love!

So you see, there are a lot of options....

 

[Daryl J.]

Erik,

I would love to try the Ultrons! I wrote from an owner's perspective only. And an Ultron has yet to be rented/purchased.

Regarding the Nokton, I haven't had an issue with barrel distortions personally and from what I read there is some confusion as to its degree. Yes, it's there. I got mine because I haven't the budget for an older 35mm Summilux and actually think (this may be heresy) the Nokton Classic is a better lens in everything except perceived build quality and cachet.

Typically I'm walking around with an M4 with a 1.5/50 C Sonnar (I love that lens!!) and an M4-2 with the Voighty as a backup.

How do you like the Ultrons?

Regards,
Daryl

PS: I'd love to try a ltm Canon 35/2 as well.

 

[Erik van Straten]

How do you like the Ultrons?

I like them very much.

Leica M2, VC Ultron-M 35mm f/1.7, 400-2TMY.

Erik.

Leica M2, Ultron LTM 35mm f/1.7 (full aperture) Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Daryl J.]

I can sure see why you like it. Well done.

 

[jim0266]

For the money, the Zeiss 35/2.8 is an absolute gem. Sold my 35/2 ASPH after buying the C-Biogon. I'm not bothered by the lack of tab, YMMV.

The Summaron 2.8 is still a great lens. Very sharp. My copy flattens out against the light and is lower-contrast compared to modern lenses. Not as good in the corners as my other 35's.

Used a 35/2.4 Summarit for a week. This copy had some dried lube and was hard to focus when used vertically. It would stick. Very weird. Just needed new lube. On digital it had focus shift wide open which was annoying. On your M2 it will be no problem. The build is nice. In the Leica 35 slow stable this would be my pick, even over a 35/2 ASPH Cron.

The Color-Skopar 35/2.5 is a great little lens for the money. Plan to use it on my film M. 2nd everything Daryl J. said about this lens. Optically not as good as the Zeiss, but it would take digital so see the differences.

If you are in the U.S. you can rent the Zeiss 35/2.8 and Summarit from Lensrentals. Worth spending $70 to rent the Zeiss for a week as you might save hundreds over the Summarit. Lensrentals CEO's take on the C-Biogon: "It’s compact and sturdy, slightly smaller than it’s brother the Zeiss 35mm f/2, and very very sharp. A great alternative to the pricer Leica 35 lenses. If you don’t need the extra stop of the other Zeiss 35, this is definitely the best bang for your buck for Leica at 35mm."

 

[narsuitus]

35mm lenses for Leica M2

The Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 (lens on left) gave me the image quality I wanted, fit better with my shooting style, provided me with the light gathering I needed, and was compatible with my budget.


Zeiss 35mm by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[unixrevolution]

My 35 Color Skopar is a fine 35mm lens. very sharp and extremely compact. lately though ive been feeling the need for more speed and want the CV 35 1.4.

 

[scautez]

Thanks for all your advice. There are certainly a lot of options, and all have their own strengths. I am happy with f2.8 for general use so will look out for a summaron or the zeiss 35mm f2.8. I can buy the 35mm f2.4 summarit new for $1799 Australian, which is about $1295 USD. Seems a reasonable price. Or can get the 35mm f2.5 summarit for $1999 AUD.
I am still tempted by the 2.4 summarit 🙂

 

[scautez]

Erik, thank you for the pics using the Ultron. Is that the new or old version of that lens?

 

[unixrevolution]

Thanks for all your advice. There are certainly a lot of options, and all have their own strengths. I am happy with f2.8 for general use so will look out for a summaron or the zeiss 35mm f2.8. I can buy the 35mm f2.4 summarit new for $1799 Australian, which is about $1295 USD. Seems a reasonable price. Or can get the 35mm f2.5 summarit for $1999 AUD.
I am still tempted by the 2.4 summarit 🙂

Or you can get the Color Skopar 2.5 brand new in m-mount for less than a quarter of that.

It's sharp, distortion free, no focus shift. I love mine.