35mm vintage and modern lenses with M9

[viboons]

The Version 1 8 element Summicron is one of my favorite lenses. It is very well behaved and meets the description of your needs very well. I would not call it low contrast, but very natural contrast, without the zingy look of the 6 element, or some other later Leica lenses. Still, its performance is more like the version 4 than you'd expect.

My own experience is that there is more variation in these 8 element lenses than in other Leica lenses, so getting to compare several is an ideal situation. All I've used are similar stopped down, but some were noticeably better at full aperture. They are also prone to some easily cleaned haze on an inner lens surface.

After saying all of that, I still think the 35 Summilux (pre-aspheric) would be at least as good a choice. Full aperture is not all that great, but usable and often interesting. At f2 it is a touch better than the pre-aspheric Summicrons, especially in regards to vignetting. From f2 on it is up to individual preference, but the Summilux and 8 element are very comparable. Size is great, price is often less than the 8 element Summicron, and resale value has held well. I've not tried as many of these as the Summicrons, but my impression is that they are very consistent in performance.

I only can have a chance to try before buy only one 35 lux pre asph # 26xxxxx. Would the later one #32xxxxx be a better lens because of later make? But this one I have to buy first try later. I also like the vintage leica look of the image I took with 50 lux pre asph, inherited from my father in law. May the 35 lux pre asph do the similar look?

 

[Mark C]

Some people believe very late versions might be slightly better, but I think Leica says they are not changed. Mine is 28xx... and the others I've tried are in a range around that and the one you can try. The build quality is certainly very nice on the ones I've seen, and performance seems very consistent between samples. I guess the later one might be of interest if the price is similar, but being able to try the earlier one and compare it the the 8 element Summicron would be very tempting. Others here will probably have more experience with Summiluxes over the production time.

I do want to say that at 1.4 there is no comparison between the 35 and 50. The 50 Summilux is a stunningly good performer at 1.4. Mandler seems to have accomplished this by allowing for more than normal curvature of field. I'm still learning the quirks of the 35 Summilux at 1.4, but I can be soft, glowy, and prone to ring flare at full aperture. It seems softer at close distances, and sometimes seems quite respectably sharp at moderate distances. The up close softness is often not an issue since the subject is larger then. Apertures of f2 and smaller seem to me so far to be free from quirks.

The look of the 35 Summilux images can be very nice an unique. There is a thread of those images here and it is well worth looking at.

 

[viboons]

Some people believe very late versions might be slightly better, but I think Leica says they are not changed. Mine is 28xx... and the others I've tried are in a range around that and the one you can try. The build quality is certainly very nice on the ones I've seen, and performance seems very consistent between samples. I guess the later one might be of interest if the price is similar, but being able to try the earlier one and compare it the the 8 element Summicron would be very tempting. Others here will probably have more experience with Summiluxes over the production time.

I do want to say that at 1.4 there is no comparison between the 35 and 50. The 50 Summilux is a stunningly good performer at 1.4. Mandler seems to have accomplished this by allowing for more than normal curvature of field. I'm still learning the quirks of the 35 Summilux at 1.4, but I can be soft, glowy, and prone to ring flare at full aperture. It seems softer at close distances, and sometimes seems quite respectably sharp at moderate distances. The up close softness is often not an issue since the subject is larger then. Apertures of f2 and smaller seem to me so far to be free from quirks.

The look of the 35 Summilux images can be very nice an unique. There is a thread of those images here and it is well worth looking at.

Thanks Mark C for your helpful information. I have been viewing the 35 lux pre asph photo post for some time and like the look create by this lens.