50/2 - Summicron or Zeiss ZM?

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olycoly

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Hi All,

I have just turned my back on digital and purchased a 1986 Wetzlar made M6 Chrome Classic in very good condition for £650, hope thats a good price! I now need a lens to go with it. I have decided on a 50/2 but cannot decide between a used Summicron or a new Zeiss ZM. Has anyone used both lenses?

Any advice you good leica folks can give would be highly appreciated!
 
Hello olycoly and welcome to the forum! I should think the price you got your M6 is a very, very good one for the UK market - but it all has to do also with the condition of the camera. Both lenses are stellar, you really can't go wrong. From my experience (with the old rigid Summicron and the Planar) the former is lower contrast (newer versions are contrastier), ultra-sharp with creamy bokeh. The Planar is more three-dimensional, with warm colours, ultra-sharp but with a tad harsher bokeh. The Summicrons feel more substantial in terms of built but the Planar has very convenient 1/3 stops and it stops down to f22 (I believe no Summicron 50mm does that). It's way to early to compare the resale value, just because the sample base of used Planars is very small for the time being. My suspicion (and just that) is that Summicrons will always sell fo more.

It's not an easy choice, and you may find yourself succumbing to both. But, as I said, you cannot go wrong with whichever one you choose.
 
Welcome on the forum. From experience I would say that the Summicron is more fitting for the camera, but in practice it would be hard to tell the difference. But why not start with a 35 (preferably a Summilux) and later add a 90 to it? That is the clasic Leica combo.
 
The obvious just occured to me - here are a couple of links that may help you see what's it all about:

Rigid Summicron

http://www.flickr.com/photos/telenous/tags/summicron/

and

Zeiss Planar ZM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/telenous/tags/zm/

If you look long and hard you will see differences between the two lenses - I tend to associate with them the characteristics I mentioned earlier. But it would hardly be a surprise if on a blind testing someone wasn't able to tell the two lenses apart.
 
To compare apples to apples, compare a modern summicron, starting with the tabbed Canadian and on up, to the modern ZM.
 
Nick's right of course - later Summicrons are recomputed optical formulas and give to photos a more contemporary look (contrastier I believe).
 
Glad to have helped Olycoly, others have done the same for me in this forum. May I also suggest that you wait a bit to see what other experienced users have to say on this thread - Nick was right, both my Summicron and my Summilux are from the 60's and they do not display what Leica has to offer today.

I 've seen the old Summilux from the 60's like mine go for about £400-£500 on the bay, sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more, depends on condition and your patience for a bargain. It is the most affordable f1.4 lens in the Leica range and it is about the same money as a new Planar and a good condition Summicron. The Summilux may get you the shot where the other two lenses cannot but that's not something that happens as often as one may think.

So, here are some photos with the old Summilux:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/telenous/tags/summilux/

May I add, my personal favourite is the rigid Summicron - but that's just because I love the low contrast pictures it makes. And let's face it: when we join this forum we all end up with much more lenses than we need (or even afford).
 
I have just been offered a 1988 Leitz Canada made 50/2 Summicron in mint condition for £320, seems like a good bargin. As Telenous said maybe a newer Summicron will out perform this one.

More to think about!
 
You are correct - the configuration did not change for decades. The lens was recalculated several times and there were changes in coating, but indeed it would be very hard to see any difference between photos from a 1974 and a 2004 one.The newest version, however seems to be the "best ever" according to Leica, but indeed not ASPH.
 
Last edited:
Another option for a modern 50mm is the collapsible elmar-m, latest version.
Its a 2.8 and not a 2.0 lens, however it is just as sharp and has slightly less contrast than the current summicron. I've used both and prefer the size and imagery of the elmar, especially with color film.
A black elmar would look mighty fine on your chrome Wetzler m6!
 
Olycoly, if you can buy that 1988 Summicron for 320 pounds, buy it if it's as clean as you say it is. That version is the tabbed Summicron and is more coveted because of it's compactness, tab and the ability to take a clip-on hood. The ZM Planar maybe only a hair less sharp wide open but is probably more flare resistant with the T* coating. You can always sell the Summicron later on for what you paid for it on this forum or photo.net but I doubt the same is applies to the ZM Planar from what I've seen so far.
 
A used lens will hold more of it`s purchase value compared to a new full retail lens. Works just like cars.

The 1988 lens is the same optical formula as current. You may or may not like the focus tab, but keep in mind there is little or no other gripable area.

I would get a Elmar if I did not F2.0.

Shine a small penlight thru any lens from both ends and look for debris or haze. Any haze at all will degrade tone reproduction / contrast reguardless of what anyone tells you. Sharpness not so much until it gets bad.
 
olycoly said:
I have just been offered a 1988 Leitz Canada made 50/2 Summicron in mint condition for £320, seems like a good bargin. As Telenous said maybe a newer Summicron will out perform this one.

More to think about!
Click to expand...

Olycoly - I bought a mint Leitz Canada 50/2 Summicron last year for about the same price you are being offered. Here is a link to some pics I have taken with it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/cron50v5/

Alkis - Those 'lux photos of yours are very nice. That lens may have jumped to the top of my wish list.

Robert
 
love my zeiss!

love my zeiss!

Hello, I have done a bunch of testing and REALLY like the planar. contrasty, solid and smooth and... CHEAP! respectively. At least against the newer crons.

I have to say though, either is a good choice. I myself have the zeiss 50 & 35 and plan to get the 25 soon.

good luck!


olycoly said:
Hi All,

I have just turned my back on digital and purchased a 1986 Wetzlar made M6 Chrome Classic in very good condition for £650, hope thats a good price! I now need a lens to go with it. I have decided on a 50/2 but cannot decide between a used Summicron or a new Zeiss ZM. Has anyone used both lenses?

Any advice you good leica folks can give would be highly appreciated!
Click to expand...
 
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