75mm Summarit vs. 75mm Color-Heliar

[kemal_mumcu]

I've had mine for 2 years now. The aperture ring went in the first couple months and had to be sent to Solms for repair. It has been good since. I've often wondered if it focus shifts but when I set it up with some charts it behaved...it just goes to show me that the longer the focal length the more accurate the focussing needs to be. Human error on my part. Its a great day walk-about lens that delivers wide open when you need it to be. This lens stunned me the first roll I shot...never have I shot with something so sharp. Yes I can use a fifty buy 75mm is a nice perspective with a touch of compression and so I prefer the look and touch a 75 can bring to a picture even if a 50 is more practical.

Sorry to the OP, I've never shot with a VC 75. They are probably good too.

 

[semilog]

The Summarit will have vastly better build quality than the Heliar.

Suuuure it will (see post immediately above). [Edit: and immediately below.]

I've owned my share of modern Leica glass and the Heliar that I recently obtained is right in there with the Leica stuff. I've also handled both lenses and I find your assertion... unpersuasive. I would believe that the optical cell in the Summarit is more accurately centered; for the price, it had better be.

With respect to performance, I'll start by saying that Sean Reid's three reviews of M-mount 75's are by themselves worth the subscription price for his site, and were what persuaded me to -- without reservations -- purchase a Heliar. I agree with Reid's and Tom A.'s positive assessments. My Heliar sample is so sharp that it excites aliases out to the edges of the frame on the X-Pro1. That's wide open. It is a stunningly competent little lens, especially given that I paid under $300 for it 😀.

The Summarit is by all accounts even a bit better optically, at least wide open, but with significant weight, size, and (especially) price penalties. Unfortunately the Summicron is probably not the strongest lens in the current Leica stable...

 

[john_s]

My new Summarit 75/2.5 had to be returned because the aperture ring was disengaged. The replacement is excellent.