Catching up with Summilux-M 50/1.4 ASPH

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Embarrassing to admit but I'm only just getting round to using the Summilux-M 50/1.4 ASPH that I bought new soon after it came out (serial no. starts 405-). Possibly ten years ago or more! Bearing in mind film use only are there any quirks at all of this design I should be aware of such as character at different apertures and more especially operational constraints such as focus shift? I had a feeling I read somewhere of some problems with early examples but have no recollection what they were. As I can't 'chimp' my film shots it would be good to be forewarned! I am really looking forward to using this lens.

And out of curiosity looking ahead, any limitations on earlier or later digital M-series?

Thank you

Tom
 
Thank you, Ronald M.

I thought as much but any wisdom on the early examples aspect — from you or anyone? Thank you.
 
I have a 50/1.4 ASPH from a similar serial range as yours - mine was manufactured in 2004 - the year this lens was introduced.

The design of this lens has not changed since its introduction. It does not display problems with focus shift, which is a design issue, not an adjustment issue. I have never owned a Leica M or lenses that did not need periodic calibration for good focus. Because the 50/1.4 ASPH was the first of the newest generation of Leica M lenses with an aspherical element and a floating element, it is very well corrected and sharp close up, even wide open. So any lack of focus calibration was evident. This led to many early claims, mostly involving cameras that had not been worked on for a long time, sometimes decades. This is not focus shift - that occurs when the focus point changes as the lens stops down. All lenses have focus shift, but it becomes a problem with lenses in which focus shifts more than the depth of field increases. When that happens a lens that focuses well wide open might appear soft in an intermediate f stop range before getting sharp again as depth of field catches up with the focus point (typically at f5.6 or thereabouts). This also is typically is worse close up, from MFD to ~3m. The f1 Noctilux and the 75 Summilux have a lot of focus shift. The 50/1.4 ASPH does not.

The 50/1.4 ASPH resolves better and more consistently and has a flatter field than any Leica 50 apart from the 50/2 APO ASPH. It handles well and doesn't get in the way. It can flare if provoked, but this is a characteristic of well corrected lenses.

Look at B. Toews photos made with the 50/1.4 ASPH in this thread: https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2817785 They are amazing, right?

Now go forth and use, then show us what you get.

Marty
 
Marty,

Thanks for your account of the early history of the lens. I know that focus shift is a design issue and not an adjustment issue and I suspect that my doubts came about as a result of vague wording and use of terminology in the posts I read at some point about those early units.

I have followed your link to the thread with Brendan's black and white shots and agree they are marvellous. He has not only used my favourite two films, Ilford FP4 and HP5, but more importantly shot pictures that work so well and leave such an impression on me that it wouldn't have mattered had he used a second or third rate lens (except for the resulting coma and flare that would have arisen as they were night shots with point light sources).

Actually, I hardly dare say it but as it's not pointed at individuals I think I can get away with it — there are not that many pictures in the forum that leave any impression on me, because often they seem to have been taken just to get proof of some technical ability of the lens but are not of things you would stop to give a second glance to in real life: I am thinking mostly of examples of street photography here — reportage of nothing that looks interesting to report. Harsh, and I know I don't post my own photos. In part that is because most of my subjects over the years have been children that I work with and whom I am encouraged by their parents or the school to photograph, to use for displays, school theatre, magazine, website etc and give or sell to the parents as mementos. It's not so certain that they would welcome my posting the results publicly!

I'll go through some portfolios when I have a chance and see if I can find a few shots that were taken in other contexts. The nearest thing I have to Brendan's style was taken with a Noct-Nikkor and Fujichrome film and is a favourite colour picture of mine. Why did I ever sell that lens? Unforgiveable. But Brendan's Summilux ASPH contributions show that I have all the kit I need and more to get on with it...

Thanks again,
Tom
 
Ronald M said:
Works nicely on M10 and M10R. You will not be disappointed. Never tried on M8.
Click to expand...

That's good to know, Ronald. I'm not likely to be buying one but you never know... the over-provision of buttons and menus in the otherwise excellent Fujifilm X-Pro 2 that I use is beginning to get me down. However the colour results are very very nice and for black and white, well that's when I use my 35mm Ms.

Tom
 
I do not own this lens, but I have seen that the 50mm APSH Summilux renders specular highlights in a strange, distracting and - for my money - very ugly way between about ƒ/2 and ƒ/5.6.
 
Loved it on a Fuji x pro 3 with an adapter and focus peaking , really special rendering ;

Just started using it on an M10 R and loving it!
 
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