Do you prefer older leica lenses or the new asph?

[shadowfox]

Voila.

Because 50 DR has such low to medium contrast, I can easily tune the picture into high contrast with a lot of details. I love that.

Agree with that.
It seems for the type of photographs that we seem to gravitate to, older lenses would serve us better.
I currently use an ASPH "modern lens" and I'm waiting for an old Summilux 35 pre-ASPH to come along.

+1 on excellent "moody" street shots.

 

[slight]

A big thanks to who liked my photos.

Now that the discussion is heating up, I'd like to share with you a bokeh battle between 35 summilux asph and pre-asph versions. Though it's mainly focused on bokeh, you can easily see the differences of the two lenses' performances as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FGd-hjl50c

That kid talked a lot and kept on commenting. You might want to just shut him up by turning the volume down and judge the two lenses by yourself.

 

[RichardB]

You don't want to get into the subjective side of photography but yet you make the very subjective statement that you "only want to operate with the best that there is in equiptment". You must mean the "best" in your opinion? Although I can't even imagine what the "best" means when it comes to photography equiptment. I've see some really impressive photos take with a cell phone. Are they the "best" too? Many older lenses were considered the best in their day. The latest offerings are just the newer best. Chasing the best in photography equiptment is like chasing the horizon, the closer you get, the more it recedes. Use what you like and what works. And...Slight I really like your photos especially #1.

Interpret the graphs and information suppplied by the manufacturer or objective tests by qualified reviewers using objective criteria that one can quantify. That and only that can determine the 'best'. All the rest is subjective and in the mind of the beholder.
The current Leica M ASPH lenses are not only the 'best' when objective optical criteria are used but are also the best mechanical designs, construction, Quality Control and Support on the market.
For 35mm rangefinder photography, there is none better. I have been using Leica M equipment since the late 1960's and see no reason to change at this point because no manufacturer has achieved the level of performance of the Leica.-Dick
EOT for me.

 

[morback]

I never understood the quest for yet higher contrast in these digital times. Contrast is just a S curve away.

At any rate, the Planar failed to touch me, but the 1st Summicron is a delight. I think I like it even more than my C-Sonnar. The C-Sonnar feels very cartoony in color to me now.

The 1st Summicron has a warmth in color and analog texture that is in stark contrast to the aspherical stuff I've seen. To be fair, most aspherical pictures I've seen come on the equally cold and overly perfect digital bodies.

I'm glad I got to discover it. Now, if only my SOOKY-M would come out of the international mail vortex, I'd be an almost happy camper.

Too many words in this thread, not enough pictures:

I wish there would be a modern version of this lens. Shorter throw, better standard min focus. The small things.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

FWIW, I can't afford the new ones and don't need them for my 5" x 7" prints. And the thought of carrying a tripod around to get the last ounce out of them is worrying.

Regards, David

 

[Livesteamer]

Yes and No. I use my old 35 Summilux much more than my asph version of it but my 50 Lux asph and my 28 Summicron are priceless. I would never sell them and they are my first choice by far. Joe

 

[slight]

morback, you forgot to specify with which lens you took the pictures. they look very good. is it the 1st summicron 50? Funny my own 1st cron 50 wasn't a thrill at all and I ended up selling it out quite cheap. Maybe it's the fog.

 

[Paul Luscher]

I got no preferences. I DO know that if I have, for example, a perfectly fine pre-ASPH 35mm Summicron, I am not going to rush out and buy the latest ASPH model. My pocketbook speaks very loudly on those occasions.

 

[morback]

morback, you forgot to specify with which lens you took the pictures. they look very good. is it the 1st summicron 50? Funny my own 1st cron 50 wasn't a thrill at all and I ended up selling it out quite cheap. Maybe it's the fog.

Yes, it's the 1st summicron, collapsable. I assumed it was clear I was illustrating my comments. I've read a lot of negative stuff about it, soft wide open, horrid "bokeh" and so on. I've not observed any of it. Even wide open is works beautifully (the last shot is wide open I believe). We all look for and see something I else I guess.

 

[slight]

Morback, your sample of 1st v cron is very, very impressive. This makes me want to buy one clean sample myself. But M mount is very rare for this specific lens. that's a trouble.

 

[jsrockit]

I'm not sure which I prefer, but I know which I can afford more easily...

 

[Calzone]

I like the old glass for B&W, and I like the character/signatures.

My 50 Rigid Version 1 wide open and stopped down one stop displays soft corners, very low contrast, smooth OOF and has wonderful bokeh. If it focused to 0.7 meter IMHO it would be the bokeh king. BTW stopped down this lens is very sharp also.

My most modern Leica glass is a 35 Cron V.4 and a 75 Lux V.2 but I'm still interested in a 28 Cron ASPH.

Cal

 

[Charlie Lemay]

Objectivity is an illussion, or should I say an assumption we make that others agree with. Everything is subjective. Read David Eagleman's new book, "Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain," to see just how non-objective things actually can be. the scientific comparisons sited assume sharpness, higher micro contrast and flare resistance are all superior measurable traits. Some people think that when all the aberations have been eliminated,, the "personality" of the lens disapears and we are left with "just the facts." The latest issue of LFI compares a number of 50mm lenses, new and old, to determine if the Summicron design needs to be updated. In the process the 50 DR is trounced by everything else based on the criteria I mentioned above. In my own experience, this lens is my favorite 50mm and I use it on film and digital with results that are much better on all counts than Leica's test images. For me it's about the unique way a lens sees liight and the images that are possible thanks to that " personality."