[New test photos released] Leica Summicron 35/2 Eight Element copy made in China

[taemo]

How do you find using it on the M3 without framelines? Are you using an external finder or just estimating your framing?

I've been following this thread closely since I learned about this lens ~2 months ago (obviously much too late to get in on the first batch) and find myself really wanting one, but not sure how I'd feel using it with my M3 due to the above.

I'm using a fujifilm 21/28 viewfinder and just guesstimate the 35mm frameline.
I have a dedicated 35mm vf but as I also have a CV 21 3.5, I like using the fuji VF for both 21 and 35.

glad that my vintage 3.5mm summaron hood fits perfectly on his lens too

here's a print screen from a video my wife took of me carrying the camera

will try to take better picture on the M3 later today

 

[punkzter]

Do you wear glasses? I ask, because I've read that some people just use the M3 w/ 50mm framing and look to the edge of the viewfinder to approximate 35mm. I wear glasses, so I don't really see past the edges of the 50mm frames.

How do you find using it on the M3 without framelines? Are you using an external finder or just estimating your framing?

I've been following this thread closely since I learned about this lens ~2 months ago (obviously much too late to get in on the first batch) and find myself really wanting one, but not sure how I'd feel using it with my M3 due to the above.

 

[sh0ebox]

Do you wear glasses? I ask, because I've read that some people just use the M3 w/ 50mm framing and look to the edge of the viewfinder to approximate 35mm. I wear glasses, so I don't really see past the edges of the 50mm frames.

Nope, no glasses. I'll have to keep that in mind and see how close of an approximation the VF edges on the M3 for 35mm. Suppose I can use my CV 35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar to test for now! I hadn't considered it because in my mind I felt like the 50mm framelines on the M3 were already fairly close to the edges of the VF, but was also neglecting the fact that they're very thick framelines.

 

[D&A]

It may be that the coating has an impact on the color blue being overemphasized in shots taken in overcast days or in open shade.
The colors differ with my Summicron 35/2. There is no such blue overcast.

It can be adjusted with PS. Not an issue.

Raid, I immediately noticed a few of your images showing the cyan (blue) color cast in a few of your posted images. That's why I asked you about it yesterday. We both use a M9. I much agree though that it takes but a second to adjust for it in P.S.

I brighter lit scenes such as a sunny day, this cyan color cast is not evident, so it appears to be light specific.

*** In my next post, I will show a couple images of yours Raid that has the cyan color cast. I have 3 calibrated monitors and they show it on all three.

Dave (D&A)

 

[raid]

Raid, I immediately noticed a few of your images showing the cyan (blue) color cast in a few of your posted images. That's why I asked you about it yesterday. We both use a M9. I much agree though that it takes but a second to adjust for it in P.S.

I brighter lit scenes such as a sunny day, this cyan color cast is not evident, so it appears to be light specific.

*** In my next post, I will show a couple images of yours Raid that has the cyan color cast. I have 3 calibrated monitors and they show it on all three.

Dave (D&A)

It was more pronounced in the last images where the weather was overcast.

 

[D&A]

Yes, That's my point. The lens's color cast is easily illustrated on images taken on a overcast day. Look at the last set of images you posted (on the previous page). The 1st and 2nd color image of yours show it...especially in those wooden planks in color image #2 (although can be seen over the entire #2 image in general).

Again it doesn't bother me and as you say, it is easily corrected in photoshop.

Dave (D&A)

 

[Erik van Straten]

Lenses are coated to get rid of stray light that lowers the contrast of the image, but only from a small part of the spectrum. The color you see refleced by the coating is reflected most and will not reach the sensitive layer. It is clear why multicoating is better when you want to get rid of all the nunecessary rays. But it is questionable if this will result in the nicest image.


Erik.

 

[shawn]

Yes, That's my point. The lens's color cast is easily illustrated on images taken on a overcast day. Look at the last set of images you posted (on the previous page). The 1st and 2nd color image of yours show it...especially in those wooden planks in color image #2 (although can be seen over the entire #2 image in general).

Again it doesn't bother me and as you say, it is easily corrected in photoshop.

Dave (D&A)

Looking for uniformity is pretty easy with a white image. Use a light table (or a tablet set to a white screen) and set the lens on it (at infinity) and take shots at all apertures. That will give you a pretty good idea on if the lens/camera combo is going to have color shifts or not. Those shots can also be used with the flat field plugin for Lightroom or Cornerfix as corrections for other shots

On the M240 there is very little shift. I'll have to try it on a Sony to see if that is different or not. Might act differently on the M9 too.

As a comparison here is the same thing with the Voigtlander 25mm f4 @f8 on the M240.

Shawn

 

[D&A]

Looking for uniformity is pretty easy with a white image. Use a light table (or a tablet set to a white screen) and set the lens on it (at infinity) and take shots at all apertures. That will give you a pretty good idea on if the lens/camera combo is going to have color shifts or not. Those shots can also be used with the flat field plugin for Lightroom or Cornerfix as corrections for other shots

On the M240 there is very little shift. I'll have to try it on a Sony to see if that is different or not. Might act differently on the M9 too.

As a comparison here is the same thing with the Voigtlander 25mm f4 @f8 on the M240.

Shawn

Shawn, the cyan color cast is not like Italian flag or red/blue color cast on edges of an image as illustrated in your posted M240 test shot with the VC lens. With the replica lens, it shows up over the entire image on deep overcast days (lighting). Not something cornerfix would resolve. Its as though a very weak cyan filter was screwed onto the lens when taking a color image. Again this is with the M9. I cannot say what its like with other digital cameras nor film and under normal fairly bright sunlight, its not evident.

Taking an image of a large sheet of white color paper under deep shaded light would produce this effect.

Dave (D&A)

 

[shawn]

Shawn, the cyan color cast is not like Italian flag or red/blue color cast on edges of an image as illustrated in your posted M240 test shot with the VC lens. With the replica lens, it shows up over the entire image on deep overcast days (lighting). Not something cornerfix would resolve. Its as though a very weak cyan filter was screwed onto the lens when taking a color image. Again this is with the M9. I cannot say what its like with other digital cameras nor film and under normal fairly bright sunlight, its not evident.

Taking an image of a large sheet of white color paper under deep shaded light would produce this effect.

Dave (D&A)

Just tried a poster board in full shade with the 35mm and the 25 f4. The cameras auto white balance screwed up (and they both went toward cyan) but once I used the WB dropper in LR it was fine and I was back to looking very much like the earlier shots showing shading in the corners of the 25mm.

Shawn

 

[D&A]

Just tried a poster board in full shade with the 35mm and the 25 f4. The cameras auto white balance screwed up (and they both went toward cyan) but once I used the WB dropper in LR it was fine and I was back to looking very much like the earlier shots showing shading in the corners of the 25mm.

Shawn

Agree, its very easy to adjust for the cyan cast in PS. What I am describing are the raw files as they come out of the camera before any adjustment is done.

Dave (D&A)

 

[shawn]

Agree, its very easy to adjust for the cyan cast in PS. What I am describing are the raw files as they come out of the camera before any adjustment is done.

Dave (D&A)

Unless you are viewing the files in something like RawDigger you are always viewing them with adjustments. Almost all viewers/software will apply white balance to the data for example. Lightroom certainly is even if it is just going by what the camera said the WB should be. WB isn't cooked into the raw data but applied when viewing the data.

Can't speak to the M9 but I know the M240s WB is pretty bad. I normally have LR apply its Auto WB to all my DNGs because of that or set it manually.

Shawn

 

[D&A]

Very much agree Shawn. That why I said the cyan cast isn't a problem as its not cooked into the RAw files and easily correctable. I used to use a M240 and I suspect what I see with the M9 may be somewhat on par with the M240 although generally speaking, the M240 initial Raw output skews to the warm side so cyan cast may be far less. The M9 is known in shadows to have a cold slightly cyan cast anyhow. If I compare though any other M lens (especially wide angle ones), this cast is far less pronounced as compared to the replica.

As I mentioned a number of times, its simply an observation, not a issue or problem. Another thing I noticed (and also to a degree when I had the original Leica 8-element..is bright highlights like sunlight peering through trees in upper corners, is generally blown out due to glare when shooting the lens wide open.

Please keep in mind, these observations upon exhaustively testing the lens, is simply getting to know the lens strengths and weaknesses and characteristics, so in shooting with the lens under a wide variety of circumstances, I know how to adjust and what to expect. I do this with every new lens I acquire.

The replica is astonishingly good and I love the way it draws. construction is exemplary. Kudos all around.

Dave (D&A)

 

[D&A]

These were supposed to be examples but having a hard time displaying images from Smugmug. I'll work on it. The right hand image shows the cyan cast and the left hand image has only a slight correction in color temp applied. Even in these tiny images (sorry), you can see the difference. I'll keep trying later to post appropriate size images.

 

[D&A]

OK, a little bigger images if you click on them. Still way too small. I thought images must be limited to 500 pixels to upload to this site. I am uploading the URL from Smugmug. Am I correct or can I go larger? Anyhow you can better see the cyan cast (right hand image) and the simple color correction in left hand image (slightly applied). Again the size of theseposted images is suboptimal. Once I can find a way to load normal sized images, I can then post various shots with this lens. I guess I could also post the link to the full size SmugMug images.

Dave (D&A)

 

[shawn]

OK, a little bigger images if you click on them. Still way too small. I thought images must be limited to 500 pixels to upload to this site. I am uploading the URL from Smugmug. Am I correct or can I go larger? Anyhow you can better see the cyan cast (right hand image) and the simple color correction in left hand image (slightly applied). Again the size of theseposted images is suboptimal. Once I can find a way to load normal sized images, I can then post various shots with this lens. I guess I could also post the link to the full size SmugMug images.

Dave (D&A)

If you attach photos then the size has to be 500 pixels or less on the long edge. If you are linking from another site you just copy and paste the BBCode (it is a Smugmug option under share) directly into your message. You don't need to use any of the buttons above.

Shawn

 

[D&A]

Thank you very much Shawn. I will attempt what you suggest as soon as I get back to my computer later on.

Dave (D&A)

 

[raid]

I right click [copy] on any image in the slide show of my smugmug website, followed by posting [paste] it here at RFF as

. Files can be huge in size.

 

[D&A]

I right click [copy] on any image in the slide show of my smugmug website, followed by posting [paste] it here at RFF as

. Files can be huge in size.

I also very much appreciate that advice Raid...expect as I want to contribute images that can be seen at a reasonable size. I purposely took down my website as I have photographed well known international performers and too many images were lifted without authorization.

What I can't seem to figure out, is I can still right click on any of my Smugmug images and copy them. I thought that was not possible without permission in Smugmug. Have to find out how to put a stop to that.

Dave (D&A)

 

[raid]

If you use "organize" of a folder at smugmug, you can choose different security levels.