Should I want the 50mm Summilux?

[kevin m]

Don`t get to exceted over the 1962/200? version. Any `Cron is a better lens and I tried quite a few.

Not true unless you bother to define "better."

The Summicron is sharper wide open, probably 'til f4.0, and contrastier. Not always a good thing when shooting people.

The Summilux is a better 'people' lens. It's a bit wonky wide open at the close focus end, but at normal distances, it's buttery smooth and very flattering for human skin. (That Mandler guy knew his stuff. ) For wedding work, I kept an 8x ND filter on the thing and never stopped down past f4.0.

The 'lux is also damned near flare proof, unlike the Summicron. It's also a wonderful real life demonstration that numbers and measurements often don't mean a damned thing. Try one, look at the pics and decide for yourself. Don't like it? Sell it and get nearly all your money back. 😉

Attached is a test pic shot at f1.4.

 

[harmsr]

Andy,

I'll throw my opinion in like this.

If I could only have one lens for the rest of my life, it would be the 50 Lux ASPH.

Great texture, bokeh, sharpness across the frame, contrasty but not too much like the 35 cron, very smooth transitions to OOF, no strange specular highlights in the OOF area, easy to focus, etc..., etc..., etc...

You would be welcome to go shoot somewhere with me and try mine on your camera.

Best,

Ray

 

[akptc]

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thanks a bunch everyone for your feedback, this has been very helpful in making up my mind. After seeing a ton of photos taen with the 50 asph, I am pretty much set on getting the asph lux. Of course, it must be silver 🙂.

(Ray, I’d love to take you up on your offer, will PM you to coordinate. I just hope I won't get the M8 fever again..)

 

[foto_fool]

I ended up with a 50mm Summilux that was one of the very first produced. After a little TLC from DAG it makes really beautiful images. Wide-open OOF is even creamier than the 75mm Summilux - not a donut or double line to be found.

My only knock? The lens is big and heavy. It is twice the size of the 50mm Sonnar - any Sonnar (CJZ, Nikkor, ZM-C). Maybe this is the design price to pay to overcome the well-known Sonnar close-focus issues?

- John

 

[harmsr]

Andy,

I can always bring the silver ZI, so that you don't get M8 fever.

On the other hand, I do enjoy being the cause of a GAS attack.:angel:

Ray

 

[akptc]

Andy,

I can always bring the silver ZI, so that you don't get M8 fever.

On the other hand, I do enjoy being the cause of a GAS attack.:angel:

Ray

Ray, you nave no mercy! I've been thinking of a silver ZI to keep my silver M7 company...

 

[gberger]

The 50mm has been my primary lens for years. As I shoot 95% slides, I was torn between staying with our Summicron (last version) or upgrading to the Lux ASPH. I finally "bit the bullet" and saved and scrounged for the Lux - - - only to have one given to me by my assorted five grandchildren as a birthday present.

Simply stated: The plasticity and almost 3D quality of the projected images is superb (P2002 projector with a SuperColorplan 2.5 90mm) and the out-of focus areas sorta' melt into the foreground and background. Disclaimer: I glass mount my slides and use the regular trays.

If I were to grade the projected images of the Summicron against the images of the Lux ASPH, I'd rate the Chron as an 8 and the Lux as a 10++++. Less flare, better acuity, better color balance and better edge-to-edge sharpness.

Just my biased datum point.

George

 

[akptc]

... - - only to have one given to me by my assorted five grandchildren as a birthday present. ... George

I sure look forward to the day when my (young) kids can afford to buy me an expensive gift! 🙂

... The plasticity and almost 3D quality of the projected images is superb (P2002 projector with a SuperColorplan 2.5 90mm) and the out-of focus areas sorta' melt into the foreground and background. ... George

I feel the same about slides taken with my Zeiss (G2) lenses, you can just walk straight into the picture.

Well, if I needed more convincing, I think this did it 🙂

 

[MikeL]

In another thread on the pre-asph summilux, it was asked if anyone has done a comparison with the asph summiilux. It would be nice to see some comparisons when both are wide open, for entertainment if nothing else.

 

[LKSC]

I recently had some Kodachrome 64 shot with the 50 Lux ASPH drum-scanned. The level of detail recorded by this lens wide open is absolutely shocking.

 

[Marc-A.]

Marc,

I had for a while both lenses concurrently (Summicron DR and a Summilux from the 60's, both very clean). My preference was for the Summicron - it focused closer and the rendering appeared to me crisper/finer than the Summilux and I liked that. But it lacked f/1.4, hence the Summilux.

From memory I 'd say the Summilux seemed to me a bit contrastier while flare suppresion was far better. On the other hand it showed some barrel distortion but you wouldn't notice unless you were to shoot a brick wall (and that's how I know 😱 ; don't ask). Both handled very nicely and were built to the highest standard. All in all, the most annoying aspects of the old Summilux for me, were the 1m closest focus (a problem that was addressed in more recent samples which focus down to 0.7m) and a little fuzziness when you reached the corners wide openish. I quite agree with Mike L et. al. above that there is a family resemblance in images from the Summilux 75 and the Summilux 50 preasph.

Thanks a lot Alkis for the information. It helps a lot. I don't think I would be annoyed by the little fuzziness wide open (especially for portraits ... hey I'm fond of the Summitar wide open 🙄), but I would like the Summilux to be as sharp and crisp as the Summicron stopped down (especially for street photography). I know having different 50 is very usefull, you can choose the rendition you want to get, but I would be more confortable with one versatile lens allowing me to make nice portraits (with the softness of the Summitar, maybe a bit sharper wide open), and street shots. I know there's no perfect lens for all purposes, but looking at your pictures Alkis, I think the Summilux (even the pre-asph) is close to perfection. Well it may be just because I've never shot with it and fancy having one.
Cheers,
Marc

 

[akptc]

I did it!

I did it!

I finally found an affordable (relatively speaking) 50 lux asph 😀😀 *IT* should be here Monday or Tuesday. I think I will go clean the mounts on all my M bodies in anticipation of its arrival 🙂

 

[peter_n]

Congratulations I am sure you will love the lens. 🙂

 

[Hacker]

I finally found an affordable (relatively speaking) 50 lux asph 😀😀 *IT* should be here Monday or Tuesday. I think I will go clean the mounts on all my M bodies in anticipation of its arrival 🙂

In my world, I consider the 50 Lux ASPH as one of the the few perfect lenses ever made. Happy shooting and do not forget to share some photos!

 

[borismach]

Well --the E43 Summilux is really a good lens. But--the Summicron is super too. If you can save a few hundred $$$$--get the Summicron--or if--heaven forbid--you don't need the speed--get an Elmar. For all practical purposes--ordinary photogs like me can't really tell the difference..🙂
Paul

I've the E43 version too. My GAS is leading me to a 'cron, the one before the built-in hood version (should it be ver3 or 4? I'm not sure).

Cheerz
🙂 bm