Summarit-M Lenses

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I've been trying to build up a set of modern lenses for my Leica M cameras ever since I bought an M3 from a fellow RFFer last year. The older ones often have haze and scratches and other issues.

Years ago, before I had the stroke and had to sell all of my Leica gear, I had two M6 bodies, a 35mm Summicron IV, and a 50mm Summicron IV. The M6 and the 35mm and 50mm Summicrons have more than doubled in price since then, and are totally out of reach for me, so I decided to try the Summarit-M lenses, which are still relatively affordable.

The 50mm f2.4 was the first one I got; I've had it for quite a while now. I was impressed with the image quality; it is fully equal in sharpness to the 50mm Summicron IV I used to have. More recently, I got a 35mm f2.5 and the 90mm f2.5 and both of them are incredibly good, too.

My only complaint is with the size of the 35mm and 50mm lenses. The 50mm f2.4 is really fat compared to the Summicron IV. My 35mm is the f2.5 version, which is smaller than the later f2.4 versions, so its not as bad; though the 35mm Summicron I had was a little smaller. The 90mm isn't bad; its about midway in size between the last version of the pre-ASPH 90mm Summicron and the last version of the 90mm Elmarit-M. I like focusing tabs, so I added a 7Artisans stick-on tab that cost me $7 from B&H.

My everyday carry kit. All this, plus a Japan Camera Hunter film case, fits in a Think Tank Retrospective 6 bag. There are the three Summarit-M lenses, plus two Voigtlanders. 21mm f4 and 28mm f3.5.

Example photos:

50mm f2.4 Summarit-M

50mm f2.4 Summarit-M

90mm f2.5 Summarit-M

I don't have an example scanned from the 35mm Summarit-M yet, I just got it last week. I shot four rolls of film with it this week, and have a number of photos to scan this weekend. Will post some when I get them done.

I am very happy with the Summarit-M lenses. The image quality is incredible. Very sharp and contrasty without being harsh in rendering. Wish the build quality were a little better and they were a little smaller; but they cost me less than half what the Summicron versions would have cost, with zero loss in image quality, so I can live with that.

 

[taffy]

Hi Chris

I used to own a Summarit 35/2.5 and I sold it to fund a C-Biogon 35 and a ZM 50 Planar. The summarit was nice and small but the C-Biogon feels smaller / shorter. I got the Biogon for the 3D pop but the Summarit, I later realized, had a bit of 3D pop too.

Nice rig you have 🙂 enjoy

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Summarit 35 2.5 is superior lens on BW film DR prints to any other lens I have tried.
Not just sharpens, but everything else. Prints just jumps at me. Probably one of the last reasons for me to stick with DR prints. Summarit-M 35 2.5 negatives...

The rest of the line... Not my focal length. I think, 50 2.5 is also good alternative to typical, overpriced Cron.

2.4... Yes. Slightly odd size for 2.4.

For anyone who is looking for quality, without LCAG price aura, check on latest VC VM.
If I would look now for great lens on BW film , DR prints, new Ultron 35 2 II might be worth to get. Not to mention new 35 APO VM, if you don't mind larger lens.

I had 35 1.7 Ultron LTM and might still have it, if I wasn't lazy to add tab on it... 🙂

 

[jarski]

been thinking todo similar move, to get 35, 50 and 90 Summarits. although recent Voigtlander APO buzz almost derailed this plan 😛

its a shame Leica cancelled the Summarit lineup.

 

[cboy]

+1 35mm f2.5. i agree on the summarit to be great for BW like most leica with their micro contrast. Awesome compact general purpose lens. Hoping the 35 cron asph will drop in price now that the apo is out but i think its wishful thinking lol. But then again i rarely use 35mm wide open anyways so its not much use to me...lol

Have my sights on the 35mm 1.7 Ultron ltm. It has a nice character and rendering that isnt clinical.

Sweet setup OP!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Hi Chris

I used to own a Summarit 35/2.5 and I sold it to fund a C-Biogon 35 and a ZM 50 Planar. The summarit was nice and small but the C-Biogon feels smaller / shorter. I got the Biogon for the 3D pop but the Summarit, I later realized, had a bit of 3D pop too.

Nice rig you have 🙂 enjoy

The C-Biogon is tiny. I had one for a while, but did not like it. It was sharp, but the rendering was too contrasty and harsh and it has heavy vignetting that I didn't like. It probably would have been a great lens for color, but I shoot all B&W with my Leicas.

 

[Finglas]

Chris,

I actually use the 75mm Summarit F2.5 lens, maybe 40% of time on my Leica.
I use for both Colour and B&W film. Of all the lenses I have, - this one 75/F2.5 surprisingly has the best ergonomics for my small hands/fingers. The 75mm is quite sharp (more than I expected) and I prefer it to my 50mm Summicron F2

The newer summarit F2.4 never made it to Ireland. And our usual next door neighbours are all out of them a long time ago. Not surprising but annoying that Leica stopped making them - they were too good.

Would never sell or trade it.

John

 

[raid]

There are two generations of Summarit M lenses. Right? The latter had Aspherical elements.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

There are two generations of Summarit M lenses. Right? The latter had Aspherical elements.

Only the 35mm one had ASPH elements and actually both the f2.5 and f2.4 versions did. They just didn't market the 35mm f2.5 as an ASPH lens.

There were no optical differences between any of the f2.5 and f2.4 version of any of the Summarits; the only differences were the lens barrels. Even the true aperture was the same on both versions; the only difference was the number engraved on them.

 

[raid]

Thank you for the information, Christopher.

 

[DavidKKHansen]

I loved the 50mm f2.5 Summarit when I had it; small and with a focus tab.

It did however annoy me that the minimum focus range was 0.8m, seemed Leica deliberately did this to protect the regular Summicron at the time.

Note that Voigtländer's discontinued 50mm f2.5 focusses down to 0.7m and that too had a focus tab. Shame that doesn't exist any longer, wish Voigtländer would revive that lens and the 28mm f3.5 in a new native M-mount design.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I loved the 50mm f2.5 Summarit when I had it; small and with a focus tab.

It did however annoy me that the minimum focus range was 0.8m, seemed Leica deliberately did this to protect the regular Summicron at the time.

Note that Voigtländer's discontinued 50mm f2.5 focusses down to 0.7m and that too had a focus tab. Shame that doesn't exist any longer, wish Voigtländer would revive that lens and the 28mm f3.5 in a new native M-mount design.

The focusing distance doesn't bother me much, I rarely shoot that close with my Leicas. The Voigtlander 50mm f2.5 looks nice but everything I've seen and read about it indicates that the sharpness is poor compared to the Leicas. For me, the cost of the Summarit was worth it for the incredible image quality.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

The former Mark Township High School, built in 1922 just outside the tiny town of Mark Center in rural Defiance County, Ohio.

A storefront on Main Street in the small town of Kendallville, Indiana. The middle window on the second floor says "Kendallville Camera Club." I didn't know the town had one!

I found this wicker chair sitting along the road in front of the woods on DeForest Avenue in Fort Wayne.


All of these photos were shot with the 35mm f2.5 Summarit-M

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

This is a 100% crop of the full resolution file of the wicker chair photo. The film, Tmax 400 developed in D-76 1+1, was scanned at 4000dpi on a Nikon Coolscan V film scanner. The amount detail visible in the tangled overgrown woods behind the chair is incredible, and the scan doesn't do justice to what I can see through a magnifier looking at the film.

 

[raid]

Wonderfully sharp images, Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Wonderfully sharp images, Erik.

You are welcome, Raid, but these great images are made by Chris!

Erik.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

You are welcome, Raid, but these great images are made by Chris!

Erik.

hehe 😛😛😛😛

 

[raid]

Sorry Chris! Wonderful image sharpness. 🙂

 

[raid]

Both of you have produced superb images over the years.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Both of you have produced superb images over the years.

Thanks 😀😀😀