Summaron, Summicron v1 ....

Matus,
Roland created some very small crops to see details.
I enjoyed the lens comparison a lot. It allowed me to use lenses owned by RFF members, and I got a good feel for lenses that I may never own.
 
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OK, I have read quite a few threads about 35mm M lenses. Some people claim that Summaron is of lower contrast - other say that this is often due to the condition of the glass (haze, separation, etc.).

I have also had a look at the Zeiss Biogon C 35/2.8 - lot of happy users out there. Price wise it seems comparable on a used market to Summaron.

I would love to see a few side-by-side shots to get a better impression of the way the Biogon-C and Summaron draw.

Actually - if I would eventually get the Summaron (M, 35/2.8) and would decide to send it for a CLA - how much could that be?
 
Matus, do a google search for the two words Summaron & legendary... There is an LHSA-article about the Summaron 2.8 that will send you running to find one ;-)

Personally, I love mine. I use it without reservation from wide open, and as TomA has pointed out before, it is very sharp also in the near focus range: great for portraits/environmental portraits.
Mechanically, it is a dream.

Greetings, Ljós
 
I was in yout exact position a few weeks ago ans I decided on the v1 summicron for the speed. They are both great performers, and i have a few sample shots on the thread discussing it somewhere.. Sorry. But Id say both lens are winners!
 
A full overhaul will run anywhere from $70 to $175, depending on who you send it to. I can recommend, from personal experience, Don Goldberg (DAG Camera), Sherry Krauter (Golden Touch) and Essex Camera Service for this sort of CLA.
::Ari
 
kermaier said:
A full overhaul will run anywhere from $70 to $175, depending on who you send it to. I can recommend, from personal experience, Don Goldberg (DAG Camera), Sherry Krauter (Golden Touch) and Essex Camera Service for this sort of CLA.
::Ari
Click to expand...

Thanks, I am in Germany, but this gives me an idea.

I have googled the "legendary summaron" and found a 3 page PDF with some thest on resolution (did not read the thing fully yet) - is that it?
 
That pdf is a review and lab test of the summaron in comparison to the summicron and summilux. Interesting read nonetheless, and the summaron is sharper on the edges than the other two stopped down, with less distortion too!
 
I see that the google-bots have infiltrated my secret stash of PDF articles. I forgot that I put that article up on my webspace for another RFF'er that was considering the Summaron f2.8. It was too big to email. The article compares the 35mm Summaron to the version 1 Summicron and the version 4 Summicron. No Summiluxes.

Anyway, I highly recommend the Summaron myself and I can vouch for its resolution. The Summaron can resolve as much (or more) detail as my 35 Summicron ASPH! The Summaron renders images the most beautifully of any 35mm that I've ever used. Smoooooooth tones, sharp at all apertures from corner-to-corner and even close-up, the nicest bokeh (to my tastes) and did I mention the smooth tones?

BTW, Zeiss claims a world record for resolution of 400 lp/mm achieved by the 25f2.8 Biogon ZM at f/4 (in the center). I would love to see a perfect example of a Summaron f2.8 subjected to the same test. 🙂
 
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Here's a sample of my V1 summicron with goggles. It's edited to my liking, sorry, but it should give you the idea of what it is capable of.

L9997148small-1.jpg
\


PS: I wonder why it looks yellower here after I uploaded with Photobucket..
 
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Matus, I suggest you spend some time looking through the Flickr M-Mount group at each lens you are considering; after looking at a few hundred examples of each, you should get a general feel for which one you like best.

Personally, I love the Summaron's, both 3.5 and 2.8. Especially the latter. I have owned both (albeit briefly for the 2.8), and I agree with Nando--they tones out of those lenses are so beautiful to me.

I also really like the images I see from the Zeiss Biogon-C 35/2.8. I would like to own one someday. To me, though, this is a very different rendering from Summaron (and Summicron!).
 
I have read the paper, I have spent hours on Flickr - I will get the Summaron once I will be ready. I am fine with the speed (I would maybe later add a fast 50 for small DOF portraits), I like the lack of the distortion, I like the size and I love to hear about the mechanical quality.

But the I will have to solve one more problem ... I do not have ANY camera to put it on ! 😱 But that is to be solved once I get (or will be about to get) the lens.

- Shade -
I love the color version of the shot. Very pleasant and smooth colors.

----

One technical question though - as the Summaron is getting of age - what problems it may have may NOT be solvable via CLA?
 
Matus said:
One technical question though - as the Summaron is getting of age - what problems it may have may NOT be solvable via CLA?
Click to expand...

It's an old lens -- there's any number of things that could have happened over the decades that even a good CLA wouldn't perfectly restore: Significant scratches or fungus damage would take polishing and recoating of lens elements to eliminate (possible, but expensive). Damage to the focusing helicoid, due to corrosion/pitting or invasion of abrasive grit, might never be perfectly smoothed out. Excessive wear to the aperture mechanism might produce a looseness that necessitates replacement parts to remedy (which some technicians still have).

In my own case, despite a long and obsessive overhaul by Sherry Krauter, my Summaron 35/2.8 still has a very slight stiffening of the focusing action near the closest focus distance. Sherry says that something about the spring-action of the infinity lock is to blame. It doesn't bother me in actual use, so it's not worth surgically disabling the infinity lock.

Regardless, the lens is superbly built, and is at least as likely to withstand the ravages of time and use as any other RF lens I've handled.

::Ari
 
Erik, nice photo.

Once we are at the googled version of the Summaron - dow do you guys find googled version of summaron in use? How does it influences the quality of the view through the viewfinder?
 
Tom A has called the ZM C-Biogon 35/2.8 the Summaron for this century (very roughly paraphrasing). It is an outstanding lens - makes sense that it's on your list. And it comes with a warranty 😉

If you put any credence in charts, the C-Biogon's mtf is shockingly good at all apertures and across the frame.

Ditto on Eric's last photo!
 
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