Summicron 75 AA - some more photos

[telenous]

Some time ago I promised to post here a few of my first photos with the Summicron 75 AA. When I was researching the lens I looked around and there were only a few pictures and far between. (My thanks to Bob Blakley and John Kuo for posting their pictures, they made all the difference to me). So, I ‘ll add a few of my own here, and gradually in the gallery, for the viewing benefit and delight of all interested parties 🙂

These pictures are from half a roll I shot with the lens. Some of them came out soft but I think that was due to hand shake as I was shooting around 1/8s. My partner kindly obliged by patiently posing for me in three different indoor locations (restaurants). The photos are similar but the lighting was different. You will probably recognise the familiar tired look in the third photo (‘not another photo!’). The film is a Delta 400. I exposed it as 800 and the lab-lady forgot to push it one stop but, being B&W, no major disaster ensued. The photos were taken with my M3, so I guesstimated the 75 frame by allowing myself a more relaxed room over the 90 frameline.

And, oh, the last shot (in the next post) is the mandatory ‘bathroom mirror’ shot. So, appearances to the contrary I am not a left eye shooter 😉 If you look behind my back you will see the highlights getting hot – tending to pure white in a molten/liquid shape. This is something I have noticed as part of the fingerprint of all three Aspherical lenses (35,50,75). Personally I like it and when the OOF highlights are coloured it can make for very appealing effects.

I am obviously over the moon with having the lens and I am very happy with the first results. I think I understand why many report this lens to be a 'favourite' - it is particularly suited to take photos of your favourite people. All in all I am in love. (With the girl, silly 🙄 )

PS As I am posting these I realise that the negs could do with some dusting filter - sorry!

 

[telenous]

And here's the bathroom mirror shot

 

[Nachkebia]

Niiiiiiiiceeeeeee

 

[whitecat]

Thanks alot Alkis......Now I have to pull mine out and shoot some. Excellent pics.

 

[sgy1962]

Telenous -- how does the 75mm lens compare with your 50mm Summilux ASPH?

 

[MarcoS]

Nice images. B&W film rules!

75 AA does architecture quite well also.
I took these in Barcelona, on my R-D1, so not exactly a 75mm...
It's the best lens I ever owned, though the subject in color didn't actually need a lens corrected for distortion 😛

 

[telenous]

Nachkebia, Whitecat thanks for your kind words.

Marco, I love these photos. Barcelona is a very photogenic city.

Sgy1962: Do you mean optically? It's a little too early for me to have an informed view but I will venture an opinion anyway. My few photos with the Summicron 75 AA do show a kind of family resemblance to the Summilux 50 Asph. The OOF areas in particular are very similar. Sharpness and microcontrast look to me also on a par.

The 'Lux is a spectacular lens but one of its characteristics that requires some attention is that it is 'hot', it pushes highlights to white. Using a film like Neopan 1600 has given me very contrasty results. The Summicron seems to me better behaved in that respect - but of course I underexposed the Delta 400, so that might have helped! Using the Summilux 50 for portraiture is possible and the results are pleasing but they are different from what the 75 focal length gives you. If I had to have only one lens that 'd be the Lux 50. For two lenses the 35 + 75 looks ideal.

As for the construction quality, you can really tell that the Lux 50 and the Cron 75 are concurrent designs. There's in particular this 'brittle' feel in the aperture ring, if you know what I mean. But the focus ring of the Cron is much, much smoother than the Lux - hardly a surprise, the latter is quite stiff.

Hope that answers what you had in mind.

Best,

 

[telenous]

Nachkebia you changed your signature font! I can't see what it says (well, I can if I squint my eyes).

Are you still a hardcore Nikonian? I think you are turning into a hardcore Zeiss-o-Leican 😛

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[Novoluc]

And here's the bathroom mirror shot

Just wondering... why is it always in the bathroom? Nobody has mirrors in their house besides the bathroom?
I must be doing something wrong: I don't go to the bathroom with a Leica...
And thinking about all the 'bathroom self-portraits" bring to mind the fact that photo, as a hobby, is really a guy thing. Never saw a woman bathroom self-portrait.

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[telenous]

Thank you my friend Magus,

your MP will be asking for the 75AA, I 'm sure you know 😉

To me, this is the quality that makes them excel as night - or low-light - lenses, but can sometimes make them a pain in the rear end when bright sunlight is involved.

That is exactly right. I have discussed this with Honus who also uses the Lux 50 with exceptional results. He suggested wisely that I underexpose by 1/2 stop to alleviate the problem - and that does it, but it requires accurate exposure readings from my handheld. Well, the challenge is there and if you master the lens it is capable for spectacular things.

Your Mediterranean beauty is a beauty, even when pushed to 800...

🙂 She's a sport, she really is. Very patient with all this lens testing etc. I 'll pass the compliment (and that will be a good time to announce to her that somewhere in my future I see an MP).

Best as always,