Summicron-C 40mm Action

The City Of Love?

The City Of Love?

untitled-128-768x553.jpg


Leica M3, 2/40mm Summicron-c, FP4+, Xtol

The backstory to this photo can be read on my blog by clicking here.
 
It really pays to search eBay for a correct hood and lens cap. They come by quite regularly, even new-old stock. Two advantages: It is one of the nicest rubber hood/lens cap combos around, and the thread is the right one, allowing you to use either proper Series filters or the bare filter glass taken from a 39 mm filter (rattles a bit).
The Heavystar adapter ring/lens hood seems to be nice, but is made from Aluminium, which can bind to the filter thread, sometimes quite firmly.
 
I got a 12518 hood / 14191 cap for a great price elsewhere (not ePay)
The originals are nice and compact.

I also have a 5.5-39 Heavystar adapter and tried many combinations of hood and filters.
Also without adapter using a 39mm filter directly with care and then a hood
 
a couple recent shots with the Summicron-C.

First @ f4 on Ektar (Noritsu scanner):

med_U51586I1464635200.SEQ.0.jpg





second @ f5.6 on Lomo 100 (Frontier SP-3000 scanner):

med_U51586I1467641393.SEQ.0.jpg
 
I've been shooting the 40mm on film for years now (well I own my third copy now). I recently got the M9 to go with it and find it's a great match:
Untitled by Kay K, on Flickr
 
and one more,

Summicron-C @ f5.6 on Lomo 100, at mfd. CLE
At full size, the wasps nest have phenomenal detail!
Lab scan (Frontier SP-3000)

med_U51586I1468264685.SEQ.0.jpg
 
I did a comparison of the M-Rokkor 40, Summarit 35/3.5, Summicron 50 (IV), Canon 50/1.2 and a Summarit 75/2.5 (+a Jupiter 8, which was just awful) yesterday. The method was shooting a newspaper hung between two stands with the camera (M9) on a tripod (lenses shot wide open, at f2, f2.8 and f5.6).

I need to reshoot the 75 as my focus was off, but here are the quick results with the other four:
- M-Rokkor was clearly the sharpest of the lot in the centre at f2.8 and f5.6, ok in the corners at f2.8 and maybe the best in the corners at f5.6
- Summarit 35 was not the best at anything, but perhaps the most balanced, showing the least difference between wide open and f5.6
- Summicron was by far the best in the corners wide open and at f2.8. A really good lens, which comes as no surprise, but I did not expect it to lose to the M-Rokkor in the centre!
- The Canon is a trick lens. It's just fine at f5.6, but it is in the wrong place in a sharpness test as it is all about the bokeh.

Caveat: my focus accuracy test showed that there is slight back focus (maybe 2-3cm at a distance of 1.2m) with the Summicron and the 75 on my M9, which is why I need to reshoot the 75. I will also do a bokeh test at some point, when I get around to that.

Conclusion: I was expecting the Summicron to beat the pants off the Summarit 35 and the M-Rokkor, but this did not happen. The M-Rokkor was so good, that I might sell my 35, and considering the cost of that lens, it was the winner here.

I can do this with images if there is interest.
 
Exterminate!

Exterminate!

untitled-128-Edit.jpg


M3, 2/40mm Summicron-c, FP4+, HC110

One of the best value-for-money buys in the Leica stable! Also a wonderful fit, size-wise, for the M3. The backstory to this image can be read on my blog by clicking here.
 
I've been pleasantly surprised by my Cron 40. The one I got was in rough shape, had dirt on both ends of the glass (that I cleaned w/ a q tip and rubbing alcohol!), but everything else seemed ok. It was cheap so I didn't mind.
But... it stands up to any of my big $$ Leica (or any other) glass. Really recommend this lens.
 
Having sold my 40mm f/2.0 Summicron-C years ago I started missing that lens and bought another one. (Had to sent it back due to stiff focus and internal haze and waiting now for another one to arrive).

Leica M7 / HP5 in HC-110 "B" / Shinjuku, Tokyo

by Gabor Samjeske, on Flickr
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom