Summicron LTM vs Summar LTM vs Summitar LTM

[jusxusfanatic]

I've decided to just buy another Leica LTM haha.
Which one should I get? I mainly shoot B&W for street shots, so I'm going for the summitar myself. Thanks 🙂

People recommended me a summicron ltm

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I've had all three, but Cron v1 was M.
Summar was small and very interesting, not so much of flare resistance. Mine was clean, but uncoated.
Summitar was big and quality was OK, but it was swirling background and soft on corners.
Cron V1 was only Leica lens I regret to sell. Compact, more convenient as two older ones, normal filters, sharp, very special in bw rendering.

 

[Robert Lai]

I found a collapsible Summicron (version 1), which didn't have a damaged front element, and after service by Don Goldberg, it is a great lens. Moderate contrast (people say low, but I don't see this), no distortion. It is a lovely lens, with wonderful rendering. If you get a SOOKY close-up adapter for your Leica III, then you have the equivalent of the DR lens. The equivalent for the M3 is the SOMKY. However, the front lens glass and coating of this lens is extremely soft, and it is hard to find an undamaged one. This lens requires a UV filter to prevent damage to the front element glass. I don't have experience with the other lenses that you mention. If you find this lens with an intact front element, then it is worth getting.

Other options that you may consider are the Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f/2 or f/3.5 LTM lenses. These are modern, and very sharp. However, at f/2, that lens has a bit of veiling flare and spherical aberration that makes it wonderful for portraits.

I also have a Jupiter 3+ LTM, which is the modern remake of the Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5. Classic, yet modern at the same time. Very small too, for an f/1.5 lens.

 

[jusxusfanatic]

I've had all three, but Cron v1 was M.
Summar was small and very interesting, not so much of flare resistance. Mine was clean, but uncoated.
Summitar was big and quality was OK, but it was swirling background and soft on corners.
Cron V1 was only Leica lens I regret to sell. Compact, more convenient as two older ones, normal filters, sharp, very special in bw rendering.

Nice 🙂 thanks for your opinion

Might get the cron then!

 

[jusxusfanatic]

I found a collapsible Summicron (version 1), which didn't have a damaged front element, and after service by Don Goldberg, it is a great lens. Moderate contrast (people say low, but I don't see this), no distortion. It is a lovely lens, with wonderful rendering. If you get a SOOKY close-up adapter for your Leica III, then you have the equivalent of the DR lens. The equivalent for the M3 is the SOMKY. However, the front lens glass and coating of this lens is extremely soft, and it is hard to find an undamaged one. This lens requires a UV filter to prevent damage to the front element glass. I don't have experience with the other lenses that you mention. If you find this lens with an intact front element, then it is worth getting.

Other options that you may consider are the Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f/2 or f/3.5 LTM lenses. These are modern, and very sharp. However, at f/2, that lens has a bit of veiling flare and spherical aberration that makes it wonderful for portraits.

I also have a Jupiter 3+ LTM, which is the modern remake of the Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5. Classic, yet modern at the same time. Very small too, for an f/1.5 lens.

Thanks for your opinion! 🙂 I already have a elmar 50mm f3.5 made in 1947. Might get the cron in this case

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Summars are warm to neutral lenses. They do strange things with shadow detail, but are a nice for portraits with shallow DOF and stopped down they are reasonably sharp.

Summitars are neutral lenses, replaced the Summar in 1939. Post-war ones are coated. Around the end of production they switched to a hexagonal aperture opening to lessen vignetting in the corners of the images (I don't really see it with my 10-blade version). Also has nice Bokeh at wide apertures and sharpens up nicely when stopped down.

I don't have a Summicron, but I guess it would be the best of the bunch of course. Radioactive low-dispersion glass with coating giving improved contrast over the other two.

 

[jusxusfanatic]

Summars are warm to neutral lenses. They do strange things with shadow detail, but are a nice for portraits with shallow DOF and stopped down they are reasonably sharp.

Summitars are neutral lenses, replaced the Summar in 1939. Post-war ones are coated. Around the end of production they switched to a hexagonal aperture opening to lessen vignetting in the corners of the images (I don't really see it with my 10-blade version). Also has nice Bokeh at wide apertures and sharpens up nicely when stopped down.

I don't have a Summicron, but I guess it would be the best of the bunch of course. Radioactive low-dispersion glass with coating giving improved contrast over the other two.

Thanks for the info! 🙂

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Here you'll find them reviewed together:

http://www.antiquecameras.net/leicalensreviews.html

 

[jusxusfanatic]

Here you'll find them reviewed together:

http://www.antiquecameras.net/leicalensreviews.html

Thanks 🙂 will have a look at it

 

[jusxusfanatic]

Hmm sounds like the cron is the best one to me

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

If you've the Leica III then I'd suggest it has the Summitar fitted to it. Uncoated or coated a lot of people like them and they fathered (if that's the word) the Summicron. Also, I like to have the lens and camera from the same period.

Here's a sample from a III or IIIa and my old Summitar;-

It was taken on cloudy day as you can see from the lack of shadow.

Regards, David

 

[jusxusfanatic]

Hi,

If you've the Leica III then I'd suggest it has the Summitar fitted to it. Uncoated or coated a lot of people like them and they fathered (if that's the word) the Summicron. Also, I like to have the lens and camera from the same period.

Here's a sample from a III or IIIa and my old Summitar;-

It was taken on cloudy day as you can see from the lack of shadow.

Regards, David

Thanks for the info! 🙂 looks fine to me

 

[Dralowid]

If you are very lucky you may find a Summar that has been coated at a later date that is in good condition. It is an excellent lens.

 

[jusxusfanatic]

If you are very lucky you may find a Summar that has been coated at a later date that is in good condition. It is an excellent lens.

Hmm, people say it's "soft" and it's not really my taste 🙂

 

[jusxusfanatic]

Btw,

477 US for a summicron 50mm f2 L39 LTM. Worth it? Seems to be a bit overpriced

Description :
Overall 85% new
Few hairlines due to recent CLA
A little bit of dust
Doesn't affect the image quality

-Nothing else-

 

[jonmanjiro]

Hmm, people say it's "soft" and it's not really my taste 🙂

Ahhh but there are Summars and there are Summars (meaning that performance varies a lot depending on the condition of the lens). A good condition Summar is very good lens, and my favourite of the vintage Leica 50s.

Take a look at this thread to see what I mean about varying performance depending on condition > Three Leitz Summars - not quite the same...

 

[jusxusfanatic]

Ahhh but there are Summars and there are Summars (meaning that performance varies a lot depending on the condition of the lens). A good condition Summar is very good lens, and my favourite of the vintage Leica 50s.

Take a look at this thread to see what I mean about varying performance depending on condition > Three Leitz Summars - not quite the same...

AH, thanks! Will check it out 😀

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

If we all cross our fingers for luck it might just help you in your search. A dud Summar does this but some call it character...

I call it badly cleaned because the glass was comparatively soft and it didn't last long. The Summitar was launched in Britain in September 1939; a very bad month to try selling a German lens...

OTOH, it got some stunning reviews.

Regards, David

 

[jusxusfanatic]

Hi,

If we all cross our fingers for luck it might just help you in your search. A dud Summar does this but some call it character...

I call it badly cleaned because the glass was comparatively soft and it didn't last long. The Summitar was launched in Britain in September 1939; a very bad month to try selling a German lens...

OTOH, it got some stunning reviews.

Regards, David

Thanks for the info David 😀 Gonna watch out on those!

 

[johannielscom]

Lots of advice on gear-driven RFF, but nobody asked you what it is you shoot? Portraits, urban landscapes, street, nature? Indoors vs outdoors? Fast modern film with high contrast, or more classic looking film?

Really, it's near impossible to answer your question of 'Should I get X or Y' without knowing what it is you're after.