The joy of 50mm but do l really need to add a Summar

[lxmike]

I have Gas attack, one side of me says, 'buy a Summar', the other side says, 'why bother, you have a CV Nokton 50/1.5, along with an Elmar 5cm 3.5 and a collapsable Industar 50mm'. However, in truth l really love 50mm lenses and a Summar would look cool on my IIIc stepper.......help what should l do?

 

[Brian Legge]

This may seem like an obvious question, but what do you hope to get from the Summar that you don't already have in the Industar?

 

[lxmike]

This may seem like an obvious question, but what do you hope to get from the Summar that you don't already have in the Industar?

good question, swirly background creamy pastel renditions for colour film, maybe the industar can offer me this, maybe its just GAS attck

 

[02Pilot]

I've found it to be an interesting lens, but not so interesting that I exploit its unique characteristics very often. If you shoot a lot of portraits, or you're devoted to that slightly wild look and will shoot it wide open a lot to get it, then go for it. My Elmar 50/3.5 and Summitar get more use by a wide margin.

Another option to consider is the Canon 50/1.9, which produces a very similar look to the Summar but has harder coatings and is often cheaper.

 

[jbielikowski]

'buy a Summar'

yes.

the hard part is to buy one in good condition and reasonable price.

 

[Michael Markey]

I've found it to be an interesting lens, but not so interesting that I exploit its unique characteristics very often. If you shoot a lot of portraits, or you're devoted to that slightly wild look and will shoot it wide open a lot to get it, then go for it.

Good advice.
I don't know about the Summar specifically but I do know that I got sucked into this character lens thing and found that once the novelty wore off they got little use.

Unless you have a specific and regular use for a particular "look", for me they just tend to confuse the choices that you have to make.

I have a 50 ZM C-Sonnar , a Pentax 50/1.2 and a v5 50 Summicron all very different but it's the 50 Summicron that gets used the most.

 

[Daryl J.]

More cost for no increase in variation of lens character.

So, no.

 

[ptpdprinter]

Why would any of us know the answer to your question, except to say do whatever you want to do?

 

[helen.HH]

You have a stellar line up...why add another 50

If You really want another lens go for a 21mm or a 90mm
and be done !
Shoot and Enjoy. 😉

 

[Richard G]

Maybe FrankS will post that everyone should have a Summar, but I don’t think he will. Helen Hill counseling against another 50 means she’s serious. Looks like you shouldn’t get it.

 

[Robert Lai]

Don't do it. It's a nasty, slippery slope.
You could end up like me, with several of the same lens in different lens mounts
e.g. Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50 1.5 in Contax mount
Zeiss Sonnar 50 1.5 Ukranian version as the Jupiter 3 in Contax/Kiev mount
Jupiter 3+ in LTM (new, reintroduced by Lomography)
Zeiss 50 1.5 C-Sonnar in M mount
Zeiss 50 1.5 C-Sonnar limited edition in Nikon S mount.

Oh, the insanity!!!

What you have is fine. The rest is just GAS.
BTW did I tell you that I love the Sonnar rendition?

Swirly bokeh to me is nauseating.
If you really want something different, may I suggest a Sonnar such as the Nikon 50 1.4?

 

[lxmike]

As I said its probably just GAS and most of us suffer from it from time to time, thanks for the replies so far, all helpful, l will keep you posted with what l decide to do

 

[sepiareverb]

Can you head to a shop to shoot one on the same roll as your other lenses to see if it is in fact different enough to be worthwhile?

 

[helen.HH]

Maybe FrankS will post that everyone should have a Summar, but I don’t think he will. Helen Hill counseling against another 50 means she’s serious. Looks like you shouldn’t get it.

haha on me... too funny Richard!
nah, I'm not sooo serious, just been up and down and all around that slippery slope ... A lover of Glass a lens addict!

Now I'm just shooting
not caring about which or what lens
Just trying to find the shot!
😉

 

[raid]

Many years ago, I decided to buy for very reasonable prices the Leica 50mm line-up for lenses that used to be the standard lenses. This included the Summar, Summarit, Summitar, Summicron, Elmar 3.5 and Elmar 2.8. Do I really need these lenses for taking photos? Of course not. All lenses have increased in value 20 years later. I view it as being part of being a Leica user and admirer.

If you really want to use a Summar, get one.

 

[Michael Markey]

haha on me... too funny Richard!
nah, I'm not sooo serious, just been up and down and all around that slippery slope ... A lover of Glass a lens addict!

Now I'm just shooting
not caring about which or what lens
Just trying to find the shot!
😉

Me too Helen .
I`ve changed my tune but kept a couple of different glass types.

 

[peterm1]

If you are expecting me to talk you out of it. Bad luck!. No, I own far more 50's than any rational man ever would own. After all does a vintage car collector say - I already own a 1930 Ford so why would I want to buy a 1924 Chevvy? As I see it, owning and using the things are the point. As is owning them and fondling them for that matter :^). And with a lens, part of the fun is trying them out. After all if you buy it and do not like it you can sell it and most likely will not lose when you do.
Summars are interesting lenses but hard to find in really good condition due to them being popularized in the internet a few years back and due to their unreasonably soft coatings. But deal with it. If you want one and can find one and can afford to make the sacrifice to buy it - then buy it, would be my advice.
If on the other hand you cannot find one in reasonable condition at a price that is not nuts here is a little secret. Buy a nice early Summitar. It has some rendering similarities to the Summar (no surprise here given its lineage) and is easier to find online in good condition (not sure about current prices). It is also more flexible in that you can use it in a wider range of situations. But like I say if you really want a Summar then buy it - it is never about "need". It is always about "want".
As for me I love character lenses and the Summar has it in trumps. A few years ago I got GAS and nearly bought one but someone beat me in the auction. I then bought something else and put the thought of owning a Summar aside..........and damn it all, now you have given me Summar GAS again.

 

[lxmike]

Many thanks everyone, GAS is an enigmatic phenomenon, do l crave a Summar, yes, do l actually need one, probably no.....a slippery slope indeed

 

[Rob-F]

Nobody needs a Summar, but if you want to play with one, why not? You can sell it when you are done with it. That's what I did. They really do add "glow."

 

[MikeMGB]

Buy the Summar, my first Barnack came with a Summar that was not suffering from "cleaning marks", I have supplemented it with a red scale Elmar and a Jupiter 8, they are all different and each has their use, I love the soft images and swirly look of the Summar, that look can't be replicated. 🙂