Which 35 to "dump"?

[Phantomas]

35mm is my so called "go-to" focal length and I have three of such lenses in M mount (plus two in F mount). Due to circumstances I need to cut one of them loose. But even though I always knew the day would come I always had a touch time even thinking of which one I would eventually let go. Well, the day has come. Help me decide by choosing which one you would let loose.

Zeiss 35/2:
PROS: from image quality perspective most "correct" of them three. Wonderful quality. Feels pleasant in hand and in use. Good size.
CONS: too "sterile"? Not the fastest aperture (but no biggie).

CV 35/1.2 (first edition):
PROS: f/1.2! Like the image character, even if technically not the most perfect.
CONS: size! (huge)

Summaron 35/2.8 (don't ask edition):
PROS: size (the smallest), lovely "old-school" image characteristics, size (again)
CONS: not the fastest (but I got the others)


Oh the dilemma! I'm thinking of letting Zeiss go, but it's not an easy one 🙁

 

[segedi]

If the 3rd option was a Summarit, I would have kept it and dumped the Zeiss, but the Summaron as it is, can go.

 

[kxl]

I had the same choice to make at one time; had 3 35mm's even though I prefer the 50 -- the 3 35mm's were the CV 35/1.4 SC, CV 35/1.2 and ZM 35/2.0.

1) Sold the CV 35/1.4 SC lens, which I used primarily for B&W film
2) sold the CV 35/1.2 lens, which I used primarily for color

Kept the ZM since it performed well enough for either B&W film or color, and for my occasional use of 35mm, f2.0 was fast enough.

 

[Phantomas]

OUCH!!! The "Summarit" mentioned in the poll is actually a Summaron... there goes the whole pole logic 🙁 Should have known better posting late night after few shots of rum.

 

[gustavoAvila]

I would dump the one whose image character you like the least.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Dump the lot and buy a Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH FLE!!! You'll have to chip in some extra moolah on top of the sale proceeds but the FLE is the one 35mm lens to rule them all 😀

 

[benji77]

I would personally keep the Zeiss & Summaron. The Summaron has something special about it, not to mention the size. The Zeiss, well, print something off it at 12 x 16 and you will end up keeping it!

 

[Spicy]

depending on what you need (as much cash as possible, a quick sale, etc), it might be best to base the decision on which can be most easily replaced once it becomes economically feasible. for example, if you had a one-off noctiluxicronmarrit and a run of the mill CV 35/1.4, the requirements of your situation might dictate that the CV ought to be the one to go.

also, a lot of people adhere to the mantra to never sell a leica lens unless absolutely unavoidable (or if you just completely hate it). the zeiss' come up on the classifieds here with regularity, moreso than either of the other two.

 

[tuanvinh2000]

I would keep the zeiss if you want to have only one lens. Or two then sell the zeiss and have one fast and one slow pair both with more characters. 🙂 im in a similar shoe with the cron 35 and nokton 1.2 35 and i always debate btw keeping one cron or replace it with a slow 35 and have a pair (skopar 35 or c biogon 35).

 

[froyd]

Keep the Summaron. The Biogon is a neither fish nor fowl lens, and the 1.2 is too big for everyday use but it's results are so stellar that that should be your second choice for a keeper IF, as you say, you have other lenses that could be used instead for everyday carry.

 

[Frank Petronio]

Dump them all and get a 35 Summicron and be done.

 

[Takkun]

Ideally, I'd say dump them all for a Summicron, but I'd say your best bet is keep the Zeiss, if you have to keep one. Sounds like its the best compromise. For me personally, I shoot the 35 the most in low-light situations, so my 35 Skopar had to go, but in the same situations i don't think I could deal with carrying around something as big as the 1.2.

 

[mfogiel]

CV 35/1.2 has no substitutes, Summaron is simply great as a walk around lens, and has fantastic rendering in B&W, while Zeiss is close to perfect from f 2.8 but excels in colour. So I would sell the Zeiss if you shoot B&W and Summaron if you shoot colour.

 

[Roger Hicks]

How badly do you need the money? 'Cos no matter which you sell, you'll probably miss it sooner or later.

Personally I've never seen why anyone bothers with Summarons (I've had a couple) so that would be the easy choice to go. This may bring me hate mail from Summaron addicts...

For the others, it's a good illustration of personal preference (and I've had all three). The 35/1.2 is VAST and the half stop over a 35/1.4 is seldom decisive -- though a 35/2 is a bit slow (which is why I dumped my Summicron, which I was running in parallel with a Summilux, my standard 35 for well over 30 years). f it were just one lens, I'd probably keep the Zeiss as a good compromise on size and speed, but as only one has to go, I'd keep the f/2 and f/1.2.



Cheers,

R.

 

[__jc]

Dump them all and get a 35 Summicron and be done.

This is what I'd recommend too - unless there is some particular reason that you'd prefer to keep one of the existing lenses, which doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[Phantomas]

Thanks all. The suggestions about Summicron are interesting, haven't considered that option. Right now the point is letting go just of just one lens, but on the second though a Summicron might indeed be a good replacement of them all functionally, ergonomically and from final image perspective. Definitely worth consideration... for later (right now finances play a role, and without doing research I suspect Summicron might require additional financing on top of these three lenses, or just cover it).

edit: or Summilux 🙂

 

[jsrockit]

Wow, hard one. I think I'd dump the Zeiss.

 

[Sparrow]

... one of the advantages of the Summaron is that deep recess the front element is in ... much better protected and shaded than any of the others so it's much more practical when actually taking photos

 

[raid]

I have none of these three 35mm lenses, which makes my opinion an unbiased but less informed opinion. I compared about thirty 35mm-40mm lenses, so I have tried each of these three lenses for a few weeks.

For the uniqueness, I would keep the CV 35/1.2.
For opitical perfection, I would keep the Zeiss 35/2.

The market is now great for selling the vintage 35/2.8 Summaron. Unless your work is mostly B&W, I would suggest to sell this lens. Else, sell the Zeiss.

 

[yossarian123]

The summaron has a look that can't be duplicated on the other 2 lenses. This can be your everyday lens, because it's also an extremely sharp lens. When you need the speed (which in my case is rarely) then you have the 35/1.2 - and it's an amazing lens. I would sell the Zeiss.