
So the 50 Summicron was a compromise, but it turned out to be the best lens I ever had. I bought my cron for 1350 euros and by now it is almost 2000 euros. If you see them everyday, you’ll finally start to think that 3,5K for a lens actually isn’t that much. I think I was just getting used to the prices of Leica back then. And the 50 Summicron made me take another step back, because I was used to the 50/1.2 from Canon.
LEICA 50MM SUMMICRON F2 ISO
With the M9, I already took a step back in the ISO department, compared to my Canon 5D2. I love everything about this picture, including the model…Īctually, I wanted a Summilux, but I thought it was too expensive. It’s never interested me as it has a lot of focus shift, which makes it a pain to use on rangefinders.One of the first shots with the 50 cron. This is a very compact lens with a vintage optical design. But it offers no significant advantage over the new Voigtlander 50/1.5 II, and is larger, heavier, and more expensive. This lens is legendary and has insanely good central sharpness considering its compact size and f/1.4 aperture. For a similar price you can just get the Zeiss 50/2 Planar, so I’m not sure who this lens is for. This lens offers optical perfection with a fairly limited f/3.5 aperture in a tiny but odd-looking package. But that’s not enough to overcome its price tag of over $8000. This lens offers similar performance to the Voigtlander APO and is a bit better in terms of size and ergonomics. If you enjoy these reviews and would like to contribute, you can buy something from my accessories page or buy me a coffee! Other alternatives

Making this website is my hobby and hosting it costs $200/year. I might buy another one some day, if I can swallow the price difference versus the Zeiss and Voigtlander offerings. Since then, I’ve realized I miss having my 50 Summicron for travel, landscapes, and portraits. I used my Summicron for about a year and sold it, since I wasn’t using 50mm much and I wanted the funds to try out other lenses. But it won’t give you quite the same corner-to-corner sharpness as one of the 50/2 options. That lens is stunningly compact yet still a great performer. If you want a wider aperture, your best choice is probably the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 II ( review). Another very strong alternative is the Voigtlander 50/2 APO-lanthar ( review), which offers truly perfect performance at the cost of being slightly larger and heavier than the other 50/2 options. The most significant difference between those two lenses might be that the Zeiss doesn’t have a built-in hood.

This is particularly problematic since the Zeiss 50mm f/2 Planar is almost identical for a much lower price ( review). The only real downside is its price, which although low by Leica standards, is still very high at above $1,500 on the used market.

The Summicron delivers this excellent image quality in a small package with perfect handling. The edges/corners don’t get sharp until around f/2.8 or f/4, but this almost never matters. It’s tack sharp throughout almost the whole frame even at f/2, which is way better than your classic nifty fifty from Canon/Nikon/etc. The 50mm Summicron is a fantastic standard lens. In summary, the Summicron isn’t 100% perfect but will deliver razor-sharp images in almost all real-world circumstances.įocus shift: I remember seeing some focus shift when I tested for it at 0.7m, but I never noticed significant focus shift in my photos.
