Best 50mm LTM lenses

[feli]

>You are right, Feli, I just tend to consider the collapsible as a class all its own

 

It's a great lens and I love mine. I recently sent it to Leica in New Jersey for a CLA (about $80)

and it's very interesting to see it perform as Leica intended. I did the same with my DR and

again, it was well worth the money, although when they removed the haze, they did kill a

little of the glow...

 

feli

[ezio_gallino]

Last batch screwmount summicron/lux ARE RARE. only a limited number crosses EBAY and prices are always increasing. Much more than corresponding bayonet models.

[fred.j.carss]

I only have the Summitar and I have just put my first film (slide)through it. The results were received back last week and I can state that I am delighted with the results so far.

The Summitar was to go with the IIIf that I bought two months ago to realise my ambition of Leica ownership. So far so good!

[bill_springer]

I have read with interest all the comments on the "best" Leica 50mm lens, as

well as the comments on collapsibles and portability. Several years ago,

Sherry Krauter of Golden Touch pointed out to me that the 50mm Summitar

rendered a very 3-dimensional look, "almost as if you could reach into the

picture and touch the trees" as Sherry put it.

 

Sherry and I embarked on a project to figure out why, and to determine what

other Leica lenses rendered this 3-dimensional quality. We found that the 4th.

version 35mm Summicron did, as well as the 35mm Summaron f2.8; also, the

1st. version 135mm Elmarit f2.8 falls into this 3-D category.

 

All these lenses had in common a conically-shaped rear element. Leitz

designed some of the earlier lenses this way so as to throw more late to the

edge of the frame, thereby offsetting the vigneting effect. We still haven't

established that the shape of the rear element contributes to three-

dimensionality.

 

The question of three-dimensionality is in itself a contradiction, since the

image is translated to a 2-dimensional surface. However, the 50mm Summitar

renders the most 3-dimensional look of all Leica lenses. It is perhaps the most

overlooked and underated Leica lense of all.

 

I shoot with a 1st version Rigid Summicron and a Rigid Summar, depending

on the lighting, and tend to shoot between f2.8 and f5.6. The Summar isn't as

sharp, nor as 3-dimensional as the Summitar, but it certainly has boca and

always delivers fascinating results.

 

We never could identify a 90 with hise 3-D quality, but the closest to this seem

to be the 85mm Summarex and the 45-90 Angenieux ®. I use the 90mm

Thambar f2.2 for its softmess (without the spot filter), it is my favorite 90, the

Summarex is next.

 

- Bill

[kelly_flanigan1]

Ezio, the "new" Leica LTM lenses were on Ebay as new old stock lenses for many years. They went to Ebay because dealers were stuck with a glut of UNSOLD lenses, not wanted by the general public. They were on Ebay because they were not rare, just a glut of inventory trying to be moved. Most of these ALL of these auctions had little activity, and ended with not a sale. A glut of inventory, sales that had no buyers, a seller relisting their new old stock lenses many many dozens of times with no buyer is not a rare lens, but a glut of inventory nobody really wanted, at the going prices. It took over 5 years for these new LTM lenses to mostly be sold. <BR><BR>The only thing that is rare about them is a sale deeply less than what most folks paid for them. I watched the LTM #11619 auctions on Ebay for over 1 1/2 years, with the seller(s) slowly dropping the asking prices to try to make a sale. New lenses that take 5 years to move out of inventory are not rare items. They rotted on Ebay as a last ditch effort to try to make a sale, to recoup the ill purchase mistake the seller made. The only thing that is rare about them is a sale deeply less than what most folks paid for them.<BR><BR>If one thinks they are rare because no sales are occuring for 300 dollars, so be it. With this thought then Oil in Texas is rare becuse folks are not selling it for 1 dollar per barrel? :)

[raymond_tai]

As far as I know the limited screw mount 50mm Summicrons were made in much higher

numbers than the LTM 35mm ASPH and LTM Summilux. The latter two were hard to find

as they were made for Lemon Camera in Japan but practically every dealer in HK had the

Summicron and that lens was available for years after the other two disappeared from the

market. I am sure I can get a new LTM Summicron tomorrow from one of the local HK

dealers. Anyway I have the LTM Summilux and it is just too heavy for the screw bodies,

and the barrel blocks most of the built-in finder anyway.

 

The best 50mm LTM IMHO for the Barnack bodies is the coll. Summicron of course.<div></div>