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LEICA 50mm f/2
SUMMICRON-M (1979-today)
© 2010 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Intro Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 (39mm filters, 8.5 oz (242g), about $2,000 new or $1,000 used). enlarge. You can get them new or used from Adorama, my local authorized Leica dealer, OC Camera, and of course used at eBay. It helps me keep adding to this site when you use these links to get yours, thanks! Ken.
February 2010 Leica Camera Reviews Leica Lens Tests
Comparison table of all 50mm SUMMICRON lenses.
Sample Images from California's Gold Country April 2010
Introduction top
Intro Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
I personally buy from Adorama, Amazon, Ritz, B&H, Calumet and J&R. I can't vouch for ads below.
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There is no better 50mm lens on Earth or space than the LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2.
The LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 is 100% compatible with every LEICA M camera from the LEICA M3 of 1954 through today's LEICA M7, MP and the LEICA M9.
The LEICA SUMMICRON has always been the world's standard for performance, and my tests of this newest version prove that this reputation is earned, not given. This is an extraordinary lens.
Before I get too involved, let me caution that any 50mm lens can make great pictures. The only way to see the difference between this $2,000 SUMMICRON-M and, say, an $8 50mm f/1.7 SMC Pentax-M shot on a K1000, is if you're counting every pixel and shooting at large apertures like f/2.8. At normal apertures like f/8, the differences go away. As I go off extolling the manifold virtues of the SUMMICRON-M, remember that these differences are very difficult to see in almost anything other than exacting performance tests.
A few people would think it's crazy to spend $2,000 on a 50mm lens, and I do, too. But let's think about this for a moment. As I write this, most of you are shooting the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S or the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS when you need the 50mm focal length to fill in between your 70-200 and your wide zoom. The plastic Canon costs over $1,000, the Nikon costs $1,750, and you people buy these at the drop of a hat. Both these SLR lenses are new enough that even if you could find them used, you're still into them for over a grand.
The LEICA lens you see pictured here was recently bought used for about $900, still in its original box, and has performance far beyond either of the two lenses most hobbyists use. This Leica lens has optical performance worlds beyond either of those zooms, weighs a fraction as much, and is one or two stops faster. Let's be honest: midrange zooms are really only used to fill-in between your tele and wide zooms, and a fixed 50mm is all you really need.
The fast f/2 speed of this SUMMICRON lets you shoot the same thing at the same shutter speed with an ISO of one-half or one-quarter that you could with the Nikon or Canon zooms. Considering that you can get this Leica lens for less money than one of those zooms, who's crazy now?
The only other lens as good as today's 50mm SUMMICRON-M is the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH, which is a stop faster, but bigger and heavier. Either of these 50mm lenses is today's state-of-the art.
This LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 is the oldest optical design in Leica's catalog, having been introduced in 1979. I'm only showing the current cosmetic version, made from 1994-today. The earlier 1979-1994 version has the same superior optics and a focus tab instead of a ring, but has no built-in hood. Either lens is the best there is.
Because every other LEICA SUMMICRON f/2 lens has been updated to ASPH over the past 15 years (28mm in 2000, 35mm in 1996, 75mm in 2005 and 90mm in 1998), I predict the LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 ASPH should get introduced any year now. No big deal, this 1979 design is unbeaten and merely equaled by the LEICA SUMMILUX-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH.
There is no better 50mm lens, or any lens for that matter.
Every image of this little lens has been enlarged to fit the page. Compared to SLR lenses, or Leica's own 50mm SUMMILUX lenses, this is a very small lens.
LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2. enlarge.
History of the LEICA SUMMICRON more details
Comparison table of every 50mm SUMMICRON made since 1953.
1953-1960: Collapsible LEICA SUMMICRON 5cm f/2
This 7-element lens was first introduced for screw-mount cameras like the stunning LEICA IIIf, and also available in the new bayonet mount for the LEICA M3 starting in 1954.
This, as all SUMMICRONS, was very popular.
1956-1968: LEICA SUMMICRON 50mm f/2
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Rigid |
with near-focusing range (shown without finder attachment) |
This slightly revised optical design also had 7 elements, with superior performance to the collapsible version.
This non-collapsible, or Rigid, version came in both screw and bayonet mounts. The bayonet mount version also came in a special version with an additional near-focusing range, which required an included auxiliary viewfinder attachment.
The rigid bayonet version, with or without the near-focusing range, was wildly popular.
1969-1979: LEICA SUMMICRON 50mm f/2
This lens uses a simplified 6-element design.
It has similar overall performance to the previous version, with lighter weight due to its mostly aluminum body.
It has higher local contrast in exchange for lower overall resolution.
It was made in Germany, and later in Canada. It is a performance bargain used, selling for only about $400.
1979-1994: LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2
The -M was added to SUMMICRON to differentiate it from Leica's discontinued "R" SLR system.
This lens is the first to employ today's optical design.
It has a focus tab instead of a focus ring.
Early versions are made in Canada, and later ones are Made in Germany.
1994-today: LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2
This is the current model lens, as shown throughout this review.
It adds a built-in telescoping hood for the first time in a 50mm SUMMICRON.
In 1999, a special silber chrom screw-mount version was sold in Japan. It is the highest performance 50mm lens ever made for Leica's screw-mount cameras.
Specifications top
Intro Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
Name
Leica calls this the LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2.
Optics top
Cross-section, classical rendition.
Neue rendition. It's the same design, with different mounting edges.
6 elements in 4 groups, double-Gauss variant.
Five surfaces are planes.
Mostly single-coated in magenta.
Diaphragm
LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2. enlarge.
8 blades.
Stops down to f/16.
Half-stop clicks.
Close Focus
Marked: 0.7m and 2.5 ft.
Measured: 0.66m (26" or 2.17 ft)
Maximum Reproduction Ratio
1:11.5.
Size top
Extension from flange: 43.5 mm (1.713"), focused at infinity, specified. Earlier version (1979-1994) was about 43mm long.
Maximum diameter: 53mm (2.09"), specified, current version
39 x 0.5mm screw-in filters.
Earlier version accepted A42 42mm press-on and clip-on front caps and hoods.
Weight top
Current version (1994-today)
Lens alone: 8.543 oz (242.15g), measured, black version.
8.5 oz. (240g), specified, black anodized aluminum version.
11.8 oz. (335g), specified, chromed brass version.
Previous version (1979-1994)
6.9 oz. (195g), specified, in black.
Hood top
LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 (1994-today) with hood extended. enlarge.
The latest (1994-today) version has a telescoping hood. Just slide it out. It does not rotate and it does not lock.
True to „Deutsche Gruendlichkeit“ (German thoroughness), there are two aperture index dots on the hood. One is for each position of the hood.
Roll mouse over to see hood extend!!!
The older 1979-1994 version came with a plastic 12 538 hood. It uses any of the usual collection of A42 clip-ons, like the earlier metal 12 585 shown below.
LEICA 12 585 hood (fits only SUMMICRON from 1953-1994). expand.
Caps top
Front cap: 14 038, clip-on plastic. It's pretty crummily designed: if you use a filter, it no longer lies flat on the front of the hood. Leica's 1950s and 1960s push-over caps were much nicer.
Cap for reversed 12 585 hood: 14 033, snap-over plastic.
Rear cap: standard 14 269, plastic.
Part Numbers top
Current model (1994-today)
11 826 in black anodized aluminum.
11 816 in chromed brass.
Previous rendition (1979-1994)
11 819 in black anodized aluminum (schwartz).
11 825 in chromed brass (silber chrom).
Screwmount M39 (1999, Japan)
11 619 in chromed brass (silber chrom).
Front cap: 14 038, clip-on plastic.
Rear cap: standard 14 269, plastic.
Scope of Delivery top
Lens.
Caps.
Leather case.
Impressive paperwork.
LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2. enlarge.
Performance top
Intro Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
The LEICA 50mm SUMMICRON-M is the world's reference for high performance. There is no better-performing lens, period.
The real question one needs to ask oneself is if you care; used properly, any other 50mm lens also can give extraordinary results.
The superior optics of the LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 are most apparent when looking at huge prints made at large apertures, where lesser lenses have reduced performance.
LEICA shooters don't waste time counting pixels. They just shoot.
Bokeh top
Bokeh, the quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to the degree of defocus, is poor.
Backgrounds don't completely evaporate at f/2; sadly the blur circles have enhanced edges.
f/2.8 isn't much better.
f/4 and smaller can be good, because we've now clipped off the brighter edges of the blur circles, but in practice, bokeh is still poor at f/4.
By the time you've stopped down to f/5.6, who cares: your background is now all in focus.
Here are crops from extremely enlarged prints of about 26 x 40" (65 x 100cm), or the equivalent of looking at LEICA M9 images, shot at the 10MP setting, at 100% on-screen.
In these examples, a vertically polarized phase lattice was set up at 3 meters (10 feet) on which the SUMMICRON-M was focused, and the synthetic reference vegetation seen out of focus in the background was at 15 meters (50 feet).
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Diaphragm Calibration top
The calibration is right-on: the meter in my M9 tracks each half-stop click perfectly.
Distortion top
The LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 has no visible distortion. Shoot it on the M9 at any reasonable distance, blow it up to 200% on-screen, drop a ruler on it in Photoshop, and it's still perfectly straight.
The SUMMICRON has always been a huge improvement over today's newest SLR lenses, like the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF-S, which often have noticeable barrel distortion.
If you shoot at closer distances, you might want to correct the invisible distortion using these figures in Photoshop's lens distortion filter for critical photogrammetric work:
Correct with |
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∞ |
-0.1 |
3 meters (10 feet) |
0.0 |
1 meter (3.3 feet) |
+0.4 |
0.66 meters (2.2 feet) |
+0.4 |
© 2010 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics top
LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2. enlarge.
The little SUMMICRON-M is wonderful.
Focus is immediate, and so is aperture setting, just like almost every other Leica lens.
It gets no better then this.
Finder Blockage top
The earlier (1979-1994) version has a smaller front (A42) and shouldn't have any blockage when used without the hood.
The current (1994-today) version has a wider front, which is the telescoping hood. It can cause a little bit of blockage.
With the hood retracted, this current LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm doesn't block finders when focused at 3 meters (10 feet) or father. At closer distances, there is a little blockage.
With the hood extended, there no blockage at infinity, which gets a little worse as focused more closely.
In any case, it's so little that I couldn't remember any until I actually went back and tried it to document for this review. At worst, at 0.66m with the hood extended, 1/4 of the lower right is blocked, not a big deal.
Focus top
Focus accuracy is a personal issue between your sample of body and your sample of lens. This said, the sample I tested gave dead-nuts-on focus with every body I tried, which is better than any other 50mm lens I've used.
The focus helicoid is geared pretty fast. It takes very little motion to make big changes in focus, so focus is very fast. It's not very precise, but as I've shown, it is always perfect, so this is the best of all worlds.
If you're used to other lenses, like the classic 50mm SUMMILUX with its super-precise focus gearing, you may be in for a bit of a shock as the rangefinder images move very quickly as you turn the focus ring.
Falloff (darker corners) top
This SUMMICRON-M has a small amount of falloff at f/2, and none by f/4.
For actual photography, it's minor at f/2, and invisible by f/2.8.
I've greatly emphasized it below by shooting a gray field and presenting it against another gray field
LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 falloff on full-frame M9 at infinity, 11819/11825/11826/11816 profile used:
© 2010 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
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Lateral Color Fringes top
There no color fringes anywhere. This is the world's performance reference.
Materials and Construction top
This black SUMMICRON-M is weaker than classic brass lenses like the 50mm Rigid SUMMICRON and SUMMICRON with near-focusing range of the 1950s and 1960s, but tough; it weighs less, too.
I have not tried the chromed brass versions of this current lens.Filter threads, barrels, aperture and focus rings: Anodized aluminum.
Focus ring: Anodized aluminum.
Focus helicoids: Brass.
Markings: Engraved and filled with paint.
Bayonet mount: Chromed brass.
Red index dot: Red plastic.
Sharpness top
The more you know about photography, the more you know that lens sharpness doesn't matter.
That said, this is among, if not the, world's sharpest lens. If you're not getting sharp pictures, you're doing something wrong.
In the center, it's sharp and contrasty even at f/2. In fact, it's so sharp at f/2 that it can excite aliases (moiré) in the M9 throughout the entire field, even wide-open.
Like most double-Gauss derived normal lenses, it is least sharp in a doughnut of about 15mm image radius. In this band, the classic 50mm SUMMILUX is relatively horrible, while even at f/2 this newest SUMMICRON is far superior to the SUMMILUX. In this critical band, this SUMMICRON is as sharp at f/2 as the SUMMILUX is at f/5.6-8! This isn't from reading MTF curves; this is from my actual hands-on comparison tests.
This LEICA 50mm SUMMICRON-M is so good at f/2 that it's very difficult to see any improvement as stopped down. Resorting to numerical analysis and integrating the entire field, it's sharpest at f/8, as are most lenses.
This is Leica's sharpest 50mm lens in at least 85 years. I know, I've shot direct comparisons with about eight other samples of every other Leica 50mm going back to the first f/3.5 ELMAR of 1925.
The only possible contender to be the best is the current LEICA SUMMILUX 50mm f/1.4 ASPH, which is entirely different from the earlier LEICA SUMMILUX 50mm f/1.4. I haven't pitted the f/1.4 ASPH versus this SUMMICRON f/2, however critical analysis of published data suggests that they should be equally excellent. Your choice is guided by how much you want to carry, what filter size you prefer, your sensitivity to finder blockage, and any need for f/1.4.
Spherochromatism top
Spherochromatism, or color fringes on out-of-focus objects, is minor.
If wildly out of focus, backgrounds will show green and foregrounds will show magenta fringes, but it's not at all noticeable.
Compared top
Intro Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
Compared to every other 50mm SUMMICRON made since 1953
Compared amongst the slower 50mm lenses
Compared to Konica M
Konica made a counterfeit version of this lens, the Konica-M 50mm f/2, which looks almost exactly like this lens and fits Leica M.
I have shot the Konica M 50mm f/2 directly against this Leica lens, and surprisingly, the Konica-M copy is far inferior to the real LEICA SUMMICRON.
This wasn't just a sample flaw; I also compared the Konica-M 28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2 and 90mm f/2.8 lenses to their Leica counterparts, and the Konica-M lenses produced results far inferior to the real thing.
I was surprised; the Japanese are usually excellent at copying, but in this case, it goes to show that maybe we really are getting the quality for which we pay when we choke up $2,000 for this LEICA lens new.
Recommendations top
Intro Specs Performance Compared Recommendations
There is no better 50mm lens on Earth, or anywhere.
The good news for all of us is that Leica has been cranking out this design since 1979, so if you'd rather not buy new, you can get exactly the same lens used for half the price, especially if you know how to win at eBay.
Only a turkey would pay $1,000 or more new or used for the budget-line LEICA SUMMARIT-M 50mm f/2.5. It is a lesser lens, and you can buy a used SUMMICRON-M, often still in its box, for less than an inferior SUMMARIT-M new or used. The SUMMARIT-M is the sucker lens, for people who don't know how to shop.
50mm SUMMICRON-M lenses at eBay see all
I wouldn't wait for any rumored LEICA SUMMICRON 50mm f/2 ASPH. I'm the only one who sees the pattern which suggests that this lens is due for a new design, and even if Leica announced it today it would cost almost twice as much as today's SUMMICRON. The Leica Man will own both the SUMMICRON and the SUMMILUX ASPH today, and if a $3,800 LEICA SUMMICRON 50mm f/2 ASPH arrived tomorrow, he'll buy that too.
Personally, I see no reason to replace even a 1950s SUMMICRON. When you own any SUMMICRON, regardless of vintage, you own the best. The only possible performance improvement with newer versions is slightly better sharpness in the doughnut of image area between the center and corner regions at larger apertures (f/2 - f/4). If this is a problem for you, buy this newest SUMMICRON, or stop down the older versions.
All 50mm SUMMICRON lenses at eBay see all
If you don't want to gamble on eBay, my local authorized Leica dealer OC Camera sells only new and good used samples.
Deployment top
For use with color transparency film outdoors, I prefer a 39mm B+W 81A filter.
For B&W outdoors, you want a yellow filter standard, like the B+W 39mm #022, or a B+W 39mm orange filter for more contrast, especially in the skies.
For color print film or digital, you want a Leica 39mm silver-ring UV filter for protection, or go commando.
(the old M8 needed a Leica 39mm silver-ring IR filter.)
Many thanks to Gus Lazzari who serviced the lens sample reviewed here.
This particular sample, made in 1996, oddly had been tampered with by an unauthorized technician in 1997.
This inexplicable 1997 service by an unauthorized party used too much lubricant, thus when this lens hit my dock today for review, it had a very light fogging on the inside of the glass. Over the years, the excess lubricant had evaporated and settled on the glass. This resulted in foggy images, even though the rest of the lens looked perfect, and looked decent in the Flashlight Test.
Crude internal graffiti left by an unauthorized technician in 1997.
I sent it to Gus, and he did an outstanding job of cleaning it internally, and putting it all back together with no marks or signs that anything had been touched. Heck, Gus can service an "L" sealed M3 without breaking the seal, so for Gus, it was easy to clean up the sloppy work done earlier. Thanks Gus!
More Information top
Comparison table of every 50mm SUMMICRON made since 1953.
Leica's data, starting at page 42, and especially page 48 for performance graphs.
Leica's current data for the:
50mm f/2.5 SUMMARIT-M (budget lens)
50mm f/2 SUMMICRON-M (this lens)
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Thanks for reading!
Ken
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