I think that one should
invest in decent lenses, because the picture quality of a photo often depends
on this. I also know that many like experimenting with old lenses, especially
because they often have their very own charm. They are not always the sharpest,
but often have their very own individual bokeh. In the past, I was less interested
in old glass. I always thought that I could try to take the picture of my life
and then end up with just mud with beautiful bokeh. If only there wasn’t the
problem that I like to experiment and play around. So it happened that I was a guest at Andreas Jorns’
and he told me that he had just bought an old Leica Summitar 50 mm f/2.0 which
he absolutely raved about. Suddenly
there was the desire to play with old lenses. With Leica you have the advantage
that even very old items work perfectly. With an M camera you just don’t think
about autofocus.
I strolled to my Leica dealer
Meister Camera with the intention of demonstrating my camera strap but ended up leaving
the store with a pack of old 50 mm shards. My buddy at the shop was picking up
something in a container of old glass and gave me an Elmar f/3.5 of 1935, a
Summar f/2.0 of 1937, Summitar f/2.0 of 1951 and a Jupiter f/2.0 of 1990. Nice toys.
In addition, there was also a bit of background information by Mr. Bertram, who
apparently knows every old lens and its history. I was very curious to see how
things were going.
Ultimately, I limited
myself to the Summar and the Summitar. Four lenses were a bit too much. After all, you have to take a pictures and
changing constantly just confuses me. In the exif data unfortunately you don’t
see which lens was used. I used both lenses for the first test pictures at a
workshop and was instantly intrigued. Of course, Scampi had to be the first
test object, which is almost a tradition with new lenses. Since the aperture of
the Summitar jammed, I know with certainty that I always used f / 2.0.
Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M10
Raw image, Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M10
As far as sharpness goes,
I was more than surprised. With some re-sharpening in Capture One, the result
was quite impressive. I was almost disappointed. Could it be that this old lens was better than
many new products?
Here are some more
pictures I took with the Summitar. A few of them also in the unedited version.
Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M10
Raw image, Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M10
Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M10
Raw image, Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M10
Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M240
Leica Summitar 50mm f/2 on Leica M240
I must say that the
Summitar surprised me. Considering that it is from 1951 and that it has to work
with a modern sensor with relatively high resolution, this is really impressive.
In addition I have to mention that you
get these things for 200 € to 400 €. Without further editing, the images are
not quite as crisp, but that can be corrected if you want to. The bokeh has
this slightly swirly bokeh, but not quite as extreme as for instance a Petzval
lens. And the coolest is, of course, the look. If I show up with this thing at
the next wedding, then one or the other will certainly be wondering. The
sharpness decreases somewhat toward the edges, which is of no problem for me because
I rarely place important matter in the corners.
Left: Summitar: Right: Summar
But let's go back a step
further. The Summar 50 mm f/2.0 to my knowledge was the first 50 mm with an aperture
of f/2.0 that Leica built. Like the Summitar, it has a screw thread, so you
need an adapter for the M. Focusing with the rangefinder also worked
flawlessly. Just look at the pictures
and judge for yourself:
Leica Summar 50mm f/2 made in 1937
Raw image, Leica Summar 50mm f/2 made in 1937
Leica Summar 50mm f/2 made in 1937
Raw image, Leica Summar 50mm f/2 made in 1937
Leica Summar 50mm f/2 made in 1937
Raw image, Leica Summar 50mm f/2 made in 1937
Well, I am not one who can
examine and evaluate pictures to the smallest detail and their technical
perfection. But what I see at first glance amazes me. Why do I pay so much for
modern lenses? In view of the age these lenses of more than 80 years, this is an
impressive achievement. However, I must
note that both lenses do not particularly like back light. Here the coating of
new lenses becomes noticeable. As
indicated above, I am almost a little bit disappointed that these things are so
good. The Summar seems to be a much unloved child and therefore is often
available for less than 200 €. If you pay 400 €, then there is the possibility that
there is a camera in back of the lens. I
hope this does not change with this article.
I really enjoy the two old
lenses. Let's see which I will keep it. Preferably, both. I have to try to make
a deal with my dealer friend. If you are in Hamburg, pay Meister Camera a visit.
They have a lot of old treasures lying around and they gladly give you advice.
If you like, please
comment on your experiences with old lenses. I'm limited to Leica here, but
there are possibilities without end.
A camera makes a girl twice as hot. Taken with a Leica Q
Translated from German by Heinz Richter
For the original article go
here
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Brad Maestas wrote:
ReplyDeleteI shoot with both modern ASPH and older Leica glass. One of my favorites is the f/1.5 Summitar. The Rigid is also a stunner but is much more controlled. I'm definitely interested in trying one of the old Summars.
Maximilien de Zarobe wrote:
ReplyDeleteI use nothing but old Leica lenses, some are 80 years old, and they are a joy to use. Of course they are full of flaws according to modern standards, but honestly who cares? As long as the picture is nice....
Your approach is certainly a lot easier on the pocket book
DeleteBeautiful photos and very interesting topic in this article. I have my Summitar f/2 always mounted on my M3 and I love it, I think the difference with modern lenses is mainly in the image contrast and in color rendering, so you have to know how to use it and in which occasions it is best. I also use the 50 mm f/1.5 Jupiter 3, probably I've been lucky with a very good sample, and I love it mainly for portraits with the subject at the center of the frame or when I want to separate the main subject from the background in a characterized way.
ReplyDelete