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35mm 2.5 summarit any good for film?

ericdan

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Feb 28, 2014
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1,359
Location
Tokyo
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35mm RF
Hi,
i read online that the 35mm summarit f2.5 lens is a low cost general purpose lens designed for Leicas digital rangefinders.
Is this lens not really suitable for film range finders then?
I am thinking of using it on my M6.
Thanks.
 
I don't know that I'd call a $2K lens "low cost", but I'd say that with Leicas general rep for making quality optics it would be fine for a film camera. If that lens is indeed low cost then my CV 35 f2.5 PII must be positively bottom of the barrel.
 
It is a film lens and the MTFs are on Leicas site.
But the cosina LTM and M /2.5s will give similar performance.
Reduced bragging rights though.
 
Some people prefer the Summarits to the regular Leica line.
 
The basic difference as widely accepted is that the Summarit's give a bit more contrast over a Summicron, which you can either find irritating or nice. I like to add contrast if necessary, it's harder trying to reduce it. Despite my love of Leica lenses I am also looking for another 35mm and it's the CV f/2.5 that I'm looking at, not for its price but because I love those small Skopar's, they punch well above their price and compete directly with the nearest Leica equivalent lenses.

Steve
 
Cosina do three /2.5s identical optics their line up in 35mm was

classic LTM
pancake LTM
M

an asph /1.7 LTM

a SC /1.4 M
same in MC

a /1.2 type I M also asph
type II M

The fit to your hand is more important than speed, IQ, or $, cause if you fumble and miss a shot the eg IQ is immaterial?
 
Good point. The fit is very important and the voigtlander 35mm 2.5 was actually too small for my hands. I ended up getting the zeiss 35mm 2.8 T* ZM
its a but slow but I never really shoot below 4 anyhow so that should be OK.
I hope that lens will work out for me.
 
ericdan said:
Hi,
i read online that the 35mm summarit f2.5 lens is a low cost general purpose lens designed for Leicas digital rangefinders.
Is this lens not really suitable for film range finders then?
I am thinking of using it on my M6.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I read online that the entire British Royal Family are lizard-type aliens in human guise. Really.
 
Ah but that's one of the few things you'll read on the interwebs that it 100% accurate, EvH ...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
for me personally, the biggest strength of the summarit is its resistance to flare, its biggest weakness its noticable distortion (not a big issue if you shoot digital). it is a very sharp lens indeed.

the skopar in comparison is prone to flare and ghosts, a bit softer at large apertures but nevertheless excellent value for money. just make sure you geet a good copy. i prefer the slight stiffness of zhe focus on the skopar and thought about having the rit relubed with some stiffer kind of grease. i found the speed rating of the skopar flattering, when shooting slides side by side the skopar pics are noticabley darker than those of other 35s.

that being said, the 35 i use most of the time is the cron iv for its extra half stop or so of speed and its imperfections.
 
I have one of these lenses. It works fine on my M2 and my M8.2. Only odd thing I find it that my copy fits a bit tighter on the M2 than the M8.2.
I got it used from popflash.com for $800.
 
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