Summitar lens results

frank · Oct 25, 2005

Hello all. I've just aquired a like-new example of this lens (attached to a beauty IIIC.) The first film with images made with this lens is still unfinished in the camera. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the Summitar and had any results to show.

Jersey Vic · Oct 25, 2005

frank said:
Hello all. I've just aquired a like-new example of this lens (attached to a beauty IIIC.) The first film with images made with this lens is still unfinished in the camera. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the Summitar and had any results to show.

I really like shooting my summitar wide open. it gives a very 'classic' look to images, especially good for portraits-- 2 examples attached. Enjoy this beauty.

gnashings · Oct 25, 2005

Sorry about the off topic - but I had a look at those pics, and they really cought my eye! I don't know how much of it is lens (probably little, its the photographer that counts!) - but I love those pics! Especially the first one - its just what B&W should be, in my humble opinion.

df cardwell · Oct 25, 2005

The 'art' of lensmaking way back in the Summitar's day was to balance the performance to make a uniformly good image: emphasize the good and distribute the flaws in a way that didn't distract. That's the Summitar all over.

Have a good time with it. let's see what you find !

.

laz · Oct 25, 2005

pardon if this is a tad off topic. I'm trying to choose between this lens and a 50mm F2.5 Voigtlander COLOR-SKOPAR. I'm leaning toward the Summitar, any opinions?
-Bob

Jersey Vic · Oct 25, 2005

laz said:
pardon if this is a tad off topic. I'm trying to choose between this lens and a 50mm F2.5 Voigtlander COLOR-SKOPAR. I'm leaning toward the Summitar, any opinions?
-Bob

I dont have the skopar but have a CV Nokton and a Summitar they are 2 very different animals. One is super sharp and super contrasty-which is great if that's what you want- the other is less so and IMO shows off it's strong points wide open with slow film. I have to imagine the Skopar is more akin to the Nokton.
Can you buy both?

laz · Oct 25, 2005

Jersey Vic said:
Can you buy both?

What is it called when you can't afford one so you buy both?........ oh yeah Reganonomics!

Mark Layne · Nov 14, 2005

frank said:
Hello all. I've just aquired a like-new example of this lens (attached to a beauty IIIC.) The first film with images made with this lens is still unfinished in the camera. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the Summitar and had any results to show.

Compared to the collapsible Summicron which followed it the Summitar is sharper in the centre, softer in the corners
Mark

David H. Bebbington · Nov 15, 2005

laz said:
pardon if this is a tad off topic. I'm trying to choose between this lens and a 50mm F2.5 Voigtlander COLOR-SKOPAR. I'm leaning toward the Summitar, any opinions?
-Bob

I had two Summitars at one time, they were sharp, field flatness was good, micro-contrast was average for a 50-year-old lens (low by today's standards). Biggest downside was the lenses' tendency to flare in backlit situations (in a way, this was acknowledged by Leitz in the way they provided a folding lens shade of huge proportions). I see the 50 mm F2.5 Skopar has 8 elements in 6 groups (vastly different from the old Tessar-based Color-Skopar of the 1950s and 1960s). No personal experience of the new Skopar, I would expect it to nearly equal the Summitar at its best and have much better flare suppression, making it a more versatile all-round lens.

Summitar lens results

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