Well-done! Lovely images! I, too, consider myself a “50mm shooter,” because I usually choose 50mm for meditative, deliberate, intentional shooting, and my absolute favorite M lens is a Summilux-M 50mm ASPH, but, I shoot more total images, with M cameras, using 35mm. I tested a very clean, well-preserved, pre-owned Summilux-M 35mm Version II, and a demonstrator Summilux-M 35mm ASPH FLE, at Houston Camera Exchange, in Texas, in the early part of 2023. My much-loved Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 ZM lens acted as the “control” lens, for the experiment. The older, classic Summilux certainly has its charm, but, I decided to let this one go to another buyer. I actually prefer the Zeiss Distagon’s bokeh, and, the vintage lens costing $3K US was a factor, considering that a “Re-Edition” Steel rim would cost less than $4K US. Eventually, I did buy a “Re-Edition” Steel Rim Summilux-M 35mm, at the end of June 2023. I seem to have gotten a well-made individual specimen, and, its ability to accept 46mm threaded filters is a desirable feature. (Using filters with a Summilux-M 35mm Version II is not so easy.) I am still using M10 and M Type 246 digital Leica cameras, but do enjoy your presentations. I may, eventually, acquire an analog M camera, but, for now, when I do dabble with 35mm film shooting, I have older Nikon SLRs.

Thank you for an interesting and involving review of this lens. One day I may be able to afford a lens like this. I recall in 1990 walking past a Photgraphic shop with enough cash in my pocket to buy the Leica M6 and 50/2 lens in the window. The cash was to pay the solicitor's bill for the purchare of our house. I duly went and paid the bill. I felt like Frodo Baggins nearing mount doom with the ring, the cash weighed heavily in my pocket and I almost did not do the thing I came to do.

@richardsimms251

3 ай бұрын

@autisticlife : That is a great story. Very enjoyable. Thank you. RS. Canada

Thanks for another quality review Max!

Marvellous lens and great review, as usual. Congratulations!!

A very good overview of this classic Leica lens and covers its look and character very well. I’ve been using multiple versions/examples of the 35 Summilux for over 50-years now. It is not a perfect lens but that is part of its beauty. It is really fun to use for its physical form factor and optical qualities. Not every image will be up to the ‘vision plan’ if you just want a lens that behaves well like a modern design, but the surprises can be very unique and rewarding. One thing not touched on in this review I have found is what I call ‘sample variations.’ In this time of 1958 design development, getting the lens from paper to actual production was a challenge. It may have been one of the most difficult lenses to make for Leitz with some examples described as “all bokeh” lack of sharpness, or just “a dog” with vailed flare very low contrast and/or just strong distracting flare across the frame. On the other hand, if everything in assembling the lens went right and it’s a good example the lens can be sharp and good [enough] contrast (with the right light) even wide open, and well corrected stopped down to f4-f8. It is why I’ve said it is “two lenses in one.” At f1.4 the micro-contrast characteristics can have a ‘painting-like’ look, and the ‘Leica-glow’ adds an atmosphere few other lenses have. The bokeh at f1.4-f2 with a wider 35mm can just adds to the uniqueness of an image. Colors are natural and not over saturated ‘modern,’ and I would say a really great vintage B&W lens for its mid-tones. I still have my early v2 with the locking focus tab, and it is my favorite Leica lens on a film M-series, the digital monochrom, and the SL (with the advantage of seeing with a live view EVF what it is doing, few ‘surprises’).

@AnalogInsights

6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment and additional information. Really appreciate it.

Dream lens, that Leica store must be like Mecca for Leica shooters, the images from Morocco are simply beautiful.

@AnalogInsights

8 ай бұрын

Thank you. Really appreciate it.

This is the quintessential Leica lens. I have a Summilux F1.4 ASPH, I think they are called Pre FLE. I love the rendering of that lens. It is not easy to describe it to be honest. but it is larger than this model and a lot heavier too.

Beautiful review and a really unique lens! I like how you always get in depth with a lot of historical references as well. I feel like there is always a deeper appreciation on the subject you choose in each video rather than just doing another lens review. I wasn’t aware of this version of the summilux, such beautiful character at a compact size.

@AnalogInsights

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for your kind words and appreciation for these videos. Really means a lot to me.

So happy every time there is a new video from this channel. Thanks for all the great videos! I know most of the videos are for historically significant gear, but some of the newer stuff you can get (light lens lab lenses) are pretty interesting and might be worthwhile to do a review on.

@AnalogInsights

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for your kind words and the great suggestion. Noted.

With the many outstanding Voigtländer lenses meanwhile available, it gets more and more difficult to justify the astronomic Leica prices.

@trels203

8 ай бұрын

Voigtlander leses perform and look really good. Leica might have a slight edge in some optical apsects, but it seems in my experience that the benefits are too slight for the added price premium you pay.

@y34r

8 ай бұрын

Not only for Leica m user, looking for compact size lenses with great optical performance to pair mirror less, voigtlander is so great. I have used 28mm f2 ultron ii on countless mirrorless body.

@kevin-parratt-artist

8 ай бұрын

... only if you don't appreciate its qualities. 😉

@mynewcolour

8 ай бұрын

I use a Nokton 40mm f1.4 VM which is somewhat based on the early Summilux (I believe). I would love to know how the performance compares. The size and speed appeals. I’ll admit I’d quite like a Canadian Leitz lens to match my camera body. Colour contrast slightly flatter (than the mulitcoated VM lens)?

@nathanhoefert

8 ай бұрын

Did you get any photos of the authorities in Morocco? For some reason they really don’t like it. Morocco is such a beautiful country.

This is a wonderful presentation Max. Thank you. RS. Canada

@AnalogInsights

3 ай бұрын

Thank you. That's very kind of you. Just released another review. :)

Wonderful images and excellent review! I'm fortunate to have the Made in Germany version, Back when CV 35mm f1.4 ver I had average performance, and the Made in Canada version had problem to mount on M240/M262, the Made in Germany is the only option. I'm glad I found mine. I really like the combination of having excellent IQ and to creativity brought in between f1.4-f2. Really compact with great performance. Which brings me a hard time to accept any new lenses in terms of volume. Now I'm using the GFX camera but this Summilux is still my first choice.

I can't afford gear like this, but i'd own a Canon VI L 6L soon, also a CLE...so that's good enough for my film rangefinder needs, besides the old Yashica here. Another quality video from my fave film channel #Analog Insights here since 2016, thank you Max.

There's also a transitional version of the v2 but with the infinity lock! Not as expensive as the steel rim version, but roughly double the price of the normal v2 :)

Give the Hexar AF a try, the 35mm f2 lens is a true gem and something that would make Leitz sweating if Konica was still making cameras.

Love my Voightlander 35mm 1.7 Ultron , I also enjoy the 50mm F2 DR that I purchased , it is museum quality and a wonderful shooter with all matching numbers / certificate. I even have the clamshell case ... Mm I like 35mm , but am more of a 50mm person. Still , it was a nice review of the old 35mm lens.

35 Summilux is a beautiful lens!

I bought a copy of this dirt cheap because the focus tab was falling off. I ordered a 35$ replacement online and installed it. Now, I use it more than my FLE. It’s so small and the IQ just has a nice rendering.

Yes! Love your reviews so the more rangefinder lenses you can review the better, great video once again thank you! The Lux 35 is a great lens, all versions of it, but it’s overpriced these days. It’s my favorite 35mm alongside the Nikkor 35mm f1.8 and the 8 elements Summicron, but these days you can simply buy a voigtlander 35mm f1.4 V2 SC and it offers very similar rendering / handling for a reasonable price. Another lens that offers similar rendering, at a different focal length, is the Nikkor 5cm f1.4 LTM (or the S version for the SP). Glowy / Dreamy as the 35 lux at f1.4, and tack sharp from f2 onwards. On top of that, it has a Sonnar rendering so the bokeh is even more beautiful, and cheap (especially the S mount version).

@ssa371

8 ай бұрын

Hello. What about voigtlander 35mm f1.4 V1? Are there significant differences between V1 and V2?

Long story short: this lens is veeeeeryyy small, veeeeeryyyyy light and has a nice image quality, but it comes with an insane price tag. 👍

@AnalogInsights

8 ай бұрын

Yes, indeed.

...I own this lens and love it for a variety of reasons, but I am bit surprised no one has touched on its propensity to flare.

@wilfredshum3703

8 ай бұрын

Surely flares @f/1.4, much like the 35 mm Summicron 8 Element, and even the reissued steel rim.

The 35 pre-A Summilux often gets flack for its performance, being compared to todays 35 Summilux versions that are 50 years newer in technology. While this lens isn't known for its corner sharpness wide open, that doesn't mean it's obsolete by any means. If this lens is outside of your budget but you want the appearance and small form factor, take a look at the Voigtlander 35 1.4 II If you haven't seen comparisons between these two lenses, I highly recommend taking a look. They're almost identical in rendering and Voigtlander even addresses some of the "downfalls" of the Summilux without abandoning the overall character. It really is a specialty lens that tends to get mistakenly overlooked or pushed aside by those who are after a clinical lens on a smaller budget... they'll try it and hate it for its character, but that's exactly what this lens is supposed to do. If you're aiming for a clinical sharpness, edge to edge perfection, high contrast lens... neither of these lenses are for you. There are other options for that.

There are plenty lenses just to be exchangeable. This is one of the view relevant lenses.

The lens reminds me of something the offspring of a 35mm Summicron V1 and V4 would look like. With the characteristics of the f/1.4 aperture as well. You also won't find any distortion in this lens. Which isn't the case for the Voigtländer counterpart. The Summilux has dethroned my trusty 50mm Summicron Rigid as the go to since acquiring it 2 years ago.

Totally agree I had late version summilux pre asph and summicron KOB simultaneously Exactly the same images from f2 to f16 KOB kept its name @f4 for very subtle bokeh. Lux is exactly the same at this aperture, very progressive bokeh and even microcontrast in it Sold the summicron KOB !

Extraordinary pictures! How would you describe its difference in Colors compared to the Summicron Pre-a? I really like the colors on film on summicron pre a, is the summilux same or more colorful than the Summicron or it’s less contrasty due to the so called leica glow?

I bought one of these years ago and fell in love with the look, but I'm a 50mm shooter so I then spent years searching for a 50mm with a similar look. Many many many 50's later I settled on the Nippon Kogaku Nikkor - S-C 1.4. I'm sure that statement will cause some debate but for me the Nikkor has the look I want.

@Beakphoto

8 ай бұрын

also every rangefinder lens should have a focus tab like that Summilux, it should be international law.

@AnalogInsights

8 ай бұрын

Very interesting choice. And yes, I agree on the focusing tab.

I have this lens and it stays on my leica m11 90% of the time. Have used many lenses, including third party. I stuck with this for the glow, as if i wanted super sharp perfect digital images there are better lenses. Also interesting note, this lens pairs very very well with the render of the canon 50mm f1.2 ltm’s glow. Also interesting to note that the reissue does not have the same render. The reissue has less glow, darker shadows. A tad more modern

Thank Max for very interesting topics. Question, type of film scanner do you to scan your negatives?

It is a lens that in ten years has gone up tenfold in value, maybe more, if you are to believe what is demanded of those who sell such lenses on eBay and the Zuiko 21mm f2.0 is a crazy price increase. Would love for you to rate it

great review, thank you very much for that! Being yourself user who appreciates more the 50mm, may I please ask which lens can offer similar to the 35 summilux pre-asph, properties? Have seen some reviews on Nokton 50 1.2, however I can not really justify the price, thus thinking of the CV Heliar 50 1.5? Will the Heliar be a good choice for that wide open creative rendering which the Sum. 50 1.4 pre-asph offers?

@uberjava

8 ай бұрын

Looking at a single coated Nokton 35mm 1.4 classic isn't a million miles away. The Nokton Classic is based on the same optical formula, and is about the same size etc. It doesn't have the same magic, but if you have both lenses (which I do) and you shoot side by side, they are closer than most people want to admit. For a 50mm equivalent of the 35mm Pre-A, the same properties then boils down to a more classic rendering and some glow wide open. I used to have a Summilux 50 pre-a, and I compared it directly to the Canon 50 LTM Japanese Summilux (which is very very affordable), both lenses rendered very similar. A really clean copy of the Canon 1.2 LTM, with no haze (not so easy to find), has some extra character wide open that's worth a look. The 1.2 without haze, is actually acceptably sharp wide open. All these 50's have a 1 meter minimum focus distance mind you. The Classic goes down to 0.7m and the 35mm Summilux Pre-A goes down to about 0.85m (despite often being listed as 1M for some weird reason).

I have the Titanium version, with the hood.

Great review! I have owned this lens for about a year, and what you said about it being sort of a 'tale of two lenses', changing character a lot at different apertures is definitely true, and makes it feel more like an artistic tool than a technical one. That changing character is my favorite thing about the lens. I've been trying to find a 50mm lens that is similar to this lens, and which is dreamlike wide open but gets very sharp as it is stopped down. I have the V1 Summicron, but it is quite a bit older in its rendering, especially color and sharpness. While doing some testing and comparisons, I thought the modern 50mm Summilux ASPH was kind of similar to the 35mm Summilux v2, but not quite exactly the same kind of rendering (the ASPH lens is of course still a bit more modern). If you or anyone else reading has any recommendations for a 50mm equivalent to the old 35mm Summilux v2, I'd love to hear it!

@christopherrodriguez7223

8 ай бұрын

I have this 35 and love it dearly, I found the 50 lux pre-a version version 3 is similar.

@MysteriousCo.

8 ай бұрын

@@christopherrodriguez7223 Thank you for the recommendation there, that is good to know. I have not actually tested this version of the 50mm Summilux yet, but in general I do prefer the Mandler rendering to the Karbe rendering, so I imagine I'd like the v3. If it is possible to say, what are some of the similarities that you noticed between the two?

@christopherrodriguez7223

8 ай бұрын

@@MysteriousCo. here are some of the characteristics that speak to my use case, low contrast, lovely rendering at all apertures, not clinical at all, can flare and is lovely to see at times, when not wanted, use the built in hood, also for a 50 lux, its the lightest version to carry. Price has appreciated again and is harder to find in mint condition. All in all, it reminds me of the 35 just a better hood design on the 50. You may also want to look at the 50mm summarit 1.5, its heavy but output is better again in my opinion, I only bought the lux do to weight. Carrying that around all day, is a pain at times. Again all my opinions. Cheers.

@MysteriousCo.

8 ай бұрын

@@christopherrodriguez7223 Wonderful information, thank you for sharing that! That does sound like it would be a great pairing with the 35mm. I have noticed that the v3 50mm Summilux also comes in older e43 and more modern e46 varieties. Do you find that you have a preference for one or the other?

@christopherrodriguez7223

8 ай бұрын

@@MysteriousCo.I went with the v3 for weight and body design. It was a plus to not worry about the hood.

Sorry for the off subject comment but in December we are visiting the Christmas markets in Koln. I have read a quite restrictive article on the subject of including random people in a photograph. I will take B&W film but my wife hates it so most of the photos that I would like to take will be digital. What is your experience of using a camera in a public space in Germany?

I have this and steel rim before. Nice, but big distornion on closer distance, so for me summicron V4 is better that this one

Excellent review. It is a great lens but .. at a cost. May I ask which book were you using showing the lens info

@AnalogInsights

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment. Sure, this is the latest edition of the Leica Pocket book.

@monochromebluess

8 ай бұрын

@@AnalogInsights thanks for the info.

Of course, with these lenses, you do have to embrace the error, and that's the beauty of them. After all, it was Henri Cartier-Bresson, who once said : "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept.."

👍❤😎

Optically speaking, the newer CV 1,4/35 II SC may be cheaper and superior.

Shame we can't screw mount a filter on this lens. Hood+Series7 filter combo is too bulky for this tiny lens..

A nice lens, with 'traditional character,' but it's not the 'King of Bokeh." Not sure who decreed this or why. Back in the day i always thought this was maybe the most overrated of the 'most discussed glass.' Still, a nice lens.

Why can't modern lenses be as small and simple as this lens, even the manual versions?

@joerg_koeln

8 ай бұрын

Watch out for the chines manufacturers. Although most of us may not take them seriously, I'm convinced that they will dominate the market in 10 years.

Leica didn't call any of their lenses "the king of bokeh". Bokeh was a word coined by Japanese photographers in the late 90's to describe the out of focus esthetic characteristics of a camera lens. Leica fans have subsequently adopted this appellation for various lenses, but it was never a consideration to those who designed these lenses until fairly recently.

@andrewshieldsphoto

8 ай бұрын

Actually, in the copy for the 2022 re-issue V1 35 Summilux, Leica themselves did/ does in fact call that lens the "King of Bokeh". A dumb name no matter who is calling any lens by that name.

@TucsonAnalogWorkshop

7 ай бұрын

I don't believe for a moment that out-of-focus rendering was "never a consideration" for Leica lens designers. Whether or not they called it 'bokeh' is irrelevant

Some okay shots here. I still don't 'get' the "bokey" nonsense.

great camera, great video. absolutly poo photos though 😂

No The Summicron 35mm F/2.0 is King of Bokeh, You are being presumptious. It is nice lens but it is not the "King of Bokeh"

@AnalogInsights

8 ай бұрын

As mentioned in the video, I am just quoting Leica here. ;)

@illitrait

8 ай бұрын

@@AnalogInsights ...hilarious. Gotta love the internet, huh?😬

@Baronic

8 ай бұрын

I have both lens. And i prefer the summilux pre asph v2. At f2, the summilux renders basically the same as the summicron, with less vignetting. Wide open, it has a glowy vintage look, that actually works well for portraits. But i do post processing and do bring some minor dehazing after at the glowy parts to bring back some more details. It is an effect that pro mist filters try to duplicate but don’t quite do it.