Zeiss v.s. Leica 50mm lenses | A detailed review

In this video, I did a detailed comparison between the Zeiss 50mm Planar and Leica 50mm Summicron V5. Both of the lenses are fan favourites and are great value for money.
timeline:
0:00 Intro: why 50mm?
1:51 Overview: Zeiss vs Leica
4:27 Optical Comparison
9:51 Lens design, fit & finish
13:04 Conclusion

Пікірлер: 77

  • @mwales2112
    @mwales2112 Жыл бұрын

    I've been using a Zeiss 50/2 Planar for some time now and just love it... It's sharp and not huge and heavy... With the price I was able to keep both of my kidneys....

  • @arrangearrange

    @arrangearrange

    Жыл бұрын

    For sure. Try a contax g planar 45 sometime if you can!

  • @tjendrawandinata1187

    @tjendrawandinata1187

    8 ай бұрын

    I use it for pict reproduction..... amazing

  • @alexc8512
    @alexc851210 ай бұрын

    You’re the only KZreadr who has enough money to buy and test all these lenses for us to review. Ridiculous and thank you.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    10 ай бұрын

    Hey thanks Alex for the comments. I’m glad you enjoyed these videos. I certainly am not the “only” person, I’m just a guy who’s got GAS and happens to love photography 😋

  • @MrVoayer
    @MrVoayer9 ай бұрын

    Your comparison videos are indispensable !!! Thank you for sharing your experience !!!

  • @gregpantelides1355
    @gregpantelides13556 ай бұрын

    Hi Jimmy, one of the reasons the Zeiss 35mm F2.8 is my favorite as a black and white photographer is the contrast. It makes printing high contrast images in the darkroom super easy. For color, I absolutely see your point. Thank you! Keep shooting and stay inspired!

  • @crispin8888
    @crispin8888 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your usual insightful video. The Zeiss is extremely nice, but large. As an aside, I have an original 35mm steel rim. Nothing is loose. But, unfortunately, many Leica lenses suffer from this annoyance.

  • @rolleicanon
    @rolleicanon Жыл бұрын

    Thank you. That's clear, well illustrated and helpful.

  • @quint57
    @quint57 Жыл бұрын

    Great review! This really helps with a purchase I'm contemplating..

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    I’m glad you find it helpful!

  • @georgiostriantopoulos9921
    @georgiostriantopoulos99219 күн бұрын

    Thank you Jimmy, what a nice review!!!

  • @benvoyons626
    @benvoyons626 Жыл бұрын

    I find this review very informative and objective. I have an M and the 50mm Planar and I concur with all that is said here. The point about 50 vs 35mm is also what I think.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Ben. I’m glad you found the information accurate.

  • @unmecvrai
    @unmecvrai7 ай бұрын

    You actually made me buy a Leica m9 with a summicron 50mm v5

  • @vickey59
    @vickey59 Жыл бұрын

    The Zeiss performs so well, as with most of the ZM lenses but I still prefer the Cron V because it’s so light, compact and has a built in hood (although the Zeiss probably needs the hood less because it’s more contrasty and flare-resistant). I don’t know, I tried the ZM lenses but it’s just nicer to pair the Leica M cameras with Leica lenses (if nothing else, just for matching style and 6-bit coding). But I get that ZMs’ main advantage is price.

  • @arrangearrange

    @arrangearrange

    Жыл бұрын

    I think you have it right. The Zeiss quality is generally up there with Leica but the overall package is what you’re paying for on the Leica. Query whether you care enough about that stuff to pay quite a lot more, especially for focals you don’t use as much. Zeiss has no real answer to the 50 summilux and the 50 APO, for Leica M

  • @vickey59

    @vickey59

    Жыл бұрын

    @@arrangearrange yeah, good point about having focal lengths that are not used often. I think Zeiss are as good, if not better, optically than most of Leica’s mid range (not APO), especially some of the older but still current designs. But I only shoot 3-4 focal lengths, so it was okay for me to buy Leica from a budget perspective. I’m okay with trading off a bit of optical quality for more portability, handling I personally liked better, and a slightly higher cost.

  • @zenden6564

    @zenden6564

    2 ай бұрын

    6-bit coding is needed on Zeiss M mount lenses. Come on, guys.

  • @thomascoulombe-morency861
    @thomascoulombe-morency86129 күн бұрын

    Love these reviews Jimmy. Any chance you'll be reviewing Light Lens Labs lenses in a near future? I'd love to see how the Elcan perform.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    29 күн бұрын

    @@thomascoulombe-morency861 thanks for you kind words. I might consider reviewing in the future but so far I’m not so keen on using them.

  • @senyang2260
    @senyang22603 ай бұрын

    Jimmy, this is a great sharing. Thank you! I am a 50mm shooter and Leica 50mm f1.4 summilux is my only choice for traveling with one camera / one lens combo. Since you recently have shard a great deal of Nikkor and Voigtländer lenses. I am wondering whether you have ever tried (or heard from other Leica M shooters) the legendary Nikkor 58mm f1.2 ai manual lens on Leica M? I would love to hear about your feedback if possible. Happy Shooting !!

  • @GastonShutters
    @GastonShutters8 ай бұрын

    Another great video Jimmy

  • @nattawutwangchomphoo5618
    @nattawutwangchomphoo5618 Жыл бұрын

    Your review save me a ton of money :)

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    That’s nice, I’m glad you find it useful!

  • @superkrell
    @superkrellАй бұрын

    I use a Zeiss T Planar 50mm F2 ZM on my Leica MD 262 and see no need at all for another 50mm lens, its that good...!

  • @zenden6564
    @zenden65642 ай бұрын

    A good review, i think the bokeh comparision section could have been expanded to include the near to middle distance transition at wide open aperture. Also at the end, a comparo of a long suffering gf as model, as the female complexion is very delicate and while the planar is fair, it can be a bit cruel. If I'm not mistaken the non-apo summicron is a type of planar too, but sweeter to the lady face SOOC, sort of "more sonnar" like. Thank-you for your testing and relaxed style. ❤

  • @chrisreich40
    @chrisreich402 ай бұрын

    If I could have only one lens to mount on my Voigtlander rangefinder camera, it would be the Carl Zeiss 50mm f2. In fact, it's the biggest reason I bought the camera.

  • @VincenzoNoletto
    @VincenzoNoletto Жыл бұрын

    It's a good comparison...but can I ask you something about the different color rendition between them?

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    I don’t notice any meaningful differences. I usually toss my own Lut on

  • @smartdoctorphysicist3095
    @smartdoctorphysicist3095Ай бұрын

    Hi thank you very much.

  • @franciskoo4398
    @franciskoo43984 ай бұрын

    Hi Mr. Cheng, would you please compare Zeiss 35mm f1.4 Distagon zm and Leica 35mm f1.4 asph FLE thank

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    4 ай бұрын

    Sorry unfortunately I don’t have the distagon anymore. If I ever get my hand on one I would.

  • @ductritran8637
    @ductritran86374 ай бұрын

    Zeiss beat Summicron hand out . But for Leica blindly faithful every Leica lens are the best none can surpass . I shot and owned too many Leica since the mid 70’s but slowly I change my mine about Leica lenses . Today many others lens like voigtlander, zeiss even some new lens makers from China are fantastic and very affordable. Keep your mind open , don’t just only Leica is the best , not anymore .

  • @davide88rn
    @davide88rn11 ай бұрын

    The planar is soo good for the price...

  • @thomastuorto9929
    @thomastuorto9929 Жыл бұрын

    When watching lens reviews, I always wonder if they will cover, shooting towards/into the lights, or/& sun-light or there abouts & how the lens handles it & flaring if any. Is it a lens with character? All Leica lens should feel it has a better build quality for the $$$ difference in purchase price. I doubt the silver vs black Leica lenses render any different results, just my thoughts. Nice gear. Happy shooting.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    thanks for your comments. What do you mean by silver vs black? The two lenses are completely different in this review btw.

  • @thomastuorto9929

    @thomastuorto9929

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JimmyCheng oops, my mistake. Sorry. I thought I heard you say the silver Zeiss vs the black Zeiss lenses. If the colors indicate 2 different model lenses, I didn’t know. I do not own any. How do you like Voitlander lenses if you have tried any?

  • @weisserth
    @weisserth Жыл бұрын

    Basically this goes to show that buying Leica's APO M lenses is a huge effing waste of money - unless there is any evidence that the Apo resolved at 60MP of the M11 with other lenses having less resolution at that pixel count. I doubt that though.

  • @zenden6564

    @zenden6564

    2 ай бұрын

    Yes the mystique is a marketing strategy as well as a nuance advantage 😊

  • @CianMcsweeney

    @CianMcsweeney

    2 ай бұрын

    If you're not an avid Leica collector then yes, I personally prefer the Zeiss look over Leica's lenses

  • @taneltinnuri8985
    @taneltinnuri8985 Жыл бұрын

    Yes. I had VC 50/1.2 but always left it home because of the size and weight. Thats the way it is. Summicron is a pretty perfect lens for all kind of photograpers and photography. Yes its nothing special but hey, photo you taking is more important than a lens!

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    exactly, the vm is amazing for its price but the size is a bit off putting. The cron and the Zeiss I would say are the perfect size.

  • @mignav464
    @mignav4644 ай бұрын

    Wanna add the Voigtländer 50mm APO to this maybe? Imagine it would steer this lineup quite a bit.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    4 ай бұрын

    I've reviewed the vm 50 apo against the leica 50 apo before, pls check out that video on my channel :)

  • @tfylhk
    @tfylhk Жыл бұрын

    I have 50mm summicron v but prefer ZM 50mm planar because better flare resistant

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    The v5 has a hood 😃

  • @umue11
    @umue11 Жыл бұрын

    As always, very nice review! One minor niggle for me, is the fact that you never compare distortion, which is very important to me. AFAIK, the Zeiss has pronounced barrel distortion. Both, the Cron and the Apo, have practically no distorrtion at all. That is a huge plus for me.

  • @vampolascott36

    @vampolascott36

    Жыл бұрын

    I own the Zeiss 50mm Planar and it doesn't have pronounced barrel distortion. The distortion is so slight that it is unnoticeable. But, if you're still worried about distortion, Lightroom has a lens profile for that.

  • @nickcr3919
    @nickcr3919 Жыл бұрын

    Eyes see in about 42mm,so 35mm and 50mm are in the middle.It depends what you prefer,little wider or the opposite.I personally preferred 35mm,but also depends on the place and the circumstances.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    in terms of angle of view or depth relationship? I feel 50 is narrow but neutral in depth. 35mm feels about right in angle of view but a bit pushed away effect on the background. So maybe 40 does provide most neutral perspective if taking into account both .

  • @Sylvester414

    @Sylvester414

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JimmyCheng I feel exactly the same way about the 35mm and 50mm. I prefer 35mm angle of view but 50mm compression.

  • @autodidact537

    @autodidact537

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JimmyCheng Try the Summicron-C 40mm f2 from the 1970s made for the Minolta/Leica CL

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    @@autodidact537 good option but sadly the lack of 40mm frame line sucks

  • @benficaM8888
    @benficaM8888 Жыл бұрын

    how is this zeiss compared to the noktons?

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    which one?

  • @LuqmanHM
    @LuqmanHM Жыл бұрын

    I would say 40mm is close to what human sees

  • @PedroskyFrEsp
    @PedroskyFrEsp Жыл бұрын

    I ain’t paying 8000$ just to get a better focusing tab

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeah lol

  • @lensman5762
    @lensman5762 Жыл бұрын

    A 50mm lens has a horizontal FOV of about 46 degrees. Human eye has a horizontal FOV of over 115 degrees. A 50mm lens does not represent the natural vision of a human eye. The closest lens to the FOV of a human eye is about 20 mm, distortion not withstanding. The 50mm is considered ' standard ' because the focal length is roughgly equivalent to the digonal of the 35mm format. In case of 6X6 it is about 75mm, 6X7 90mm, 6X9 105mm and so on and on. Our brains have an uncanny ability to zoom in on the region of interest in our vision, and this ability is often mistaken for the 50mm lens representing the vision of a human eye.

  • @j.f.7509

    @j.f.7509

    Жыл бұрын

    I agree. However, looking with with just one eye, the perspective of a 50 is similar to the human eye. One can test this by using the Leica SBOOI 50mm finder with both eyes open. It looks like the framelines are hanging in the air! That is also an advantage of the Leica M3 with it's 0.92x viewfinder.

  • @rolleicanon
    @rolleicanon Жыл бұрын

    you need to adjust the title: lens not lenc

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    You mean the subtitles?

  • @carlosmcse
    @carlosmcse Жыл бұрын

    I sold the planar. I found the sharpness too harsh. Too much contrast. Overall harsh. Colors. Etc. my lens is now the Summicron. It’s the perfect 50. The planar is okay for beginners though. I would choose the Mandler Summicron over the APO version. The old Summicron has the beauty of the “Leica look”. It comes from all the optical “issues” the Mandler Summicron has. All the great look comes from the flaws. It’s beautiful. It’s a lens made to make photographs and not for test shots.

  • @mjbxxv

    @mjbxxv

    8 ай бұрын

    Ok so you’re now an expert? 🤡

  • @carlosmcse

    @carlosmcse

    8 ай бұрын

    @@mjbxxv who said I was an expert?

  • @PrestonThomasCafe

    @PrestonThomasCafe

    7 ай бұрын

    Yeah, so... there's no such thing as a "beginners lens" for Leica. I own both the Summicron v5 and the Zeiss Planar, and I've finally decided to sell the Summicron. I prefer the Planar, it's just that simple. Unless you're a hopeless Leica fanboy, you will choose the lens that best suits your purpose and photographic style. Perhaps, that lens is a Summicron, or a Planar, or a vintage Canon LTM. "Ok for beginners..." Please.

  • @carlosmcse

    @carlosmcse

    7 ай бұрын

    @@PrestonThomasCafe Yes. Usually people who are beginners with Leica get cheap lenses at first and not drop thousands on a focal length you’re unsure about. You may keep them or sell them. Up to you.

  • @sbassett8723
    @sbassett8723 Жыл бұрын

    Had to stop watching because of annoying background tap tap noise, shame.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    You mean the music beats? Sorry about that.

  • @sbassett8723

    @sbassett8723

    Жыл бұрын

    @@JimmyCheng Well it's hardly music, and what does it actually add to the information you're trying to present?

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    @@sbassett8723 bad choice of bgm sorry Man I disappointed you.

  • @kevin-parratt-artist
    @kevin-parratt-artist Жыл бұрын

    It's too big for what it is. Leica wins.

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    Жыл бұрын

    hmm, it's smaller than the Leica summicrons though ...

  • @markshwang6967
    @markshwang69675 күн бұрын

    wei shen me bu shuo zhong wen?

  • @JimmyCheng

    @JimmyCheng

    5 күн бұрын

    @@markshwang6967 why speak mandarin on KZread? You have to look at the demographics

  • @markshwang6967

    @markshwang6967

    5 күн бұрын

    @@JimmyCheng I see, first time viewing your channel and I see embedded subtitles in Zhong-Wen, so I jump into assumption. Well done the video!