Leica 50mm summicron v3
I used my Summicron for about a year and sold it, since I wasn’t using 50mm much and I wanted the funds to try out other lenses. But it won’t give you quite the same corner-to-corner sharpness as one of the 50/2 options. That lens is stunningly compact yet still a great performer. If you want a wider aperture, your best choice is probably the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 II ( review). Another very strong alternative is the Voigtlander 50/2 APO-lanthar ( review), which offers truly perfect performance at the cost of being slightly larger and heavier than the other 50/2 options. The most significant difference between those two lenses might be that the Zeiss doesn’t have a built-in hood. This is particularly problematic since the Zeiss 50mm f/2 Planar is almost identical for a much lower price ( review). The only real downside is its price, which although low by Leica standards, is still very high at above $1,500 on the used market. The Summicron delivers this excellent image quality in a small package with perfect handling. The edges/corners don’t get sharp until around f/2.8 or f/4, but this almost never matters.
It’s tack sharp throughout almost the whole frame even at f/2, which is way better than your classic nifty fifty from Canon/Nikon/etc. The 50mm Summicron is a fantastic standard lens. In summary, the Summicron isn’t 100% perfect but will deliver razor-sharp images in almost all real-world circumstances.įocus shift: I remember seeing some focus shift when I tested for it at 0.7m, but I never noticed significant focus shift in my photos.