The Three 35 mm f/1.4 Summilux Asph lenses (AA, FLE, Asph)...

[ashwinrao1]

Can you tell the difference? This is entirely nonscientific, harsh night lighting, shot wide open @ f/1.4, ISO 3200, wih the Leica MM (taking color out of the mix; I didn't do any editing to the basefiles; JPEGS uploaded directly from RAWS in LR4)....handheld, no tripod, yada yada

The 3 Leica Asphericals
--35 mm f/1.4 Summilux FLE
--35 mm f/1.4 Summulux Asph (pre-FLE)
--The legendedary 35 mm f/1.4 Double Aspherical (AA)

I will disclose results and my thoughts in after a few responses are in....

LENS 1

LENS 2

LENS 3

 

[D&A]

Hi Ashwin,

I have considerable thoughts and observations regarding the comparison of these three images. I'll restrict my preliminary comments to the bokeh itself and reproduction of specular highlights, which seem to be the most prominent and obvious differences seen upon first glance of all three images. Obviously they are quite different in each case. I have my preferences but it will be interesting to read what others observe. Another apparent difference is tonality, assuming slight change in camera or subject distance didn't alter the lighting of the scene and/or subject?

I realize it's may not be feasible, but if the opportunity arose whereby one could examine the full rez files, I think both less obvious details and well as many other image differences could be more readily observed and scrutinized (at least with regards to this one particular photographic scene).

This particular comparison of yours is an excellent one for obvious reasons and I assume for all intent and purposes, the 35mm f1.4 ASPH double asph (AA) reproduces very similar to the later production 35mm f1.4 Asph (pre FLE)?

Dave (D&A)

 

[Vivek]

Dave is correct about one thing (AA and FLE would be similar).

My take:

Lens 1 is AA

Lens 2 is pre FLE

Lens 3 is FLE

Although difficult to see, it appears that Lens 1 photo shows an onion ring OOF highlight with interference (rings cutting into each other), indicative of more than one aspherical surface.

Lens 3 photo shows a simple onion ring OOF highlight.

Lens 2 shows no onion rings. This I would attribute to an unit focusing lens though it has (at least one) aspherical surface similar to Noctilux 50/1.2 and or Noct Nikkor.

Sorry, Ed's (?) image does not help with discerning anything.

 

[monza]

My guess:

Lens 1 - FLE

Lens 2 - 35 Lux ASPH (version 1)

Lens 3 - AA

I have handled three AAs in the past couple of years, how many did they actually manufacture? I know if I could only choose one Leica lens, it would be one of these three.

 

[TLiu]

My wild guess:

Non fle.
AA
Fle.

 

[Maggie O]

No idea which is which, but I'll take Lens #2 home with me.

 

[apsheng]

I did similar test last year with FLE, AA, and pre-ASPH. Unfortunately I no longer had the pre-FLE ASPH. Based on my results I would guess:

1. Pre-FLE (moderate onion ring)
2. FLE (almost no onion ring)
3. AA (most obvious onion ring)

The color differences were quite obvious in my test. The FLE is the warmest, the AA cooler, and the pre-ASPH coolest. I would imagine the pre-FLE ASPH would be similar to the FLE or slightly cooler, between the FLE and the AA.

Alan

 

[Andrew Gough]

I'm guessing on the AA...

1. AA
2. Asph
3. Pre Asph

 

[GrahamWelland]

I'm with Maggie and Alan - I'd take lens #2 which looks like the FLE to me. It seems so well corrected.

 

[ramosa]

1) asph
2) pre-asph
3) AA

Cool test, Ashwin ...

 

[robsteve]

I would say one is the ASPH, two is the FLE, three is the aspherical original.

This is just based on the smoothness of rendering. I always liked the original Aspheric, didn't like the ASPH when I owned it. I have had no experience with the recent FLE.

Just a personal opinion, I think the 35mm Summicron ASPH renders much nicer than the last two Summilux lenses. With the better performing sensors of the latest and upcoming M, a f2 lens that is sharp wide open will do.

 

[monza]

Voters who indicated 'pre-ASPH', that's another 'lux altogether.

 

[Woody Campbell]

Where else but Leicaville to people have multiple lenses with the same focal length? I'm an offender with no fewer the 8 in the range 35 to 50.

 

[iiiNelson]

I don't have first hand experience to any of these lens in depth but #1 does it the most for me. The transition in the bokeh isn't quite as smooth and is slightly busier but the subject rendering is the preferred one to my eyes. #2 seems to be the most "perfect" so I will assume that it's the FLE. #3 seems to have better bokeh and really sharp rendering still so I will assume that the Pre-FLE ASPH. All three are good but for different reasons.

1) AA
2) FLE
3) ASPH

 

[Seascape]

1. FLE

2. ASPH

3. Aspherical


Based purely on the lights in the image, and the way the lights are rendered.
My second guess would be 1 & 3 reversed with 2 the same.
A very interesting test Ashwin.

 

[ashwinrao1]

Answers:

1. FLE
2. ASPH
3. AA

Surprising, hun? Monza (Robert) & Seascape got it right! I hope to borrow the AA again, and do the test in other setting. I have found that the ASPH (pre FLE) handles highlights the best (without targets). These images don't really provide much info on how OOF rendering is in less contrasty settings...

I seem to remember around 1500 or so AA's being manufactured. The copy that I tested is NOT mine, though I have a good friend from whom I can borrow it readily.

In this test, for what it's worth, the FLE and AA seem to handle highlights and, in particular, specular highlights, very similarly....

Objectively, I have heard that the glass in the FLE and ASPH lenses is very similar, and MTF's bear this out to some degree. However, subjectively, the FLE seems to be a bit more contrasty, with a sharp fall off between subject and OOF. The ASPH seems to have a gentler OOF rendition, while the FLE seems subjectively sharper to me....Now that I have both back in my kit, I'll be able to test these out more carefully, and hopefully borrow the AA more to do more tests....

Happy shooting, folks

 

[GrahamWelland]

Very interesting - I have to say that I found the FLE rendering of highlights surprising vs the ASPH which seemed less 'digital' or distorted. Just goes to show what works best for certain types of situations and why people end up with multiple 35's & 50's.

 

[ashwinrao1]

By the way, if anyone wishes to let me borrow some other 35's, I'd love to do some sort of 35 mm lens blowout test on the M9 and MM down the road, in various lightings and backgrounds...could be fun!

 

[jonoslack]

I think you should have told Ed to stand still, so the lighting on the second shot was the same on the other two.
Vivek- I learned something about Onion Rings I was not previously aware of.
. . . . and they all look fine to me!

Time For Bed

 

[Seascape]

I would expect the ASPH to have a smoother look than the FLE (unit focus vs floating element), while being essentially the same optical layout.

While the floating element design would optimise corrections at the point of focus (including contrast), it would compromise the the OOF image (bokeh).

It will be interesting to see if that proves to be the case. Looking forward to future testing Ashwin.