new summarit lenses

[geotrupede]

Hi,

Does anybody have specification data for the new summarit lenses as we used to have for previous lenses (MTF / distortion / vignetting)?
I cannot find anything on the leica site and would like to compare the 50 MTF with the elmar-M version (which is very small and quite affordable used).

Also, does anybody know or has anybody seen the new CV 15mm?
Apparently this new edition solves the issue of red edges, or does it not?
It would be awesome to figure out but CV site does not tell much yet.

Thanks,
G.


PS about the ElmarM and the previous summarit, the lens schematic diagram on the Leica brochures is the same...

 

[segedi]

I don't have any more info than you, but am excited by the updates to the Summarit line. I had 3, including the 50mm, and they were all stellar performers Sold them all because I have summiluxs and a 75mm summicron. The only reason I sold the 75mm Summarit was the minimum focus distance and that's been solved. Also like that they all have 46mm filter size as I have a lot of those. And they now come with hoods!

Thinking of selling the 75mm summicron now and getting the Summarit as a replacement...

With the CV 15mm, I didn't realize just how awful the color shift was as I had used it primarily on a Monochrom. It's dreadful on the M 240. Would be nice if that was fixed.

 

[JohnBrew]

The 75 Summarit continues to amaze me. It's as sharp as any other M lens and the 11 blade aperture creates nice backgrounds. Why all the fuss to drop down .1 f-stop? Sounds bizarre to me, unless Leica is merely using this as an excuse to raise prices?

 

[retow]

​

The 75 Summarit continues to amaze me. It's as sharp as any other M lens and the 11 blade aperture creates nice backgrounds. Why all the fuss to drop down .1 f-stop? Sounds bizarre to me, unless Leica is merely using this as an excuse to raise prices?

The min. focus distance got reduced from 0.9m to 0.7m. So it`s not only the irrelevant extra 0.1 f stop,

 

[turtle]

I'm also a bit confused. I have seen people saying that the old and new lenses are the exact same optical formula, yet the new 35mm, for example, is listed as 'asph' and the old one wasn't.

Are they or are they not optically identical?

As for the extra .1 stop improvement, I believe its more of a marketing thing, because the old ones were tested to actually be opening up to closer to f2.4 than f2.5 anyway. I think this was something Roger Hicks wrote about.

 

[DaveS]

There is some good info from REDDOTFORUM on all the new Leica stuff, but specifically for the Summarit's their interview with Leica says the following: Same optics, new mechanicals. The original 35 appears to have been an ASPH all along from what I understand of the discussion below.

Dave



» Photokina 2014: Day 1 – Leica M System


Tell me a bit more about the redesigned Summarit line.

We redesigned the outer parts, but the optics are based on the existing lenses. We wanted to create a design that better matched the current design language.

And, we improved everything possible that we could on the optics as well. Close focus has been improved and we worked on some technical specification so that it was possible to achieve f/2.4 aperture.

My favorite lens is the 50mm. It just looks great on the M240



The design of the 35mm now shows that it is an ASPH.

The previous 35mm Summarit actually always had an aspherical element in it.



Has imaging performance been improved in addition to the bump in aperture?

Imaging performance will be the same as that of the previous Summarits, which was excellent. Even with the close focusing change, there is no loss of quality.



The styling of the lenses is really quite nice. Will we see more of this kind of design language in new lenses, like how the latest generation of wide angle lenses led to a screw-on metal shades instead of clip-on plastic ones?

Yes, for instance, all new lenses will feature writing on the front of the lens right-side-up rather than wrapping around. The metal lens hood design also allows you to use one lens cap, both with the hood attached and with just the finish ring attached without the hood. It is really quite nice

 

[JohnBrew]

The 35 was always considered the best of the Summarits so not surprising it has an ASPH element. I also had the 50 for a while and it is sharp with very good bokeh. I found, however, with a 50 I needed more speed. What makes the Summarits so good, imo, is that they are tiny compared to the Crons and Luxes.

 

[DaveS]

I also like the Summarit's especially for travel and have all four, bought mostly from the forum members here, over the past few years.

Once Leica adjusted them and my camera, they work really well for me. I just got back from visiting Europe and the 35mm Summarit ended up being my most used lens.

Dave

 

[Robert Campbell]

I understood that the optical bits were the same in new lenses; the increase in speed was due to 'closer manufacturing tolerances' and better 'quality control'.

I'm not quite sure what this says about the older lenses's 'quality'; I shook mine, but they didn't rattle.