No photographer enjoys the hassles of changing lenses frequently and very few of us have the luxury of a second camera body to alleviate this regular annoyance. To this end, it is always important to find a good ‘standard’ lens, which embodies versatility, high performance and light-weight. For the DSLR user, this might be a shorter focal length, compact zoom lens but for rangefinder users, this would usually be a fixed focal length lens in the 50mm focal length range. It is with this person in mind, Leica offer the Summicron-M 50mm f/2. However, does this lens fit the bill and perform the way it ought to, given its reputation?
Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron-M
The Summicron is light in weight at 240g and compact in size at only 43.5mm long and 53mm deep. As expected for a Leica lens, one of the first things you notice, is the quality of the build and finish. There is a small, integrated lens hood, which pulls out at the front of the lens by about 2.5cm.
The lens is constructed with 6 elements in 4 groups and has an exact focal length of 52.3mm and a largest aperture of f/2, with the smallest being f/16. For those users seeking a faster lens of the same focal length, Leica offer the f/1.4 Summilux but this is far larger than the Summicron and might not be practical for every day use, not to mention the large increase in price. As of writing, the 50mm Summicron can typically be had for about £1,200, with used prices in the £600 region, whereas the Summilux costs a whopping £2,100.
Political Rally, Male, Maldives with Leica M8 and Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron-M
For general use, this lens is extremely versatile and can be focussed as close as 0.7m, which at f/2 produces an extremely shallow depth of field. When fitted to my own Leica M8, it produces a very visually pleasing out of focus background, with details and colours superbly rendered. It is very easy to focus – in general – but when shooting at f/2 at short distances, depth of field is so shallow, it is easy to make mistakes. The transition from focused to out of focus is very smooth, which might not suit every user but I felt it produced an attractive ‘analogue’ look to the pictures.
Of course, when attached to the M8, with a crop factor of 1.33, the 50mm lens becomes a 67mm lens, whereas on the (film) M7, it will not. With this in mind, the Summicron becomes more of a telephoto lens when attached to the M8 and it's suitability for general use diminishes substantially. For general use on the M8, the 35mm Summicron (47mm focal length equivalent, taking crop factor into consideration) is a better choice, as it is easier to focus, more versatile and every bit as good in terms of performance. However, the 50mm Summicron is a quite superb lens for portrait work and for other subject matter where a slightly greater distance from photographer and subject is desired.
Del with Leica M8 and Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron-M
It is also worth mentioning – and indeed has already been well documented - that, when attached to the M8, the fitting of an IR cut filter is essential to correct colour rendition. The cost of this filter therefore needs to be factored into the purchase. Leica do, of course, manufacture such a filter but cheaper alternatives by brands such as B+W are just as good. When fitted, I noted minimal ghosting in the images but under certain circumstances, it may be better to remove the filter.
When I had a close look at the images from the 50mm Summicron for the first time, I was shocked by how good they actually were. Although I concede, this shouldn’t be a surprise for a 50mm lens which costs this much, the performance is quite staggering. Detail all over the image, from corner to corner is perfect and colours are natural and not overblown. I would have said this lens was ‘typically Leica’ in that subject matter is always reproduced faithfully with minimal (if any) chromatic aberration and very little lens flare, even when pointed directly towards the sun or other light sources.
Marley with Leica M8 and Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron-M
In conclusion, this lens is an absolute joy to use and rewards the photographer with simply stunning image quality, at all light levels and with a variety of subject matter. At £1,200, it certainly isn’t cheap but it undoubtedly lives up to its reputation as one of the finest camera lenses available.
As an all rounder, the 35mm Summicron is probably a more suitable choice for M8 users but this lens should never be overlooked. It's compact size, build quality and performance is definitely something not far short of incredible.
Nick Morrow, June 2009
Nick Morrow runs a successful home entertainment business in central Scotland and is a keen amateur photographer. He travels regularly and will be working with me on a project that will see us follow Celtic Football Club through the 2009/10 season. He shoots exlusively with Leica M series equipment. You can view a wider selection of his photographs at his Flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/endofcity