REVIEWS - Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

OVERVIEW

“If you could bring only one lens, which one would it be?” For Leica M shooters the question broaches hallowed ground - are you a 35mm or 50mm shooter? The question hints at how one sees the world around them. And if thinking beyond a single lens, the rest of kit is often is based around this one anchor lens.

In my SLR days I cycled through a dozen or so different 50mm lenses. None of the them wow’d me. Along the way the Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH snuck into the running. At the time I had a Canon 1Ds Mark III and a Leica M8. The Leica M8 was an impulse purchase, and the camera frustrated the bejesus out of me. Buying the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH was a last ditch effort to will myself into liking the Leica M8.

From the very start with the 50mm Summilux wow’d me. And that "wow" continued with the Leica M9, the M9-P and the M Typ 240. Looking back, the Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH is an easy purchase decision (for me), but in 2007 the decision was a big gamble. The Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH was one of the most expensive lenses I had purchased. Te decision paid off and for many years I considered myself as a "50mm shooter".

BUILD QUALITY AND HANDLING

After writing many Leica reviews, detailing the build quality has become repetitive and dull... so in a nutshell --- Leica builds some of the nicest lenses made. The materials, the machining, the fit and finish are all superlative. It is worth noting that the "silver" 50mm Summilux-M ASPH is made of brass (vs aluminum for the black version), thus the silver version weighs ~50% more. Having used five Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH's over the years, here are some random observations -

• Lens Hood:  The lens hood should slide in and out smoothly. The lens hood locks in place by rotating it slightly when fully extended.
• Focus Ring:  The focus action should feel smooth and even throughout the range. This is a small lens, so the focus action (resistance) is very light. The 50mm Summilux-M ASPH has a focus tab - which I like.
• Aperture Ring:  The aperture ring should click from stop to stop cleanly. There should be clicks at F1.4 and F16. The aperture ring will exhibit some minor wiggle or play - that is normal. This is true of all Leica M lenses. The play (looseness) helps buffer the aperture blades from damage. There should not be any internal rattles.

As for handling, the Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH is a relatively small lens; though, the silver version is weighty. Aesthetically the 50mm Summilux looks a bit narrow on the Leica M body (my opinion). I also own the Leica 50mm F2 Summicron-M APO and cannot tell much difference between the weight and size of these two lens in normal use.

PERFORMANCE

Initially the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH earned its place (in my kit) based on its optical performance. And, I was "nailing" focus with the Leica M8, so that was a big bonus. Nailing focus translated into sharp images, and that really swung my opinion (and enjoyment) since the Leica M8 had been a very frustrating camera. The 50mm Summilux-M was sharp wide open with minimal CA and color fringing. In some cases there was no CA. In terms of sharpness, time and time again the 50mm Summilux nailed the shot and the detail was stunning.

While sharpness is fun, to hold my interest there has to be something unique in how the lens draws. The Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH's ability to smooth backgrounds and manage specular highlights is very impressive. There is a 3D quality which mimics the medium format feel. When shot at wider apertures, it is the combination of the bokeh and 3D feel that set the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH apart from my other 50mm lenses. It was this draw or character that made the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH a "keeper" for me.

However, if closely examining file quality across the entire frame, there are some gremlins -

• Nisen Bokeh:  Being an aspherical lens, the bokeh can have a "busy" double image look at the (far) outer edges and corners. To provoke the nisen bokeh, there needs to be a busy pattern in the background (like twigs, branches, etc.) at close distances.
• Mid Zone Dip:  This refers to a dip (e.g. - decline) in sharpness between the center and edges of the frame. I can think of only one shot in 10 years where I noticed this "dip". I was shooting at 45º angle relative to a planar subject, so the way the depth field laid across the foreground coupled with oblique angle, I noticed the foreground went from sharp to blurry and then back to sharp again as as DOF progressed further back.
• Corner Sharpness:  Depending on the focus distance, the foreground corners may not be sharp, regardless of the aperture. If focusing at infinity, the foreground corners will probably look soft. However, if focus is pulled forward on the same shot, and depth of field is covered by stopping down (to F8 for example), then the foreground corners will improve.

For landscape use where corner and edge-to-edge sharpness are important, I use the Leica 50mm F2 Summicron-M APO. It is mostly portraits where I feel the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH really excels with its bokeh and 3D feel. It is worth noting that in a 2008 interview with David Farkas, Dr. Peter Karbe said -

“Here is a bit of a shocker… the 50 lux ASPH is an APO lens, containing an APO correction element. But, he thought the idea of an APO 50 was a bit silly so they never put it on the lens or in any marketing materials."

In addition to be an APO lens, the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH's optical design incorporates a floating element (FLE) design -

Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH Optical Formula

Generally, an FLE design improves near field sharpness and mitigates focus shift. The Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH is no slouch in the optical department and is perfectly usable for landscapes. However, if looking for weaknesses, shortcomings can be found --- which is true of any lens. And there will be one-time flukes with a unique mix variables, such as the F1.4 shot below. The Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH managed the busy the foliage bokeh very nicely, the string of lights transversing the image look fine, but the more distant lights on the left side managed to fall within a weak spot and the coma is very pronounced -

Example of Coma Bokeh

CONCLUSION

I did not buy the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH specifically for portraiture, but over time that is just how things played out. Another trend worth noting is how many of the pictures were taken with the Leica M8, Leica M9 and Leica M9-P. Those cameras spanned 2007 through 2012. Around 2011 I had started using the Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH more often, followed by an upgrade to the Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH FLE. My shooting style slowly shifted from being a "50mm-shooter" to a "35mm-shooter".

If considering the Leica 50mm F.95 Noctilux-M ASPH, Leica 50mm F2 Summicron-M APO and Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH and only one will be purchased, the Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH is the best overall decision. The 50mm Summilux is a versatile lens and has a great draw for portraits. If the 50mm lens will be used solely for landscape and the utmost resolution, edge to edge evenness and corner sharpness are paramount, then the Leica 50mm F2 Summicron-M APO is the better choice.

The 50mm Summilux story spans 2007-2015. In 2016 the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 was another impulse purchase. That whim snowballed and nowadays ~95% of my pictures are black and white. Also, during the latter years with the Leica M9, my preferences shifted to 35mm. If the 35mm and 50mm were in the camera bag, the 50mm saw little or no use. Today the Leica 50mm F2 Summicron-M APO is my “50” because it is a fantastical beast for landscape pictures. While the 50 APO is wonderfully sharp, it lacks the 50mm Summilux’s bokeh and character. For the 50mm APO review, click here.