The Summarit

[Afterswift@aol.com]

pgs@thillana.lcs.mit.edu (Patrick Sobalvarro)

Patrick,

I've been using the 50mm 1.5 Summarit for more years than I care to count. My
only complaint was its tight precision. I returned it to Leitz early on and
they loosened it enough so I could focus it while using the RF/viewfinder. 

I judge a lens not by comparison with others but with my own expectations.
There the Summarit has never failed me. If you use that square metal lens
shade with the cutout for viewing, it does its job, no matter what the film
or the conditions. 

My Summarit is also a great portrait lens, having remarkable control of
color. It doesn't permit anything to go wild. Team a Summarit with fast B&W
and you can enlarge to your heart's content. The negative holds together
despite the grain. In fact, the Summarit has that Leitz authenticity. You can
see it in the prints. 

A clean, well-maintained Summarit is a joy to use. It's got the weight, but
it also has the pipes. You want to play Bach, you need an instrument that has
the deep voice and power to do it.
In optical terms, that's the Summarit.

Bob