50 MM Summicron and candles

["Frank Filippone" <red735i@worldnet.att.net>]

For a friend's 50th birthday I shot his party with my 50 MM Summicron ( M5
Vintage S/N 2,45x,xxx) wide open.  The room was VERY dark, requiring Tri-X
@ ASA 800 to be shot at 1/30 at F2.0.  WHich happily is within the
limitation of my hand holding.  No flash was used to preserve the feeling
of the night.

The room was darkly lit with some highlights from the overhead track
lighting, and with candles on all the tables.  The images are wonderfully
sharp ( note that RF cameras are inherently easier to focus than SLR in dim
light, and my M4-2 is a joy to use in this kind of situation) which is
probably what we all expect from Leica.

However, the candles were in many frames.  The pin point light source is
rendered with hardly any distortion nor flare.  It is a wonderful image of
a very slightly softened light source in the same frame as a highly in
focus image of the Birthday Boy's face.  There is really no sign of any
flare outside of the really close proximity of the candle flame.

Bokeh or just plain good glass, I never knew the Summicron was capable of
such low flare.  For those of you that have more modern Summicrons, what is
your experience with flare?

Great Glass.... what a difference from my Nikkor 50 F1.4!


Thank You
Frank Filippone
red735i@worldnet.att.net

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