Test report Summilux 75

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

At your service.Here it is.

This lens is very heavy, it hardly obscures the viewfinder and its =
shape and diameter give a very good handling. My version focuses =
quite smooth, but sometimes the focusing can be stiff. It then helps =
to manully set the guessed-at distance and fine tune with the =
rangefinder. Leica_M lenses need to be short and reasonably thin not =
to obscure the viewfinder.
The prewar predecessor, the Hektor 1:1,9/73 was quite popular it its =
days. 
The very shallow depth of field at large apertures/medium distances =
(at 2 metres distances we have =B16cm) requires carefull focusing at =
the limit of the mechanical/optical precision of the M6-rangefinder.  =
But candid portraits and full figures are clearly  isolated from the =
background.
The optical performance is superb. At full aperture the overall =
contrast is high over the whole image field. Rendition of fine =
details is excellent. You need Technical Pan to go to the limits of =
the recording capabilities. Higher speed films will not allow this =
resolution. Light fall-off in the extreme corners is hardly visible.  =
At f/2,0 the contrast is slightly higher yet and now the micro =
contrast is at its top, allowing the clear and crisp rendition of the =
smallest details. At f/2,8 even more fine  details are visible, but a =
tripod is now imperative to reord the details. We talk here about =
small details of a diameter of about 0.3mm at a distance of 7,5 =
meters!) You need to view the real object at really close distances =
to see what the lens/film combination can record. <BR>
From f/2.0 till f/11.0 this performance level is maintained and the =
choice of aperture can only be justified on depth-of-field arguments.
Flare is well supressed but the use of the built-in shade is =
mandatory!
The rendition of highlight details is uncommonly good: highlights =
hold their internal gradations and separation of fine luminance =
differences is also very good. The objects (including catch lights) =
are rendered very life like and the extreme sharpness gives a special =
tactility to every object. 
My best and most popular portraits are made with this lens.
Erwin Puts