Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/06/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Summicron-M ASPH 35mm and Summilux-M ASPH 35mm have a different fingerprint and therefore a diffferent audience and photographic capabilities. If you need F/1,4 there is no alternative. If F/2,0 is enough for you the flavour of Summicron-M ASPH 35mm and its price/volume are very attractive. In performance it and its sibling Summilux-M ASPH 35mm are in the same league." So my question is...why does the Summilux seem to be so much more desirable that the Summicron...what is the difference between the 'fingerprint' and 'audience' of the two lenses. Ok, maybe I'm nit picking. I wish I could try out both lenses on my own on a trial basis, but my dealer doesn't have a Summilux. Maybe I'll just have to flip a lot of coins. ;-) Jim <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Jim, I'm no great connoisseur of lenses, but I use the 1.4 asph for two reasons: 1, I got it secondhand LN at a reasonable markdown, 2, 1.4 is better than 2.0. Even at what I paid for it it was more expensive than the 2.0, but I'm delighted with it. No-one is going to be able to convince you that one is better than the other and even shooting them side by side won't do that, I believe. But if you need 1.4 there's no choice. So ask yourself how much you need the extra stop. The rest is just not so important. Erwin's comments are fascinating and no doubt very valid, and he certainly seems to have the equipment - both bench and intellectual - to back up what he's saying, but sometimes he seems to be musing to himself rather than communicating information. The fingerprint and audience thing means nothing to me, and I suspect also to most other readers of that review. My criterion is practical: fast is good if it's not too heavy. The rest - bokeh, fingerprints et al - don't get my juices flowing, I have to say. That's my limitation, no doubt. From a philistine in Paradise - Rob. Robert Appleby and Sue Darlow Via Bellentani 36 41100 Modena Italy Tel/fax [39] 059 303436