Re: [Leica] 50mm Summilux or Summicron for M3

[CapsTeeth@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/1/00 12:38:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
bobwalkden@hotmail.com writes:

<< 'm planning to buy one or other of these, preferably a 50mm chrome 
Summilux 
 post s/n 1844001, for my M3. I've had various comments which claim that the 
 optical quality is noticeably inferior even at small print sizes to the 
 equivalent Summicrons, and that mechanically they are also poorer because of 
 soft aluminium (aluminum) used in the gears and cogs and things, but others 
 which claim that the 'luxes are, if anything, better optically than the 
 'crons (of course they are at 1.4).
  >>

From my experience, from f4-5.6 on down you'd be hard put to see any 
difference, but at f/2 and f/2.8 the Summicron (I speak here of the 
post-1980-to-current version)  is visibly better in all respects: center and 
edge sharpness, overall contrast, and freedom from flare with bright lights 
in the frame.  It's also lighter and cheaper.   If you absolutely need f/1.4 
you need the Summilux.  If you can live with f/2 the Summicron is the clear 
winner.   In fact, in my opinion there's less of a quality loss in going to a 
1-stop faster film with the Summicron.  Of course if you're already shooting 
ISO 3200 film pushed 2 stops...but then, why not get a Noctilux?