![leitz leica 50mm summicron f2 leitz leica 50mm summicron f2](https://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/images/50mm-f2/near-focusing-range/instructions-1-1200.jpg)
I didn’t see any lateral chromatic aberration in any of the 500 or so test images I shots with this lens, many of then deliberately framed and composed to provoke it. Once again: if your rangefinder is properly calibrated, and you’ll want it to be for use with this lens because the focus plane transition is so sharp, you will have nothing to complain about. There’s a very, very slight visible improvement until f4, but it’s so borderline you might as well just use the aperture for depth of field control only. Sharpness is outstanding across the frame even from wide open.
![leitz leica 50mm summicron f2 leitz leica 50mm summicron f2](https://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/images/50mm-f2/rigid/D3S_9668-1200.jpg)
I really don’t have anything else to say – it’s that good.ġ00% crop of above image. There’s also vignetting that doesn’t go away fully until f5.6, though admittedly it’s fairly minor and mostly not noticeable in everyday shooting. What are the little bits? Well, it does flare a little with strong side lighting curiously, I don’t see this behavior shooting into the sun or point light sources. It’s easier to talk about what’s wrong with the lens than what’s right let’s just call it perfection minus a little bit. I want to make one thing clear upfront: we’re already at the bleeding edge of diminishing returns with most lenses your shooting discipline and rangefinder calibration are going to make far more difference to the pixel-level results than switching from the 50/1.4 ASPH to the 50 AA. It’s a complaint which I have of my 35/1.4 ASPH FLE, too – how hard can it be to make slightly firmer detents? Unfortunately, the aperture ring seems to follow recent Leica designs and is far too loose to prevent accidental changes when taken out of a bag – you have to frequently check that you’re actually shooting at the desired aperture. Finally, the cap is no longer the plastic clip-on type, but a deep metal slip-cap that makes the lens look like the 50/1.4 ASPH when it’s attached. Secondly, the previous telescopic hood design has been modified a bit it telescopes but also twists to prevent it from accidentally collapsing. Better still, it incorporates the best of both worlds and has both a wide knurled ring and the tab, which is handy when shooting in portrait orientation. Firstly, I’m pleased to see the return of the focusing tab – it makes life a lot faster, especially when you’re trying to track moving objects. Let’s just say expectations were very, very high as I opened the files from this beast.Īside from the obvious optical formula changes from the previous design (which was a simple double-Gauss with no floating or aspherical elements) – the lens has a number of physical changes despite retaining approximately the same size. MTF charts of this lens look flat – I don’t know if these are measured or computed, but f5.6 promises some pretty incredible resolving power and fine microcontrast structures. Leica claims it’s the most perfect 50mm they’ve ever made – given the family lineage also includes the legendary 50/1.4 ASPH and 50/0.95 ASPH, that’s a tall order.
![leitz leica 50mm summicron f2 leitz leica 50mm summicron f2](https://www.schouten-select.com/media/catalog/product/l/e/leica-50mm-summicron-m-11826-4615000_11.jpg)
Perfection does come at a price – the lens’ RRP is around 7,000 USD, which is double that of the already excellent (and actually apochromatic) 50/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH. Leica claims it’s their most perfect lens ever – the MTF charts certainly support this, but we will of course have to use it in the field to see if a) these claims bear out, and more importantly b) whether we can see the difference under typical shooting conditions. The 50 AA is a complicated design: 8 elements in 5 groups, in what appears to be a heavily modified double-Gauss design with a complex rear floating aspherical group, along the lines of that used in the recent 35/1.4 ASPH FLE.
#Leitz leica 50mm summicron f2 full#
The full name is a bit of a mouthful, so I’m going to refer to it as the 50 AA from here on. Note: I’ve been informed by Leica that both camera and lens are prototypes, and there may be changes between now and the final release product. Personally, I find this a much more interesting announcement than the other two items – but then again, I’m also the sort of person who has eight ways to get to 28mm (and can find a use for all of them) – and I do appreciate the gentle field curvature of a Tessar design. Part one of this review took a look at Leica’s new M-Monochrom I’ve had a chance to review already earlier however, it’s now time to take a look at the accompanying lens. Clicking on an image will bring you the Flickr page where you can access larger versions. All non-product images in this review were shot with a Leica M9-P and the 50/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH, with the exception of the one B&W image lower down the review.