I started a similar post a while ago for the 35mm summilux, but I wonder if a f1.4 on a 35mm lens for street, travel and family use is a little unnecessary. I usually shoot between 8-11 out in the wild and f2 when necessary. I heard also that a f1.4 lens on a rangefinder is more difficult to focus with. Also, the size is important here. That’s why I wondered if a summicron would be better for me (and left the summilux for a portrait lens).
So which summicron do you recommend for my needs? Sharpness is not so important, but I would like to get the best all around one. The APO seems to be out of my reach price wise.
Pretty much the same story ... not necessarily looking for the $$$ of the new APO. If I were to swap it for something, it would either be the 35 Lux FLE I ... or maybe the Voigt APO. But, if size is a consideration, the $$$ / size / IQ ... pretty much lands Goldilocks on the one I've already got in my bag.
The Vintage Voigts call to me sometimes, too. But, again ... as a General Purpose ... All-Rounder ... the 35/2 Cron ASPH 1 is pretty much exactly as it was designed to be, exactly that. That was the criterial I was looking for when I put it in my bag in the first place.
Now, if you ask Allen, he's likely to steer you straight to the Lux FLE as a "forever" investment lens. I'd agree that if your $$$ and size (not that much bigger, really) constraints can go there, his body of work speaks volumes for the Lux FLE ... and himself.
If you can wait: Light Lens Lab is releasing a 35mm APO lens this year. However, it’s not yet known what qualities the lens is being designed for, and there’s no information on pricing or the release date so far.
RustyBug wrote:
I've been fond of my Summicron 35/2 ASPH v.1
Pretty much the same story ... not necessarily looking for the $$$ of the new APO. If I were to swap it for something, it would either be the 35 Lux FLE I ... or maybe the Voigt APO. But, if size is a consideration, the $$$ / size / IQ ... pretty much lands Goldilocks on the one I've already got in my bag.
The Vintage Voigts call to me sometimes, too. But, again ... as a General Purpose ... All-Rounder ... the 35/2 Cron ASPH 1 is pretty much exactly as it was designed to be, exactly that. That was the criterial I was looking for when I put it in my bag in the first place.
Now, if you ask Allen, he's likely to steer you straight to the Lux FLE as a "forever" investment lens. I'd agree that if your $$$ and size (not that much bigger, really) constraints can go there, his body of work speaks volumes for the Lux FLE ... and himself. ...Show more →
You will be disappointed with an ASPH summicron variant size wise compared to a Summilux FLE. The size difference in my experience wasn’t significant. If the APO is out price wise, I recommend the v4 KOB variant which is small and has great IQ but is pricey now (~$3K). If you’re ok with more vintage (but still great) IQ, go for the Light Lens Lab Summicron v1 which is also a tiny lens.
The Summilux FLE is a great lens. I would just get a v1 version of that (best bang for the buck) or one of the options above if you want a truly tiny lens.
