Leica Summicron-R 50mm f/2 is one of Leica's four 50mm lens designs. Two of these designs - Summicron and Summilux are available in both R and M mounts, while two other - Noctilux and Elmar are available only in M mount. Originally designed in late 60s, Summicron has seen several revisions and the review is for E55 non-ROM variant of the lens. The lens I obtained for testing was manufactured in Canada around 1980 (SN: 2973003).
The optical construction consists of 6 elements in 4 groups. While the lens is not sealed from dust and water like some of other professional lenses, the overall build quality is superb. Barrel, mount base, aperture and focus rings are all solid metal and are clearly designed with intention to withstand heavy use. Despite that, the lens is quite light and compact, measuring 6.6x4.1cm (2.59x1.61in) and weighing 290g (10.2oz). The lens has a retractable built-in hood to help reduce the amount of stray light hitting the front glass element. The minimum focusing distance is 50cm (1.64ft), the minimum aperture is f/16 and the filter size is 55mm.
On APS-C type cameras with 1.6x crop sensor ratio, the field of view of Summicron-R 50mm f/2 is going to be equivalent to that of a 80mm lens on a full-frame body. The lens is quite popular among photographers and is in abundant supply on eBay. Good copies of the lens go for anywhere from US$350 to US$500 depending on the model/year and condition. New copies of the lens with ROM contacts are priced around US$1,250 (as of May 2007).
To test the lens on EOS body, I used Fotodiox Leica-R to EOS adapter without AF confirmation chip. With non-EF mount lenses you are limited to either fully manual and aperture priority modes. All but center weighted metering is also going to be disabled with non-chipped adapters.
Field Tests
Summicron produced very well balanced and consistent results in the field. Leica, which is known for developing lenses with probably the most accurate color rendition, did not disappoint here - colors were vivid and images were literally breathing with life. Bokeh, on the other hand, was rather uninspiring with Summicron, fact that can probably be attributed to Summicron's relatively small maximum aperture.
The lens was somewhat soft at its widest aperture (especially struggling around borders), but quality improves significantly once stopped down to f/2.8. Quality remained consistently high throughout the rest of the aperture - an ideal treat in any lens. On APS-C camera, Summicron showed no vignetting whatsoever throughout the entire aperture range - not especially surprising for a 50mm lens. Chromatic aberration, barrel distortion and flare were also well under control. As always, I want to remind that you might experience somewhat different results on a full-frame body, especially when it comes to vignetting.
