I´ve been evaluating for some time whether I should get a Summicron 50, especially after seeing all the marvellous photos taken by Charles with his version 4 of this lens. The other day I was in London, and I paid a visit to Red Dot Cameras (highly recommended), as I knew they had both the v4 and v5 in stock. I tried them on, was instantly impressed, but I also asked if they had the corresponding R version. And when I used the R version, I actually liked the handling a bit better. Yes, its considerably larger, but the focus throw is longer, with a tad more resistance to it. Moreover, with the price being about a third, the choice was easy. The R version it was!
Today I had my first shot with the lens, and obviously more testing is necessary in the coming weeks before i make up my mind. But first impression is very good. This picture is pretty much straight out of camera - i reduced the contrast slightly, and increased shadows and vibrance a tad.
