In the center of the frame almost every lens will render a perfect circle, but only lenses with very low optical vignetting will keep this shape in the corners. Without going too much into technical details optical vignetting leads to the truncation of light circles towards the borders of the frame. Very fast yet compact lenses usually show a significant amount of optical vignetting. These values are about average for a lens with such parameters. Stopped down to f/5.6 roughly 0.7 EV remain. Wide open vignetting in the corners is 2.2 EV and it improves to 1.2 EV at f/2.8. These integrated hoods are great and it is a shame you only encounter them so rarely.Īpart from the glass inside and the red dot on the outside the lens features an all metal construction, all the markings are printed and engraved. The integrated hood is retractable and does not wobble in any position. The focus ring has just the right resistance (and it takes ~225° from infinity to 1.0 m), the aperture ring has half-stop click-stops but could be slightly tighter. This is a Leica lens, so you probably expect perfect build quality with very tight tolerances as well as superb handling, and this is mostly what you get. Handling / Build Quality Leica Summicron-M 90mm 2.0 (pre Asph) In Germany buying one in A-condition will set you back at least 650€. This pre-Asph version usually starts selling for $800 at (affiliate link). Maximum Magnification: 1:9.2 (with Helicoid 1:6.3).Close Focusing Distance: 1.0 m (with Helicoid 0.73 m).Number of Aperture Blades: 11 (inwardly curved).I am reviewing the “pre-Asph” E55 version here which has the following specifications: This one came as E49 version where the retractable lens hood covers the aperture ring and a more common E55 versionĪlongside these three there are also 90mm 2.0 lenses with Leica R-Mount on the market which are usually cheaper, but not nearly as compact (especially when taking into account the necessary adapters). Summicron-M (III) 90 mm 2.0 (often referred to as “pre-Asph”).It doesn't feature a lock in the extended position, but nonetheless stays well in its place in the field.There are roughly three different versions with Leica M-Mount that have been produced in meaningful quantities: The lens has a built-in telescopic hood that can be extended. The 8 aperture blades are straight (not rounded).Īs you can see in the product images above, the lens extends a little when focusing closer. The aperture ring features half stop clicks and, unlike on older Leica lenses, has no play. The focus path from infinity to MFD is roughly 90 degrees. The minimum focus distance is 0.7m, which matches the minimum distance the Leica M rangefinder is able to cover. The focus ring is nicely damped and works smoothly. It's an extremely solid, yet still very compact lens. Move the cursor over the text marks below to see the lens with the lens hood retracted or expandedĪs you can expect from a premium product, the build quality of the lens is excellent. In this review we'll have a look at how the lens performs on our test camera, the Leica M9. However, the barrel has been redesigned in 1994, replacing the clip-on hood with an integrated one. Since then, the lens has not changed internally, making it one of the oldest products in Leica's portfolio. The first version dates back to 1959, while the current product was introduced in 1979. The Summicron 50/2 as it is sold today is already the 4th generation. For the price of the Summicron, one could also buy ten 50mm f/1.8 SLR lenses with F or EF mount. Anyone familiar with the brand already knows that there is no such lens in Leica land, at least as long as we're talking about current products. There is a little difference compared to most other systems, though: usually a fast normal prime is also a really affordable lens.
For Leica and the M system, this role is best played by the Summicron 50mm f/2 lens. Special thanks to Thomas Koch for providing the lens!Ī fast normal prime is a key lens in almost any system. Review by Markus Stamm, published July 2013