Totally get your point here, if it's not working for you, why keep it. I have that lux and its my favorite Leica lens, but i also shot it Digital with my Leica M9. For film only, the Cron is amazing.
the 50 Lux and M9 were a match made in heaven. That combo sold me on taking a chance with Leica digital. That combo was not clinical like the early Nikon digital system I was using at the time.
This lens has been my main optic for 20 years. It makes rich, sharp, buttery images with great colors and contrast that need minimal adjustment in post. It draws somewhat like Canon 85 f1.2 L but much better. I can’t figure out why your results are so flat and nondescript by comparison. Maybe you got a bum copy or it needed adjustment? I’d sell mine if it looked like that too.
The 50 summilux asph was a great lens on my M240. But as aging eyes forced me to forgo the rangefinder, I shifted to an SL2-s and it’s amazing EVF. I now have truly distilled the power and quality of all my Summiluxes, since they can be focused so easily and precisely. Whether bokeh or not-Zeiss clinical but elegant sharpness (even at F1.4) I am even more impressed. I couldn’t imagine parting with it (despite the attractive amount of money that would be recouped). To each their own …….. …. focusing mode.
Broken is obvious only happen is subject matter within the max of 15 feet max wide open on 1.4, dropping 1.4 distance ratio fewer (fall off)with shooting f2,it will be 7 feet Max on f2 approximate. For film it has to depend on the developing the stock too. And for 1.4 on film you get one more stop light on film, that is a lot for film in film and size and performance comparative like other brand f1.2. I forget the exact math but in focus area is 1/3 in front of focus point and 2/3 after focus point. You can check that on the focusing scale of the lens.
if you want a bit more dreamy images get the 1:1.4 50mm summilux pre Asph. (11856), which i sold for the newer version, apparenty the old version got pretty popular for wedding photographers.
Some great video images in there! Well done! Your sensitivity to all watchers is a great sign of emotional intelligence! Stay cool, have a great Summer!
I think the differences between the Cron and the Lux are less pronounced when shooting film as in digital. In digital I find the Lux amazing and a step up from the Cron while on film I completely share your thoughts. You can play this game even further and look for a used Summarit 2.4. This will safe you even more bucks and there’s almost no difference to the Cron. More roadtrips ahead from the saved cash…👍
@@MacShootsFilm Enjoyed your video a lot. Used to live for some time in PHX. Brings back good old memories. Greetings from Germany…actually now close to Wetzlar.
@@andyjones5192 Totally agree with you. Maybe Lux is performing better with a digital camera like M240 or M10 series than with a film camera. I have a M240P and M10R, and it works perfectly with them as well as Lux 35 1.4 asph.😂
I had the Summicron, bought the Lux Asph and love it!! It‘s got a unique look at 1.4 on digital and film which I adore. I don’t regret buying it at all. I just wish i could find a 35mm which has the same character :D
I find the 50 summilux asph to have a great deal of character. Sure it is pretty well corrected but I find it hard to call it clinical, or too clean. This comes to me as a surprise in all honesty. The summicron it is a much more neutral glass.
After owning many Summilux and AA lenses, I am now into modified lenses such as Leica Summarit 40 2.4 from Leica CM ps camera, Contax T3 lens, and some other cine lense, and these lenses render color in a different way, and I still love doing so because I don't really need such sharpness from Summilux lenses, they are trully great lenses though.
They're technically perfect...just not my cup of tea! Really like how you're experimenting with modified lenses. That's really interesting and something i'd like to try one day! Thanks so much for watching!
Nice video. Thank you for correctly saying bokeh. A Japanese teacher corrected me once, saying bouquet is for the flowers, Bokeh is the smooth, soft background.
What is the word / name you are using to describe the things and subjects you usually like to shoot ? Having a hard time hearing it or understanding it, thanks
One man's opinion here- I am wealthy and I don't care much about price and I shoot with whatever I want. The Cron is a better lens than the Lux. Summicron is the best lens that Leica makes. A legend. No other lens has that classic look. I prefer the older ones. Sterile is boring to me.
my guess is your are talking about the 50mm APO summicron, which goes around 8000dollars, its known to be much sharper and double the price over the summilux
I had one lens once that was something wrong with and it couldn't be focused. It wasn't easy to detect the fault. Guess something happened here too. With heavily used lenses I didn't have any problems.
Before you sell it take some photos in contrasty situations, flat light make most scenes look underwhelming. I really like the 50 asph lux, yes it is a modern design but still looks very different than other modern lenses in a good way.
For sure! Shot it on a Sony A7C just to see how it rendered on digital and shot a few more rolls inside by window light. Just cant get it to where I need it to be. It is an absolutely amazing lens though. Just more than I need right now I think. Thanks for watching!
Not yet! I did shoot the Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.4 on a Nikon F3 and the results were absolutely phenomenal. Might be rethinking this Leica thing! Thanks or watching, QNetX !
The location was STUNNING! Sorry you had a bad experience. I shoot the summilux on a fuji xt3 in low light in bars, and it shoots amazing. The location was overcast, hence the flat look IMHO. I see a similair result on my photos in those conditions. I’d love to see those photos with the BG underexposed slightly and a strobe doing fill on the subject. My night photos with the summilux look better, however the film sims in fuji really do spice up the day shots. I shoot at 6000 WB to warm up mid day sun, crank up the saturation and some contrast to give me a daylight 80’s Kodachrome look…. All in camera! Dusk/magic hour/blue hour photos on the summilux are magical. Thx for the video!
Few notes... you didn't really push this lens with that shoot. Very soft / diffuse light and backgrounds that are pretty even (no bright highlights) and far away. It doesn't give you the opportunity to see where the lens really shines. Looks like you missed focus on a few shots as well.. and on film you'll never be able to get that last bit of sharpness/pop out of the lens. You would've gotten pretty similar results with just about any 50 f/1.4 lens here. Sorry to be a bit harsh.
Ummmmm, I was thinking of buying Summilux again. I had older Leitz 50mm 1.4 or 1.5 and I could not get unique results. Not sure what with their 50mm 1.4 lenses......
Hey Mac, great presentation and images were great! I have used the 35Cron for 4 straight years on my M6 and recently decided to get a 50mm for portraits and other more compressed imagery. I bought the Zeiss 50mm Planar f2 and it’s a bloody great lens, didn’t want to spend big bucks on a 50Cron. I thought about it for months and took the plunge, happy I did so.
It's def a personal preference! I really like the M5 for a few reasons 1) Cost. 1/2 the cost of an M6 2)spot meter in the M5 is amazing 3) match stick needle meter readout is fast, informative, and helpful when determining exposure 4) size. the M5 is a little bigger and easier to handle with bigger glass 5) The shutter speed dials hangs off the edge making it so much easier to adjust as opposed to the tiny dial on the classic M6
@@MrStylemed M5 For Sure. You get way more for your money, and this is coming from someone who runs an MP. I only regret not buying an M5 sooner.. Everything about in terms of practicality and function is objectively Better than an M6. M6 is also zinc bodied (which has bubbled paint all the time) and overall feels like a terribly mass produced product. The M5 has the best black chrome finish (period) in my opinion, extremely smooth and fades to a dark grey. I would say every single feature on the M5 was made for the sensible, working journalist in mind. Holding one will make you feel like you’re holding a well made gun, with its build quality. There is no fence here, just do the M5. One day when you have some spare cash, you could slowly hunt for a deal on an M2 or M4 if you wanna see how the typical M body feels.. but do not let go of the M5 until you’re certain. Even if I was on an extremely tight budget, I would pick an M2/M4 over an M6 any day, even if they were the same price. Yeah, thats how far the difference is. I know it sounds like I’m listing “superficial” traits and advantages.. but Mac has already listed its main strengths and I’m sure every M5 article out there has justified its superior functions. However, until I took a leap to try smth different.. bought it, held it and shot it at a serious event, I didn’t realise how fantastic it is. It isn’t just a very good camera body, its a very good Leica.
@@MrStylemed I agree with all of these points above but I have to add one huge negative. Almost nobody repairs or services M5. M6 repair services are widely available but when M5 breaks It's much harder to get it serviced.
Thanks for this video. I shoot an M6 and a digital M240, and have been planning/savings for a 50 Summicron. Had a nagging thought develop that I would be foolish not just saving more for the Summilux, and this helps me rationalize sticking with the Summicron plan.
I concur with everything you say. I recently picked up the Lu 50 f1.4 Version II paid over 5K. Is the worse lens I own. Color rendition is as Hideous as you state in your samples. The lens is impossible to shoot at f1.4 without getting a bunch of CA and Halation. I own cheap lenses for my Sony systems and this lens compares with some of the worse 50mm I shot. “The Leica look” it seems that everyone excuses lens errors with “the look” but in my opinion these lenses are not that great because they continue to use an old optical formula design for film and not digital camera. The new version that focus closer at 0.4m introduced even more imperfections such as CA and ghosting. Non of the Leica lenses will be sharp or perfect like lenses designed for digital like a G Master for example. I own both system and have done side by side tests. Great comparison and glad to see someone speak the truth without the Leica Bias.
I have wanted this lens so bad but before you even mentioned the color issues, I was thinking I didn't like them either. Almost like it's washed over or something.
Excellent insight and thoughts. Thank you for the thorough and insightful review. Excellence and honesty doesn't seem to exit in the business world today. And people dare to ask...where is humanity? Professional quality congratulations. Gorgeous and stylish model too.
This really is another cool episode of you! You found a cool location and produced stunning pictures, I really like the style of your pictures. Well I‘ve tried some different 50mm lenses on my M6, the (very old) Elmar, the actual Summilux, the Zeiss Sonnar and the Summilux ASPH … The most interesting, kind of swirly bokeh I‘ve seen was with the Elmar. The most disappointing lens was the Zeiss Sonnar, with an unpleasant focus-shift. And to be honest, I‘ve bought the Summilux just because I really wanted it and I had the chance to by it for a quite affordable price, but… the Summicron is still my favourite-go-to lens on my M6 ever!
Enjoyed watching the video and the honesty presented that not always the faster lens is the better. Most videos always hype the Leica 50/1.4 ASPH which I always felt sceptic about. I also have the 50/2 Summicron version V and it's a keeper lens for me. Hint: Try the $500 Leitz 50/1.5 Summarit either LTM or M. A real character lens with crazy bokeh!
I REALLY wanted this to be everything I read about. REALLY proud I was able to remove myself from the hype and make a decision that best suits my photography. I'm gonna check out that Summarit! Thanks for watching!
@@MacShootsFilm It’s my personal favorite 35mm! Tack sharp with wonderful contrast and color rendering. Yet I feel as though it doesn’t get much love, like it stands in the shadow of the Summilux. Look forward to it!
UA-cam helps push the illusion that purchase produces perfect photos. There's a marketing effort afoot to make people believe that buying a Leica is essential in this process. It's probably quite successful. Could a skilled photographer use an early 20th century folder with the three element Cooke lens to take an amazing picture? Most watchers would not believe this.
I think if you used the lens on a digital camera you would have had a better experience. Back in the film days, once I used a film I liked I always used it. Today people evaluate a film by shooting one roll. Today I shoot my Leica glass on digital cameras they never disappoint.
@@MacShootsFilm checkout the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/2 or f/1.4 ZF.2, Zeiss APO SONNAR 135mm f/2 ZF.2 and/or the Zeiss 100mm macro f/2.0 lenses. Some of these are out of production, so you need second hand version of them.
There are two types of hipster film photographers in the world: The Leica and Nikon F and S photographers on the one side and the Rolleiflex TLR and Hasselblad SLR photographers on the other side. I belong to the latter group but I'm not sure about the hipster part, because I have no tattoos and no beard and don't wear an apple watch. And I'm not a fan of bokeh and love hyperfocal (waiting for the time when the bokeh fad vanishes and sharp backgrounds are en vogue again), what can be a challenge when you shoot medium format. 😉
This is the first "fast" RF lens I've shot in a while. I bet 95% of my shots in the past year are f/5.6 or higher. I do love a little bokeh every now and then though!
You buy a super expensive lens, have an M5, pay a model, drive to an amazing once in a lifetime light location film a video… and you allegedly shoot a single roll of Lomo 100‽
1. She is my wife, not a paid model 2. The location was 2 miles from my house 3. It's golden hour in AZ, which is pretty great all the time 4. Why shoot more than 1 roll when I can shoot here all the time and developing film sucks and takes forever.
@@MacShootsFilm good video though. No bs. I used to be scared of shooting because i knew i only had 1 take. And sending film for development is a hassle. I'm confident now and it's fun to shoot, development and have my pics a day later. Thanks again!
For film, cheapest voigtlander or, 250$ Minolta rokkor will do the job, you do not even need a leica lens, you can save even more for films and road trips
Hey Mac! Thanks for your interesting vid ... I got to the same point: sell my 50 'Lux after trying out my Nokton-VM 50 F/1.2 III? The latter's way better at longer image distances (at a quarter the price!) and has a lovely "glow" with less aggressive bokeh at portrait distances. btw also call it "bokah" (see ua-cam.com/video/Y0Brf2l8Ysc/v-deo.html ;-) Anyways decided to stick with it coz it don't have any focus shift and much better contrast at close distances. depending on your requirement both have their justification!
Meh. I feel my canon 50mm rf is better in all ways except character and size. 50mm summilux was my first lens for my M10. I still think its my fav 50 for the look but not for sharpness. My RF lenses are all sharper then my Leica lenses.
I'm so glad someone else noticed! I worked so hard in post to get them to here they are now. It's a technically perfect lens, but lacks that extra something I was hoping for. Thanks so much for watching, Tim!
@@MacShootsFilm I sold mine for the same reason. Flat, washed out colors. But, I sold the summicron v5 as well…New Voigtlander nokton 1.5 ii is an absolute stunner instead.
@@kubowich That's what I'm talkin' about! I've been GASing for the Lux for a while, but I picked up the Nokon 1.5 ii about 2 months ago and it's an absolute dream!
I'm not certain the apparent age you took in post to get the images to where you wanted them was really worth it as none of the images are actually that great to start with. The compositions are pretty dull and at the end of the day you can add as much character as you want or as much technical perfection as you want, if the content isn't there it's almost pointless. Sorry about that...
Technically speaking how perfect is perfect it's still a 35mm lens lots of $$$$ it's a work tool for me viewers can't see what we see to "T" on slides yes I agree Leica 50 mm Summi R and M are the best money can buy. Photograph and bowl of of Skittle candy by window light using Nikon 50mm, Canon, Olympus and Minolta you will find out some interesting results folks
Can't understand why deliberately pronounce foreign languages words in a wrong way. Why say "naikon" instead of "neekon"? I find that pronounce it correctly shows more respect to a brand, to a nation and a culture. I always try to know the correct pronunciation of foreign names.
“Nikon” is a mashup of Nippon Kogaku. It’s a brand name rather than a genuine part of the Japanese language. Thus the official Nikon position is that *all* regional pronunciations are correct. ☺️
It's the use of the word Bokeh that is the annoying thing, as it isn't used in the right way. Bokeh is the quality of out of focus areas, NOT the depth of field.or how much is I'm or out of focus. Most people get it wrong. Bokeh seems to of become a word bandied around by hipsters and new to film shooters.
While words do matter, they organically evolve over time. Just like the words "man", "woman", "criminal", "banning", and "democracy." While they have a well defined meaning, accepted by the masses for thousands of years, new generations come along and repurpose those words and use them in new ways. it's not right or wrong, just the reality of existence. Don't let it bother you, it's unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
It’s not nah-ee-kon it’s 日光 :) Also it’s not bokeh but rather 暈 But it doesn’t matter you may pronounce it your way but you sure do it the right way ;)
As a Brit and part owner of the English language, I can confirm that your pronunciation is spot on. Very well done for a man from the colonies 😉
😂
I've had this lens for 10 years now and it's still my gem
Totally get your point here, if it's not working for you, why keep it. I have that lux and its my favorite Leica lens, but i also shot it Digital with my Leica M9. For film only, the Cron is amazing.
Agreed! For film I just don't need this beast of a lens! It is literal technical perfection though!
the 50 Lux and M9 were a match made in heaven. That combo sold me on taking a chance with Leica digital. That combo was not clinical like the early Nikon digital system I was using at the time.
This lens has been my main optic for 20 years. It makes rich, sharp, buttery images with great colors and contrast that need minimal adjustment in post. It draws somewhat like Canon 85 f1.2 L but much better. I can’t figure out why your results are so flat and nondescript by comparison. Maybe you got a bum copy or it needed adjustment? I’d sell mine if it looked like that too.
The 50 summilux asph was a great lens on my M240. But as aging eyes forced me to forgo the rangefinder, I shifted to an SL2-s and it’s amazing EVF. I now have truly distilled the power and quality of all my Summiluxes, since they can be focused so easily and precisely. Whether bokeh or not-Zeiss clinical but elegant sharpness (even at F1.4) I am even more impressed. I couldn’t imagine parting with it (despite the attractive amount of money that would be recouped). To each their own …….. …. focusing mode.
I'm VERY tempted by the SL2!
Broken is obvious only happen is subject matter within the max of 15 feet max wide open on 1.4, dropping 1.4 distance ratio fewer (fall off)with shooting f2,it will be 7 feet Max on f2 approximate. For film it has to depend on the developing the stock too. And for 1.4 on film you get one more stop light on film, that is a lot for film in film and size and performance comparative like other brand f1.2. I forget the exact math but in focus area is 1/3 in front of focus point and 2/3 after focus point. You can check that on the focusing scale of the lens.
if you want a bit more dreamy images get the 1:1.4 50mm summilux pre Asph. (11856), which i sold for the newer version, apparenty the old version got pretty popular for wedding photographers.
Some great video images in there! Well done! Your sensitivity to all watchers is a great sign of emotional intelligence! Stay cool, have a great Summer!
What a great comment. Thank you!
I think the differences between the Cron and the Lux are less pronounced when shooting film as in digital. In digital I find the Lux amazing and a step up from the Cron while on film I completely share your thoughts. You can play this game even further and look for a used Summarit 2.4. This will safe you even more bucks and there’s almost no difference to the Cron. More roadtrips ahead from the saved cash…👍
I agree 100%, Andy! On film the demands on the glass is less demanding. I'm def. gonna check out the Summarit! Thanks for watching!
@@MacShootsFilm Enjoyed your video a lot. Used to live for some time in PHX. Brings back good old memories. Greetings from Germany…actually now close to Wetzlar.
@@andyjones5192 Totally agree with you. Maybe Lux is performing better with a digital camera like M240 or M10 series than with a film camera. I have a M240P and M10R, and it works perfectly with them as well as Lux 35 1.4 asph.😂
The Summarit is a good one, for digital also.
The Cron is all the 50 anyone will ever need. Smaller. Lighter. More character.
I had the Summicron, bought the Lux Asph and love it!! It‘s got a unique look at 1.4 on digital and film which I adore.
I don’t regret buying it at all. I just wish i could find a 35mm which has the same character :D
I ALMOST bought the 35mm Lux. Hard to wrong with either! Thanks for watching, Goesch!
@@MacShootsFilm I tried the 35 lux but it’s rather boring compared to the 50 lux. I’ll keep my 35 Summicron Asph V2 :-))
I find the 50 summilux asph to have a great deal of character. Sure it is pretty well corrected but I find it hard to call it clinical, or too clean.
This comes to me as a surprise in all honesty.
The summicron it is a much more neutral glass.
I just got mine couple of months ago. I agree that the focus ring is kinda stiff. And yes, I can also do without the focus tab. Great review
Thanks so much for watching!
After owning many Summilux and AA lenses, I am now into modified lenses such as Leica Summarit 40 2.4 from Leica CM ps camera, Contax T3 lens, and some other cine lense, and these lenses render color in a different way, and I still love doing so because I don't really need such sharpness from Summilux lenses, they are trully great lenses though.
They're technically perfect...just not my cup of tea! Really like how you're experimenting with modified lenses. That's really interesting and something i'd like to try one day! Thanks so much for watching!
Nice video. Thank you for correctly saying bokeh. A Japanese teacher corrected me once, saying bouquet is for the flowers, Bokeh is the smooth, soft background.
What is the word / name you are using to describe the things and subjects you usually like to shoot ? Having a hard time hearing it or understanding it, thanks
As an old timer, I say depth of field LOL
One man's opinion here- I am wealthy and I don't care much about price and I shoot with whatever I want. The Cron is a better lens than the Lux. Summicron is the best lens that Leica makes. A legend. No other lens has that classic look. I prefer the older ones. Sterile is boring to me.
I second this
Agreed. I have both. The Summilux was disappointing.
my guess is your are talking about the 50mm APO summicron, which goes around 8000dollars, its known to be much sharper and double the price over the summilux
@@Anonymous-iw4hx That's More than the Body!
Huh… I just use an old Summilux. Non ASPH.
I had one lens once that was something wrong with and it couldn't be focused. It wasn't easy to detect the fault. Guess something happened here too. With heavily used lenses I didn't have any problems.
Great video as always mac and that park looks amazing
Hey, Pers485! Thanks so much for watching!
Before you sell it take some photos in contrasty situations, flat light make most scenes look underwhelming. I really like the 50 asph lux, yes it is a modern design but still looks very different than other modern lenses in a good way.
For sure! Shot it on a Sony A7C just to see how it rendered on digital and shot a few more rolls inside by window light. Just cant get it to where I need it to be. It is an absolutely amazing lens though. Just more than I need right now I think. Thanks for watching!
Have you tried the Zeiss 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar ZM? It has a character and bokeh for portraits that I love. The subjects just pop off of the background.
Not yet! I did shoot the Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.4 on a Nikon F3 and the results were absolutely phenomenal. Might be rethinking this Leica thing! Thanks or watching, QNetX !
Thanks for sharing Mac. It’s a rare occasion for me to need 1.4. I have the same Cron50 as you and just love it! I enjoy your videos.
I was always satisfied with my Summicron R 50, when shooting film, but on digital M-P 240 the Lux is unbeatable. Keep on rolling!
I bet on a 240 or the new 10R the Lux is amazing!
The location was STUNNING!
Sorry you had a bad experience. I shoot the summilux on a fuji xt3 in low light in bars, and it shoots amazing.
The location was overcast, hence the flat look IMHO. I see a similair result on my photos in those conditions. I’d love to see those photos with the BG underexposed slightly and a strobe doing fill on the subject.
My night photos with the summilux look better, however the film sims in fuji really do spice up the day shots. I shoot at 6000 WB to warm up mid day sun, crank up the saturation and some contrast to give me a daylight 80’s Kodachrome look…. All in camera!
Dusk/magic hour/blue hour photos on the summilux are magical.
Thx for the video!
I don’t know why you didn’t include the looming pyramid into the frame. It bothered me.
Few notes... you didn't really push this lens with that shoot. Very soft / diffuse light and backgrounds that are pretty even (no bright highlights) and far away. It doesn't give you the opportunity to see where the lens really shines. Looks like you missed focus on a few shots as well.. and on film you'll never be able to get that last bit of sharpness/pop out of the lens. You would've gotten pretty similar results with just about any 50 f/1.4 lens here. Sorry to be a bit harsh.
Ummmmm, I was thinking of buying Summilux again. I had older Leitz 50mm 1.4 or 1.5 and I could not get unique results. Not sure what with their 50mm 1.4 lenses......
Hey Mac, great presentation and images were great! I have used the 35Cron for 4 straight years on my M6 and recently decided to get a 50mm for portraits and other more compressed imagery. I bought the Zeiss 50mm Planar f2 and it’s a bloody great lens, didn’t want to spend big bucks on a 50Cron. I thought about it for months and took the plunge, happy I did so.
I shot a 50mm Planer and 35mm Distagon on my fiances Nikon f3. The images were truly stunning. Love that glass!
Thanks for the video, very informative. M5 or M6? I'm on the fence.
It's def a personal preference! I really like the M5 for a few reasons 1) Cost. 1/2 the cost of an M6 2)spot meter in the M5 is amazing 3) match stick needle meter readout is fast, informative, and helpful when determining exposure 4) size. the M5 is a little bigger and easier to handle with bigger glass 5) The shutter speed dials hangs off the edge making it so much easier to adjust as opposed to the tiny dial on the classic M6
@@MacShootsFilm Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes the M5 is very compelling, I'm going to pull the trigger.
@@MrStylemed M5 For Sure. You get way more for your money, and this is coming from someone who runs an MP. I only regret not buying an M5 sooner.. Everything about in terms of practicality and function is objectively Better than an M6. M6 is also zinc bodied (which has bubbled paint all the time) and overall feels like a terribly mass produced product. The M5 has the best black chrome finish (period) in my opinion, extremely smooth and fades to a dark grey. I would say every single feature on the M5 was made for the sensible, working journalist in mind. Holding one will make you feel like you’re holding a well made gun, with its build quality.
There is no fence here, just do the M5. One day when you have some spare cash, you could slowly hunt for a deal on an M2 or M4 if you wanna see how the typical M body feels.. but do not let go of the M5 until you’re certain.
Even if I was on an extremely tight budget, I would pick an M2/M4 over an M6 any day, even if they were the same price. Yeah, thats how far the difference is.
I know it sounds like I’m listing “superficial” traits and advantages.. but Mac has already listed its main strengths and I’m sure every M5 article out there has justified its superior functions. However, until I took a leap to try smth different.. bought it, held it and shot it at a serious event, I didn’t realise how fantastic it is. It isn’t just a very good camera body, its a very good Leica.
@@popcorny11 A big thanks for reply. You make a lot of sense.
@@MrStylemed I agree with all of these points above but I have to add one huge negative. Almost nobody repairs or services M5. M6 repair services are widely available but when M5 breaks It's much harder to get it serviced.
cool video, keep it up Mac !
Thanks so much for watching, Harry!
Best lens I have ever used on my Leicam10p
I believe it. I have been drooling over a Leica 10R! I bet the Lux would be amazing on that!
@@MacShootsFilm it’s constantly on my m10p lol😁
Thanks for this video. I shoot an M6 and a digital M240, and have been planning/savings for a 50 Summicron. Had a nagging thought develop that I would be foolish not just saving more for the Summilux, and this helps me rationalize sticking with the Summicron plan.
This is great to hear! Glad this vid helps others make the call between the Cron and the Lux. It's such a huge price difference! The Cron is amazing!
Your videos keep evolving. I love your work and can’t wait until the next one.
Thanks so much for the kind words and thanks for watching!
I concur with everything you say. I recently picked up the Lu 50 f1.4 Version II paid over 5K. Is the worse lens I own. Color rendition is as Hideous as you state in your samples. The lens is impossible to shoot at f1.4 without getting a bunch of CA and Halation. I own cheap lenses for my Sony systems and this lens compares with some of the worse 50mm I shot. “The Leica look” it seems that everyone excuses lens errors with “the look” but in my opinion these lenses are not that great because they continue to use an old optical formula design for film and not digital camera. The new version that focus closer at 0.4m introduced even more imperfections such as CA and ghosting. Non of the Leica lenses will be sharp or perfect like lenses designed for digital like a G Master for example. I own both system and have done side by side tests. Great comparison and glad to see someone speak the truth without the Leica Bias.
I have wanted this lens so bad but before you even mentioned the color issues, I was thinking I didn't like them either. Almost like it's washed over or something.
"Boka" is correct :) Bouquet is for flowers .
Excellent insight and thoughts. Thank you for the thorough and insightful review. Excellence and honesty doesn't seem to exit in the business world today. And people dare to ask...where is humanity? Professional quality congratulations. Gorgeous and stylish model too.
I gotta stay true because keeping up a lie or being half honest is too much work. 😂 Thanks for watching!
This really is another cool episode of you! You found a cool location and produced stunning pictures, I really like the style of your pictures.
Well I‘ve tried some different 50mm lenses on my M6, the (very old) Elmar, the actual Summilux, the Zeiss Sonnar and the Summilux ASPH …
The most interesting, kind of swirly bokeh I‘ve seen was with the Elmar. The most disappointing lens was the Zeiss Sonnar, with an unpleasant focus-shift. And to be honest, I‘ve bought the Summilux just because I really wanted it and I had the chance to by it for a quite affordable price, but… the Summicron is still my favourite-go-to lens on my M6 ever!
Thanks for the kind words! The Summicron is just a great lens at a great price point compared to other offerings. Very happy to stay with the Cron!
Enjoyed watching the video and the honesty presented that not always the faster lens is the better. Most videos always hype the Leica 50/1.4 ASPH which I always felt sceptic about. I also have the 50/2 Summicron version V and it's a keeper lens for me. Hint: Try the $500 Leitz 50/1.5 Summarit either LTM or M. A real character lens with crazy bokeh!
I REALLY wanted this to be everything I read about. REALLY proud I was able to remove myself from the hype and make a decision that best suits my photography. I'm gonna check out that Summarit! Thanks for watching!
I’d love to see a review on the 35 cron V5!
Love my 35mm Cron! Vid will be out prob in the next month or so (3 others ahead of it). Thanks for watching!
@@MacShootsFilm It’s my personal favorite 35mm! Tack sharp with wonderful contrast and color rendering. Yet I feel as though it doesn’t get much love, like it stands in the shadow of the Summilux. Look forward to it!
@@DanielNovaJr agreed! My favorite as well.
Maybe try different film? Did you say anti boheh? The bokeh is the lens' strength. Kudos for you being honest and selling it
I ended up shooting 6 more rolls across Lomo 400, Portra 400 and 800.
UA-cam helps push the illusion that purchase produces perfect photos. There's a marketing effort afoot to make people believe that buying a Leica is essential in this process. It's probably quite successful. Could a skilled photographer use an early 20th century folder with the three element Cooke lens to take an amazing picture? Most watchers would not believe this.
Absolutely! That's a big part of why I sold it - it's a matter of skill, not gear.
I think if you used the lens on a digital camera you would have had a better experience. Back in the film days, once I used a film I liked I always used it. Today people evaluate a film by shooting one roll. Today I shoot my Leica glass on digital cameras they never disappoint.
Maybe the Nikon where not that bad after all. Nikon F3/T, F4 or F6 with good Zeiss glass is a great combo …
That's what i'm thinking! A Nikon FM3A and some Zeiss glass surely would produce stunning results!
@@MacShootsFilm checkout the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/2 or f/1.4 ZF.2, Zeiss APO SONNAR 135mm f/2 ZF.2 and/or the Zeiss 100mm macro f/2.0 lenses. Some of these are out of production, so you need second hand version of them.
Very well done video!
Thank you very much!
hmm Leica m5? I got m4 :3 Still waiting when it get to me ;3 I was looking at m5 :3 It is as big as my favorite camera "Fed 5c"
There are two types of hipster film photographers in the world: The Leica and Nikon F and S photographers on the one side and the Rolleiflex TLR and Hasselblad SLR photographers on the other side. I belong to the latter group but I'm not sure about the hipster part, because I have no tattoos and no beard and don't wear an apple watch. And I'm not a fan of bokeh and love hyperfocal (waiting for the time when the bokeh fad vanishes and sharp backgrounds are en vogue again), what can be a challenge when you shoot medium format. 😉
This is the first "fast" RF lens I've shot in a while. I bet 95% of my shots in the past year are f/5.6 or higher. I do love a little bokeh every now and then though!
I belong to both camps - shooting Leica M and Hasselblad C/M. Not a hipster either. But I love bokeh, both in 35 mm and 6x6!
Wow.. a realistic Leica photographer. 😁
You buy a super expensive lens, have an M5, pay a model, drive to an amazing once in a lifetime light location film a video… and you allegedly shoot a single roll of Lomo 100‽
1. She is my wife, not a paid model
2. The location was 2 miles from my house
3. It's golden hour in AZ, which is pretty great all the time
4. Why shoot more than 1 roll when I can shoot here all the time and developing film sucks and takes forever.
Ok, that clarifies everything. Was pondering that during the last five months. ;-)
Great work. Like your energy and review style. Dream lens for me personally but understand your reasons.
It really is an amazing lens. It just didnt suit my needs. Hard to go wrong with any of Leica's offerings! Thanks so much for watching, Alex!
"a bokeh charcuterie board". amazing
I'm addicted to charcuterie boards! hahahahahaha
I learned how to develop film by watching your developing video. Thank you.
That's awesome! So glad that vid helped! It was a lonnnnnng video! 😂 Thanks so much for watching!
@@MacShootsFilm good video though. No bs. I used to be scared of shooting because i knew i only had 1 take. And sending film for development is a hassle. I'm confident now and it's fun to shoot, development and have my pics a day later. Thanks again!
For film, cheapest voigtlander or, 250$ Minolta rokkor will do the job, you do not even need a leica lens, you can save even more for films and road trips
It's a new lens new gear learning curve. Model mess with hair a bit much, "let it be"
Hey Mac! Thanks for your interesting vid ... I got to the same point: sell my 50 'Lux after trying out my Nokton-VM 50 F/1.2 III? The latter's way better at longer image distances (at a quarter the price!) and has a lovely "glow" with less aggressive bokeh at portrait distances. btw also call it "bokah" (see ua-cam.com/video/Y0Brf2l8Ysc/v-deo.html ;-) Anyways decided to stick with it coz it don't have any focus shift and much better contrast at close distances. depending on your requirement both have their justification!
Meh. I feel my canon 50mm rf is better in all ways except character and size. 50mm summilux was my first lens for my M10. I still think its my fav 50 for the look but not for sharpness. My RF lenses are all sharper then my Leica lenses.
I don't know what it is, but these photos just seen flat when compared with your usual pictures.
I'm so glad someone else noticed! I worked so hard in post to get them to here they are now. It's a technically perfect lens, but lacks that extra something I was hoping for. Thanks so much for watching, Tim!
@@MacShootsFilm I sold mine for the same reason. Flat, washed out colors. But, I sold the summicron v5 as well…New Voigtlander nokton 1.5 ii is an absolute stunner instead.
@@kubowich That's what I'm talkin' about! I've been GASing for the Lux for a while, but I picked up the Nokon 1.5 ii about 2 months ago and it's an absolute dream!
Another Voigt Nokton 50/1.5 ii happy shooter here.
*Finding and selling Leica 😆Every time you say Nikon and Bokeh wrong, a Japanese person dies inside.
Comment of the day! 😂
..also Nikon is pronounced “Neekon”. 😂
So many ponces and words and so few good shots..
Boca = mouth in Italian; Bokeh = blurry in Japanese
So you're saying I'm a big mouth fan? hahahahahaha
I'm not certain the apparent age you took in post to get the images to where you wanted them was really worth it as none of the images are actually that great to start with. The compositions are pretty dull and at the end of the day you can add as much character as you want or as much technical perfection as you want, if the content isn't there it's almost pointless. Sorry about that...
Buy the new Voiglander Nokton 50mm f1.5 it's 5x cheaper and amazing!!!!!!
Rather you sell those tanks of M5s. 😂
Technically speaking how perfect is perfect it's still a 35mm lens lots of $$$$ it's a work tool for me viewers can't see what we see to "T" on slides yes I agree Leica 50 mm Summi R and M are the best money can buy. Photograph and bowl of of Skittle candy by window light using Nikon 50mm, Canon, Olympus and Minolta you will find out some interesting results folks
Can't understand why deliberately pronounce foreign languages words in a wrong way. Why say "naikon" instead of "neekon"? I find that pronounce it correctly shows more respect to a brand, to a nation and a culture. I always try to know the correct pronunciation of foreign names.
Sending thoughts and prayers for the hardship you endured watching this free video made purely for your entertainment.
“Nikon” is a mashup of Nippon Kogaku. It’s a brand name rather than a genuine part of the Japanese language. Thus the official Nikon position is that *all* regional pronunciations are correct. ☺️
It's the use of the word Bokeh that is the annoying thing, as it isn't used in the right way. Bokeh is the quality of out of focus areas, NOT the depth of field.or how much is I'm or out of focus. Most people get it wrong.
Bokeh seems to of become a word bandied around by hipsters and new to film shooters.
While words do matter, they organically evolve over time. Just like the words "man", "woman", "criminal", "banning", and "democracy." While they have a well defined meaning, accepted by the masses for thousands of years, new generations come along and repurpose those words and use them in new ways. it's not right or wrong, just the reality of existence. Don't let it bother you, it's unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
Interestingly I enjoyed your video compositions far more than your photography.
get a noctilux😊
It’s not nah-ee-kon it’s 日光 :)
Also it’s not bokeh but rather 暈
But it doesn’t matter you may pronounce it your way but you sure do it the right way ;)
I love this! Thanks for watching and for sharing this bit of cool, accurate, background on this! 😀
haha, Americans butchering pronunciations. (I'm Australian we own that butchery :) ) Every time you say bokeh I say Raton and have a drink.
hahahahahahaha! A drinking game based on Americans being terrible at pronunciation. I love it! Quick way to get drunk! 😂
Jesus Christ get to the damn point
Thanks for watch Ben Cunt!
@@MacShootsFilm 😂
These are the worst photos I've ever seen from a 50mm Summilux ASPH - either it's broken or a counterfeit.
He overexposes by 2-3 stops each time, because Joe Greer said so…that’s why.