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Leitz Wetzlar Summicron-R 1:2 / 35 on Leica M: So, so sweet.

The Leitz Wetzlar Summicron-R 1:2 / 35 hanging on the Leica M (240) with Multifunction Grip and EVF truly feels like a terrific walk around kit. Extremely well balanced. Able to focus down to less than 10″; while offering a slightly wide field of view; yet maintaining terrifically natural sense of perspective and scale. And of course the Summicron signature has always flattered its subjects.

Shooting with this kit reminded me how much I’ve missed using these wonderful lenses on a 24 x 36 frame. Post processing brought back memories of my favorite “old Agfachrome.” Of course I could have also post processed them as “ekta… fuji… koda… or whatever other …chrome.” Though I always found Agfachrome to most closely synch with how I perceived “natural” color in the world; just as I always found a 35 mm focal length to most closely synch with my “natural field of view and sense of scale and perspective.” Of course I also enjoyed the drama of wider focal lengths; as well as the compression achieved with longer focal lengths.

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Pull the cap and check that close focus… wide open… not “macro”
though certainly a wonderful “are you ready for your closeup?” lens.

Great field of view

Fueling up while waiting for the rain to pass… before the Virmond Park Kite Fesball can begin.

the 54″ wingspan kite took off like a rocket… especially after Ann opened up those wing tails.

Jace’s little kite never quite made it… in spite of Dad and Nana’s tenacious efforts.

Leica M, Leitz Wetzlar Summicron-R 1:2 / 35

Leica Summilux – R 1:1.4 / 35 on M. Friday’s Flowers on Saturday.

The first impression after mounting my 1991 E-67, Leica 35 mm Summilux-R on the Leica M body, “Wow. This is really big and heavy. Why would I want to do this if I also have the beautiful little Summilux-M 1:1.4 / 35 ASPH?” Well first off they do have different signatures. The R version also focuses to a bit less than 20″. The M version a bit less than 30″. Will that 10″ ever make a difference? In the studio possibly. On the street probably not. But then there’s the back focus issues with the M version when using the M rangefinder vs. the EVF potentially nailing the focus wide open. So it really comes down to – well – just trying it out because I have it and we can compare the signatures between the earlier lux and the later ASPH lux. Though we’re not making that comparison with this post.

I DO love these Summilux lenses, with their creamy bokeh, in all their varieties and focal lengths. And the 35 mm focal length on a 24 x 36 sensor or film frame really does seem my natural field of view.

Next up: The much smaller and lighter Leitz Wetzlar Summicron-R 1:2 / 35 – WHICH FOCUSES TO LESS THAN 12″ – and that rather close focus capability gets exciting to carry around as a “normal” lens.

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Leica M, Summilux – R 1:1.4 / 35 mm

Leitz Wetzlar 15 mm Super Elmar R on Leica M

The 15 mm Leitz Wetzlar 15 mm Super Elmar is another one of those lenses which performed admirably on film with all its “forgiving” qualities. Though when mounted on the R8/DMR we saw the inherent “issues” of the lens amplified — specifically chromatic aberration and smearing of corners and edges — even on the DMR’s smaller cropped sensor the corners looked awful well into the frame.

I was anxious to see how the M’s micro lenses and possible corrections would handle these issues when chosen in the M>R Manual Lens Choice menu. Again I felt disappointed that the Super-Elmar did not appear in the M>R lens menu – so chose the newer Super-Elmarit from the list — stepped out into the yard and enjoyed the amazing close focus of these R lenses. I checked a couple files on screen and proceeded to bike into Thiensville to check out the Suburban Motors mini Harley Fest with the 15.

The results certainly show potential for the lens. The chromatic aberration is still present of course — though seems a bit easier to correct in Lightroom then the DMR files. On the Full Frame sensor of the M the corners still appear a touch smeared — though not nearly as obviously so as on the DMR sensor. The lens remains a bit of a beast to tame. Finding the hyperfocal distance at any given aperture seems a bit of a crap shoot as the lens behaves so weirdly on the edges and corners. Twas a time when I really had a good feel for using this lens on film. It now feels like I need to practice and experiment to figure out best working methods with the M’s EVR and all.

When shooting using a set hyperfocal distance it seems to require taping the focus ring down – as my handling the lens on the M seems to constantly shift the focus into the close focus range. The focus isn’t particularly loose either. I don’t recall this issue when I used this lens on the much larger and heavier R8 body with film.

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Leica M, Leitz Wetzlar 15 mm Super Elmar

Leitz 350 mm Telyt-R on Leica M

The Walter Mandler designed Leitz 350 mm Telyt-R delivers gorgeous bokeh; and on the R8/DMR, in high contrast, bright sunlight, can also deliver some unpleasant chromatic aberration (CA). I hoped that when I put this incredibly well built and heavy lens on my coded M>R adapter and chose 350 Telyt in the M (type 240) Manual Lens menu – that I’d no longer see the CA – or at least see less of it. First I was disappointed to see that the lens did not appear in the menu; so I chose the nearest 280 Apo in the menu – and fantasized about owning that gorgeous piece of glass. Then I went out and made two hand held “tests.”

I was delighted to see that the focus assist actually did “assist” even as I’m still getting used to the whole EVF viewing thing on a still camera. Video experience makes the process slightly less painful than it must be for long time SLR-only users. I was quickly reminded by my left forearm how heavy this lens truly is (or how weak I’m becoming—or both).

When I took the files into the computer and opened them in Lightroom – I was mildly happy to see that it appeared that the CA was “a bit less” than might have been expected on a DMR file (though the overcast skies did not provide a very harsh test). I’ll have to attach the shoulder stock, monopod and/or tripod – on a bright sunny day – to take this testing to the next level. Though first thoughts when looking at the 350-telyt-M-240 combination resulted in my usual, “damn I love Leica cameras and lenses” reaction — from the pleasures of holding, mounting, and focusing extremely well designed and built photographic tools through to viewing the beauty of the images they produce.

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