Leica Bokeh Comparison - My Entire Collection

[asiafish]

All shots from Leica M Monochrom out-of-camera JPEG Fine, Med-High Contrast, No Sharpening, Low Hue.
All shots at ISO 3200 except for the 75mm and 90mm f/5.6 shots which are at ISO 6400

All lenses were shot at minimum focus distance for the lens in use, so magnification varies not only by focal length, but by lens design as well.

Leica 28mm Elmarit-M ASPH @ f/2.8
View attachment 5709
28-2.8 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 28mm Elmarit-M ASPH @ f/5.6
View attachment 5710
28-5.6 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 35mm Summarit-M @ f/2.5
View attachment 5711
35-2.5 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 35mm Summarit-M @ f/2.8
View attachment 5712
35-2.8 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 35mm Summarit-M @ f/5.6
View attachment 5713
35-5.6 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Zomz 5cm Jupiter 3 (1963) @ f/1.5
View attachment 5714
J3-1.5 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Zomz 5cm Jupiter 3 (1963) @ f/2
View attachment 5715
J3-2.0 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Zomz 5cm Jupiter 3 (1963) @ f/2.8
View attachment 5716
J3-2.8 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Zomz 5cm Jupiter 3 (1963) @ f/5.6
View attachment 5717
J3-5.6 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 5cm Summitar (1950) @ f/2
View attachment 5718
50 Summitar-2.0 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 5cm Summitar (1950) @ f/2.8
View attachment 5719
50 Summitar-2.8 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 5cm Summitar (1950) @ f/5.6
View attachment 5720
50 Summitar-5.6 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 50mm Summicron @ f/2
View attachment 5721
50 Cron-2.0 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 50mm Summicron @ f/2.8
View attachment 5722
50 Cron-2.8 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 50mm Summicron @ f/5.6
View attachment 5723
50 Cron-5.6 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 75mm Summarit-M @ f/2.5
View attachment 5724
75-2.5 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 75mm Summarit-M @ f/2.8
View attachment 5725
75-2.8 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 75mm Summarit-M @ f/5.6
View attachment 5726
75-5.6 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 90mm Summarit-M @ f/2.5
View attachment 5727
90-2.5 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 90mm Summarit-M @ f/2.8
View attachment 5728
90-2.8 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

Leica 90mm Summarit-M @ f/5.6
View attachment 5729
90-5.6 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[Amin]

Very interesting comparison. Thanks for posting!

 

[Brian]

Of course if I did a thread like this, the server would bog down...

The modern Summicron 50/2 and the Jupiter-3 are my favorites. Of course, I am a Sonnar fanatic and put in the Summicron just to appear unbiased...

I need to shoot with the collapsible Summicron on the M Monochrom. I have two near perfect-glass examples, one is Thourium glass.

 

[TheGodParticle]

None of your images are displaying correctly

 

[carlb]

I think you must have reloaded them? The file ID changes when you do that, so links to the original versions point to the "bit bucket."

Re-grab the links and edit your post with those ...

 

[asiafish]

It was an old post. I'll just redo the whole thing with my current collection as I've let the modern C Sonnar go and added a 50/2 wartime Sonnar that I'm eager to put head-to-head with the 50 Cron and my two vintage 50 f/1.5s.

 

[asiafish]

Not the complete collection, but here was a quick test of my new (to me) wartime Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/2 Sonnar T alongside the modern Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron (v5), Leica 35mm f/2.5 Summarit and 24mm f/3.8 Elmar ASPH. The Sonnar and the Summarit both have orange filters attached, the Summicron a yellow filter and the Elmar no filter (I was too lazy to move them).

50mm f/2 Summicron with yellow filter.

L1003860-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


5cm f/2 Sonnar T with orange filter

L1003862-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


35mm f/2.5 Summarit with orange filter

L1003863-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


24mm f/3.8 Elmar ASPH

L1003866-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[asiafish]

And a few more shots with the 5cm f/2 Sonnar T.

L1003870-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

L1003881-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

L1003872-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

And my M5 posing for a portrait with some nice glassware

View attachment 7687L1003884-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[carlb]

Guessing these were wide-open? All great lenses as seen from these shots. The Leicas with smoother bokeh, but no problems for the Sonnar ...

Thanks for posting them!

 

[asiafish]

Yup, all wide-open. Surprisingly smooth bokeh from the 24mm. The Summarit has long been my favorite 35mm lens.

 

[asiafish]

Okay, took my four 50mm lenses out this morning to test bokeh with two sets of images. This first set had focus on the front of the pump thingamajig where there is some doohickey in the middle of the cylinder. All shots with Leica M Monochrom at pull ISO 160 with no filter and no post whatsoever, just straight DNG import in Lightroom 5.

At f/1.5

1963 Zomz 5cm f/1.5 Jupiter 3

View attachment 7696L1003946.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1937 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar

View attachment 7697L1003949.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[asiafish]

And now with the f/2 lenses added in. Same conditions as above, all lenses at f/2, same point of focus.


Leica 50mm Summicron-M (v5)

View attachment 7698L1003942.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


Wartime Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/2 Sonnar T

View attachment 7699L1003944.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1963 Zomz 5cm f/1.5 Jupiter 3

View attachment 7700L1003947.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1937 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar

View attachment 7701L1003950.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[asiafish]

And now the four lenses at f/8, same conditions.


Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron (v5)

View attachment 7702L1003943.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


Wartime Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/2 Sonnar T

View attachment 7703L1003945.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1963 Zomz 5cm f/1.5 Jupiter 3

View attachment 7704L1003948.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1937 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar

View attachment 7705L1003951.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[asiafish]

And another scene, focus now on the word "Warning" on the power meter (the label). Again same conditions, ISO pull 160, no filter and straight import into LR5 from DNG with no post.

At f/1.5


1963 Zomz 5cm f1.5 Jupiter 3

View attachment 7706L1003957.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1937 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar

View attachment 7707L1003960.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[asiafish]

And now the four lenses at f/2.


Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron (v5)

View attachment 7708L1003953.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


Wartime Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/2 Sonnar T

View attachment 7709L1003955.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1963 Zomz 5cm f/1.5 Jupiter 3

View attachment 7710L1003958.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1937 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/2 Sonnar

View attachment 7711L1003961.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[asiafish]

And now the four lenses at f/8


Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron (v5)

View attachment 7712L1003954.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


Wartime Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/2 Sonnar T

View attachment 7713L1003956.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1963 Zomz 5cm f/1.5 Jupiter 3

View attachment 7714L1003959.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


1937 Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm f/1.5 Sonnar

View attachment 7715L1003962.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[asiafish]

Here are a few from yesterday at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester (Los Angeles). M Monochrom set to auto ISO (usually at 320 in daylight). The 50mm Summicron had a yellow filter, while the 35mm Summarit and 24mm Elmar ASPH had orange filters. Did learn one thing with that 24mm lens and that is that its time to clean my sensor. My favorite feature on the M5 (finished a roll of Tri-X this weekend) is that the film advance lever also does a full sensor replacement for every exposure.


24mm f/3.8 Elmar ASPH (surprisingly nice bokeh for such a wide focal length)

L1003924-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


35mm f/2.5 Summarit (smooth as always)

L1003922-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


50mm f/2 Summicron (v5) (Some weird stuff going on here with the shadow between the slats of wood)

L1003931-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


50mm f/2 Summicron (v5) again.

L1003887-Edit.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[carlb]

Thanks for posting these. I'll have a closer look this evening.

 

[carlb]

I'm surprised how well the zomz holds its own. It may just be these are "easy" bokeh shots, but I kind of like it's bokeh the best, and it appears very sharp too.

Granted, none of these are merely "good," they're great lenses.

Those raised "ghost" shadows from the 2X4s are really interesting. Was this the summicron the only lens to do that?

 

[asiafish]

You can see a hint of the ghost shadows with the Summarit at the far end of the bench too, I've never seen anything like that before. I didn't have the other 50s with me, so the cron was the only one I tried with the bench.

The Jupiter 3 is an extremely good example, sharper and higher contrast than the 1937 Sonnar, though the the Zeiss somehow draws better for portraits. The coating on the Jupiter 3 seems quite effective and has what looks to me like better contrast than the two Sonnars. The f/2 Sonnar is also coated, but the coating is in rather bad shape.

One thing is certain with these four 50mm lenses and that is that its very hard to choose one (or two) when I go out the door every morning.