Leica Elmarit vs Summicron 28

xdayv

xdayv

Top Veteran
Location
Tacloban City, Philippines
Name
Dave
Hi guys, my new year's resolution was to self impose a one-lens policy for my RF which was the 50 summilux (I know it wouldn't last long!). But the new year seems to be far away now, it's mid-way through the year, I thought of considering my next RF lens. And I wanted to make some sense about the word "interchangeable" :confused:.

After serious contemplation, I pretty much boiled it down to 28mm. (Yeah I know I would need a 35 someday LOL!)

Which will you choose? The Elmarit being more compact at 2.8, but the Summicron 28 at F2 and same filter thread at 46mm makes a good choice too. I have tried the Summicron while at Leica SG (and probably that was to my detriment!).
 
I chose the elmarit and here's why; price difference, wanted the f22 vs f16 (for landscape w/tripod), already had the 50 lux for low light, plan on picking up the 35 cron in the future and the price difference.

The size difference wasn't even a factor, for me. The 35 cron is the same e39 as the 28 elmarit so either way I'd need both the e46 and e39. IMO the 28 elmarit and the 50 lux compliment each other very well.
 
I have the V3 Elmarit-M 28/2.8. It is sharp.

New Year's resolutions - you kept it, did not go shopping for lenses on New Year's day!
 
I have the latest version of the Elmarit. I really enjoy the compact size. It renders colors very nicely and deeply (on the M9), they almost look a bit too saturated...maybe vibrant is a better word to use. My only "complaint" is that at times the lens is too sharp! For person work, it's my least used lens (but that's because I prefer slightly longer lenses). On the rare occasions that I take two lenses with me, the Elmarit is almost always one of the choices. I almost never take more than two.
 
Process of elimination. I earlier stated that I was picking up an Elmarit 28 today, which is a fabulous piece. I need to correct that statement. I was GOING to get the 28 to go with my pre-ASPH 50lux, had looked at the Sony RX1 which has a 35, compared shots from yesterday and decided to go with a one lens setup so it was the 35cron ASPH that won out in the end. I saw very little difference in IQ between the two, just felt I wanted to bridge the gap a bit more between my old 50 and the 28.
 
Been their done that, when I started with Leica I went with a summilux and then the 28, after a few months I got a used v1 summicron. After that the 28 stayed in the bag, the 35 just felt better, I was always happy with the results from the 28 Elmarit just didn't use it often that was with film. Today I have a GXR and use a 21, 35, and a number of 50's (Fed 50, Hexar 50, Summilux 50, Jupiter 8 ) plus I picked up a Fed 100 mm f6.3 just for fun, and it's not a bad little lens. I have more fun with the older Russian stuff.
wbill
 
The current Elmarit is a contrasty little lens, definitely not what Sean Reid calls a "sunny day lens." The Summicron 'draws' more gently but is pretty big. If you'd prefer f2.8 I'd suggest Zeiss instead of Leica: it renders much as the Elmarit does, but is IMO approximately equal value for a more reasonable price.

Full story: For years I had a V1 Elmarit with extra element, the one for which people pay quite a bit extra, but it resolved poorly. The later version that Brian recommended would surely be better. When I first bought an M8 I tried the aspherical Elmarit, didn't like its contrast, and found the Summicron more to my liking. For a while I kept an M8 with a Zeiss as a backup camera, and I sometimes regret selling that lens. I've also kept a CV 28mm 1.9, the old model, as a high-quality 'beater.' If you want to break your one-lens vow and try a 28 just to see if the focal length suits you, one like this would be an economical experiment.

PS: If you wear glasses, the 28 framelines are hard to see; you might want an external finder.
 
I'm still tiptoeing between the cron and elmarit.... I had also a mild encounter of deviating to the 21 and 24, but I'm still leaning heavily towards the utilitarian aspect of the 28mm, which means I can use it more than the wider angles.
 

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