While most modern lenses aim to catch as much light possible while maintaining extreme edge-to-edge sharpness, minimal distortion and minimal vignetting (the current trend in lens design), something radically new is sure to be noticed. Leica Summaron M 28mm f/5.6 is the opposite of modern lens design. It costs $2,495.
The Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 has a modest maximum aperture and produces images that have a soft edge and strong vignetting. It draws different scenes than an older 28mm lens like Leica’s Summicron M 28mm f/2 ASPH. The lens is available at Amazon for $4,895.00. While it's not for everybody, some rangefinder photographers will treasure its versatility.
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Design
The Summaron M is small and lightweight. The Summaron-M measures 0.7x2 inches (HD), is 5.8 ounces in weight, and can accept tiny 34mm lens filters. The hood, made of brass and mounted on the barrel's outside with thumbscrews, is also included. By itself the design is very pancake in nature—it barely extends from the camera body—but the rectangular hood is fairly deep.
You can get by without the hood because of how the Summaron's front elements are recessed. The hood must be removed to use the metal lens cap. The Summaron is only available in silver from Leica.
The Summaron, like other M lenses is only manual-focused. Because of its compact design, there is no space for a focus tab like on other Leica lenses. The focus knob is small and can be turned with the left index finger. To set the focus closer, you need to press inwardly on the knob. Although infinity locks were common with M lenses dating back to the 1940s or 50s, they can be difficult to use if your lenses are more modern.
You need to rotate the focus ring 180 degrees to move the focal distance from the minimum of 3.3 feet (1 meter) to infinity. This is a very long distance for rangefinder lenses. You can adjust the focus distance to get a good handle on it. The scale doesn't measure in feet, but you will be able to control this distance between 1 and 3 meters.
A depth of field scale joins the focus distance scale. It has markings at f/5.6 and f/8 as well as f/11 and f/16. Only full stop adjustments can be made and the aperture is set manually. The lens mount's face is printed with numbers in red. Depth of field runs almost completely around the face.
It looks like an analog clock. At f/5.6, it is possible to focus on subjects up to 7.7 feet (2.33 meters) away. With f/11, subjects can be focused from 3.8 feet (1.12 meters) away. This makes it a great lens for snapping quick photos, which is a huge plus when you want to capture candid moments or street photography.
It's versatile enough to be used for both landscape shots and candid photos. This field of view is the same as many smartphones so younger photographers can see the world in a wider perspective.
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Throwback look
Leica M has a rich history. It is compatible with lens from its screw-mount camera systems that came before it. This means that M photographers, as well as those who use Leica lenses via adapters on their mirrorless cameras, have many lenses available.
Vintage lenses can be a treasure trove of bargains and gems. Some lenses can also be quite expensive. The resale value of a lens may be affected by how much people praise it on Internet forums or discussion groups. Although the vintage 28mm Summaron lens isn't very common on the second-hand market, it is not uncommon. In the three months prior to this review, several have been sold via eBay. They range in price from $900 up to $2,000. The condition of the item, as well as its collectability, can be a major factor in determining its price.
You can search for an authentic vintage lens, but you will not get the same product. The new Summaron's optical design is the same as its predecessor, but the bayonet mount M mount has been replaced by the L39 screw mount. A six-bit code is also included on the new Summaron, which digital cameras can recognize and add EXIF data.
The new Summaron has the exact same optics as the original, so you can get that vintage look with the Summaron. Unfortunately, the lens I have never used has been lost. One vintage 28mm is mine, however it is a 1960s Elmarit M 28mm F/2.8. This was the original 28mm F/2.8 Leica design.
Although the Summaron does not offer shallow depth-of-field control like the Elmarit (0.7-meter), it offers similar images. The Summaron can provide the same texture and out-of focus backgrounds when I am close to it, particularly in winter landscapes with bare branches.
I shot the Summaron with two cameras—the dedicated black-and-white M Monochrom (Typ 246) ($6,795.00 at Amazon) and the color-capable M (Typ 240) ($4,999.99 at Amazon). Images in black-and-white are beautiful. They have moderate contrast, so you can see a lot of details even in the shadows.
Also, shooting in color produces pleasing results. Natural colors are neither over- or undersaturated. To give shadows more depth I adjusted the exposure a bit. And of course, you have the option to process images according to your own taste. To spot any chromatic aberration in color images, I examined them closely. It was visible as artifacts of purple and green. To see any in this image, which shows bare branches against a blue sky background, I needed to zoom in at 2x magnification. This lens will not cause you to be concerned about it.
I have shot with lots of vintage Leica glasses, both digitally and film, so it is clear that the Summaron lives up to its promises. It has a more analog look than digital. The Summaron is not the same as the Elmarit M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. This lens has an extremely clinical representation of reality.
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Lab Tests
The Summaron was not able to be tested in the same manner as other lenses. The Summaron's large field of vision and long minimal focus distance kept me from being able to properly frame the chart from edge to edge due to its wide angle. In the end, the image I created was about the middle third of Typ 240's 24MPM image sensor. This resulted in a 10MP image.
Two series of tests were run to counter this. I ran one with the chart center, the other with the frame at the top right corner. It allowed me to evaluate the edge, center and middle performance of each lens in the same way that I normally test them. However, this did not give me an average score for every f-stop.
Imatest shows that the focal length is f/5.6. It produces 3,050 lines per inch. The edges are blurred and show approximately 1,200 lines.
Stopping down to f/8 doesn't do much to improve the center (3,072 liens) or mid parts (2,100 lines), but edges improve to 1,329 lines—that's still not on the same level as the 1,800 lines we want to call an image sharp, but it's an improvement.
The sharpest edges are achieved at f/11 (about 1,372 lines). Although the center drops to 2,697 lines it is still very crisp. The f-stop is reduced to f/16, which lowers the numbers around the edges and center. This effect is caused by diffraction of light, and is exacerbated at f/22—the center drops to 1,381 lines and edges are at their worst, 724 lines.
Although the Summaron design virtually eliminates barrel distortions, it casts a strong border around your image. The corners are visible to be a significant 4.2f stop behind the center at f/5.6 (-4.2EV). It is not as noticeable at f/8, f/11 (-2EV), F/16 (-1.7EV) and f/22(-1.7EV), however it does not disappear. You can brighten corners with software such as Lightroom ($9.99/Month Adobe). However, this defeats the point of the Summaron. A modern lens will give your photos a contemporary look.
Conclusions
If you own a Leica rangefinder—or even a full-frame mirrorless camera like the Sony Alpha 7 II ($1,398.00 at Amazon)—and are after a lens with an old school look but a modern build, the Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 is a solid option. Although it is quite expensive, the Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 has all of the benefits that any Leica product offers. It's manual-focus lens but the wide depth of field with accompanying distance scale makes it simple to adjust focus and set it up quickly.
Other lenses are available that offer more depth of field control, sharper images from edge to edge and better focus. You might consider pairing your Summicron M 28mm f/2 ASPH with this lens. Elmarit M 28mm f/2.8 AsPH. With your rangefinder. The Summaron is a great choice if you want photos that stand out from the rest. The Summaron is a great choice for street photography and travel. It can capture photos that look nothing like the 21st-century.
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