Summar, Summitar, 73 Hektor, '96 Summicron

[Alfred Breull <puma@hannover.sgh-net.de>]

Hi list,

I'm so happy with my latest pix, that I like to share my experiences:

Did I tell you, that I sold my 1996 2/50 Summicron, because I was too
unhappy with it's out-of-focus performance (although it's one of the finest
lens in the world) ?

Yesterday I got some very nice slides (E 100 s) from my most recent old
lenses, the 2/50 Summar, 2/50 Summitar, and 1.9/73 Hektor (all screw mount).

The Summar's (1935, later coated) pix look very soft, specially the sun
flooded parts of/in (?) landscapes. It's performance remembers on old Ufa
portraits of movie actresses. It's bokeh is special, it's outstanding, and
nothing but 3 dimensional. 

The Summitar (1939, later coated), which followed the Summar, performs
almost as good as the early coll. Summicrons. The Summar's light loss in the
corners at f2 are gone, and the half tone differenciation is very nice, even
in problematic and difficult light situations (e.g. meadows with rising fog
after sunset). It's definitely less sharp at f2 (and higher) compared to the
latest Summicron, but it has a nice (and far better) bokeh in my mind (very
soft and 3 dimensional).

The Hektor (1933, uncoated) is a very fine lens, no matter that Marc wrote
(some weeks ago):

<<< Bluntly put, the 1.9/7.3cm Hektor was simply an early lens which was never
terribly popular and which was not perceived as being all that good
optically.  It was retired immediately the War ended as new and better
lenses were becoming available, particularly the 1.5/8.5cm Summarex. >>>

It's open lens sharpness (between f 1.9 and f 2.2) is between the Summar and
the Summitar, but it's color behavior or half tone differenciation is almost
identical to the one from the Summitar. Even high contrasts in landscapes
remember more on the Summitar or early coll. Summicron, than on the Summar.
Also, the bokeh is similar to the Summitar or early coll. Summicrons.

In comparison, the lastest 50 Summicron is ffar more sharp at all f-stops
compared to the older 50 mm lenses, it's color performance is at least 50%
better, but - from my point of view - it's bokeh is far more "hard" (and
unpleasant in my mind), probably based on it's contrast abilities also.

All in all, I'm very glad, that I have those old lenses. In comparison, I'm
as happy to have those old lenses, as I've been unhappy with the latest
Summicron's out-of-focus performance. 

If I would be a news photographer still today, I would select the latest
Summicron without question and without hesitation. But I'm an ex-pro now.
Today I ttake pix out of fun, not for living. And I got lots of time to
select my lens, even if it's "only" a "silly"  50 mm.

Alf