[Leica] 35 Summilux ASPH Bokeh

[Larry Kopitnik <kopitnil@mra-inc.com>]

I've been reading with fascination the recent descriptions of bokeh on the
35 Summilux ASPH. Because I continue to toy with the thought of trading my
Nikon gear for Leica, and my principal reason for doing so would be the
fabled bokeh of Leica lenses. But the description I've been seeing of
photos from the 35 -- snappy sharp pictures but blocky bokeh -- are pretty
much the way I'd describe the photos from most Nikkors.

For a year or so I owned a Contax G1 with 3 of its Zeiss lenses, and they
delivered a look quite unlike what I get from most Nikkors: Crisp sharpness
in the focused area with a beautifully smooth gradation to softness in the
out of focus areas. I understand that Zeiss lenses are considered cooler in
color than Leicas (actually, I would describe their look as almost
perfectly neutral; anyway, the Contax skylight filters gave me the color
cast I prefer). I always thought, though, that Leica lenses would give me
the look to photos that I found so wonderful with the Zeiss lenses, albeit
with faster lenses. Because I eventually got rid of the Contax system when
I found my faster Nikkors more useful for the available light photography I
prefer.

But now I read certain characteristics of some new Leica lenses -- the
characteristics driving my interest in Leica -- described in terms
traditionally used to describe Nikkors. Of course, I don't doubt for a
second that the Summilux is sharper with less light falloff than any
comparable Nikkor. But that's not what's interesting me in Leica. For
handheld photography, most of my Nikkors deliver all the sharpness I'm ever
likely to get out of a lens. And sure, I've read that the 35 Summicron ASPH
apparently maintains the bokeh I'm looking for. But I could have had a 35
f/2 for the Contax.

How would users of the 21 and 24 ASPH describe the bokeh of those lenses?
Smooth gradations? More sudden and/or blocky? Something else? Can anyone
describe the bokeh from the new 50 R lens? I guess I'm trying to determine
if the look of the 35 Summilux is unique to that lens or seems to be the
direction Leica is moving in lens design.

Thanks!
Larry