[Leica] 35mm Summicron ASPH vs Summilux ASPH

[Mark_Bishop@ipc.co.uk]

Gary and Dawn wrote:

>>>As I dream towards the lens that will replace my really very nice mid
sixties chrome barrel 35mm f2 summicron, I am leaning towards the 35mm 1.4
asph.  But in all reality would I be as good off with the just introduced
35mm f2 asph?   Would the 35mm 1.4 intrude into my viewing area vs the 35mm
f2.  I have heard that the 50mm f1 does intrude a bit.  Would those of you
who have the 1.4 asph say the intrusion is as much as the vented hood of my
current 35mm f2.  I use an M4-2.<<<

I own the Summilux 35 1.4 ASPH but have not tried the Summicron ASPH. My
experience is that the 1.4 does not intrude into the viewing area when used as
is, but there is some intrusion from the (admittedly vented) supplied lenshood.
I think the question of which lens you should buy depends on intended use. 

If you are keen to shoot hand-held at wide apertures in the lowest light, the
Summilux ASPH is probably the best lens in the world. I shot an elderly couple
lighting a candle in Notre Dame Cathedral when I was in Paris before Xmas,
handheld at 1/15 f/1.4. Flash or a tripod were out of the question and I can't
think of any camera-lens combination that would have delivered anything like the 
quality of the M6/Summilux ASPH pairing.

If you have no interest in this kind of photography then as someone else said
you might like to consider a secondhand but recent non-ASPH Summicron, which
will match the Summilux ASPH's performance from f/4 down and is smaller, lighter
and way cheaper.

I guess if your intentions sit somewhere between the two then the current ASPH
Summicron could be the one to buy becase the aspheric design gives the real
possibility of hand-holding at f/2.