[Leica] Seeking a new 50

[scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)]

That's great info on the Lux. I might well feel better "trading in" my
Nokton on a lens with simlar speed.

Of course, my Leica-lust (there must be a part of the brain dedicated
to this evil function) tells me that if I get a 50 Summicron, I can then
justify the purchase of a 35 Lux ASPH for when I need an extra stop :-)

To paraphrase an old George Carlin routine, "Stop me before I shop again."

Scott

Feli wrote:

>
> On Mar 25, 2005, at 2:54 AM, Scott McLoughlin wrote:
>
>>
>> The Summicron is the summicron. I read that close-up performance is 
>> excellent. Is this a "do no wrong" 50mm legendary lens.
>
>
> The current Summicron (v4) really can't be beat, especially for the 
> price. One of the sharpest lens I know of, without being harsh. Very 
> smooth bokeh. Supposedly it's only competitor is the new Lux-ASPH at 
> close ranges, due to the floating element. But the Lux costs $2500, if 
> you can find one, and a Cron can be had for as little as $800 new.
>
>> And then the Lux. Don't know much about this one. Most discussions 
>> talk about it's low-light performance, but I do hear mention of a 
>> beloved "look."  I'd like to learn more about this one.
>
>
> The pre-ASPH Lux is not as sharp at the current Cron (v4) across the 
> entire frame, until it hits f8-f11. Below that it lags behind a little 
> in the field and corners. You probably won't see this unless you make 
> some very big enlargements. Erwin Puts describes the Lux as a 3rd 
> generation Cron, opened up a stop. Based on my shooting experience I 
> agree with him. This lens is not a dog. As a matter of fact it has 
> become my standard lens. The fingerprint is gorgeous in black and 
> white, very smooth, and it's a real bokeh machine. Think if it as a 
> slightly more compact Nokton, without the harshness.
>
> By all accounts the new Lux-ASPH is a stunning lens, maybe the best 50 
> ever, but it's about $2500. Not sure about the bokeh of the ASPH Lux, 
> I don't have enough data, but people who have one seemed to be very 
> pleased.
>
>
>> For background, I shoot B&W pretty much exclusively. Family, friends 
>> and hobbyist documentary and artsy pics. I rarely shoot landscape 
>> stuff (just vacations). I scan film and print with an MIS ink set 
>> outfitted Epson printer.
>
>
> If you don't need the extra stop I would get a current generation 
> Summicron 2/50. It really is a stunning lens. The pre-ASPH Lux has 
> come down a lot in price, since the introduction of the ASPH model, 
> but even used it's still more expensive than the Cron is new.
>
>
> But of course at the end of the day, what really counts is taking a 
> great picture.
> ;-)
>
>
> Feli
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