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Leica M-Summarit-M 50mm f/2.4: suitability for everyday use and comparison
The Leica Summarit-M 50mm f/2.4 is often relegated to the shadows in Leica circles, as it offers less speed than the Summilux or Summicron. Nevertheless, I was curious about this compact normal lens and used it in everyday life. The text includes my personal opinion and my own sample pictures - all pictures were taken with the Summarit only (no direct comparison pictures). The focus is on image character, handling and price-performance ratio. I also consider the current Leica M-Summicron 50mm f/2 (ASPH) and the Voigtländer Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.2.
Haptics and handling
The Summarit 50 mm is surprisingly small and light - around 50 g less weight than the Summicron 50 mmjoerivanderkloet.com. It has a very high-quality feel (made entirely of metal). I particularly like the solid, screw-on lens hood: It sits firmly and protects the front lens element better than the sliding folding hood of the Summicronjoerivanderkloet.com. Thanks to the lens hood, the front lens is well protected. The cover cap does leave traces of use (as it is slipped over the aperture on the outside), but anyone who actively uses the lens will accept this.
The focusing wheel has a small tab and runs a little too smoothly for my taste. The Summarit has a comparatively short focusing distance (like all Summarit lenses), but at 50 mm focal length this is fine. It focuses from about 0.8 m, while the more expensive Summicron goes as close as about 0.7 m. Incidentally, the Summicron 50 mm (ASPH V5) no longer has a tab and appears somewhat more unwieldy due to the different hood mechanism.
The Voigtländer Color-Skopar 50mm (earlier version f/2.5, new as f/2.2) is also very small. As with the Summarit, it feels stable: Completely made of metal, rasterized rings and a focusable tab, it is perfectly balanced on the camera and practically does not block any viewfinder field. Particularly interesting: In contrast to the Summarit and the Summicron, the Skopar focuses from as little as 0.5 m.
Technical data (extract): The Summarit-M weighs just under 190 g and has 6 lenses/4 groups.
The filter diameter for all Summarites (35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 90mm) is 46mm and they are of course also 6-bit coded. The 9 aperture blades close or open in 1/2 EV steps from f2.4-f16.
The lens was launched in 2014 and, like the entire Summarit series, was officially discontinued in 2020.
In practice, however, I don't count grams or millimeters, but the image impression. As is typical for Leica, the workmanship is beyond reproach - you can tell that metal and glass have been consistently used here.
Image effect in use
In practical use, the Summarit surprises me with its sharpness and plasticity. Even at open aperture it delivers amazingly crisp images. The sharpness increases further up to around f/5.6, but I have also used the lens at f/2.4 and was very satisfied. In terms of color, the Summarit appears neutral to slightly warm, with very good (micro)contrast. A subtle vignetting at f/2.4 gives the image field a certain depth effect. I find this visually very appealing.
The Summarit 50 shows two faces: at medium distances and in landscape or architectural shots, it delivers a very sharp image that shows through the details. If you get closer to the subject (e.g. portrait or detail shots), it draws softer - the bokeh becomes very pleasant. In short: at a short distance, the Summarit creates a soft, smooth background bokeh, at a greater distance you get more of a "document style" of sharpness. The bokeh highlights appear relatively round and undisturbed - here you don't notice that it doesn't have any elaborate aspherical lenses.
The Summarit also pays off in the comparison test: The differences in the real image between the Summarit and the current Summicron 50mm f/2 are very small. The Summicron does produce slightly stronger images (more micro-contrast, richer colors) and the bokeh can subjectively appear "a touch creamier", but this is not noticeable in everyday use.
The Voigtländer 50mm Color-Skopar performs very well, especially in color: it gives strong, rich colors and high overall contrast. When shooting film, the Skopar looks downright "pop", but with digital sensors it is noticeable that it is not quite as crisp at f/2.2 - similar to the Summarit, you usually have to stop down slightly (by f/4) for maximum sharpness. On the other hand, the Skopar has practically no field curvature and its colors are very vivid.
Subjective comparison and price-performance ratio
The Summarit 50mm offers almost Leica-typical quality, but costs significantly less than a Summicron. For example, the current new price of the Summarit is noticeably lower than that of the Summicron. So if you have a small budget and are not looking for the very highest micro-contrast, the Summarit offers excellent value for money. It delivers the characteristic "Leica drawing" with smooth color transitions - some testers even say that the Summarit has "soul".
The Summicron 50mm f/2 (ASPH), on the other hand, is a little more perfectionist: it has very high micro-contrasts, but is about 50 g heavier, requires more space and around 450 € (or more) extra. It focuses slightly closer than the Summarit (0.7 m vs. 0.8 m), which rarely has an effect. For me personally, the decision depends on the requirements: Someone who spends every euro or travels a lot is more likely to go for the lightweight Summarit. If you are looking for the absolutely perfect Leica image, you might stick with the Summicron.
The Voigtländer Color-Skopar 50mm is in a class of its own from a price point of view. For less than 700€ it offers very good workmanship (all metal, small hood) and a modern image impression. It is even more compact than the Leica Summarit and focuses up to 0.5 m, which is fun in everyday use. Optically, it is slightly behind the Leica lenses because it is somewhat softer at open aperture. But the image effect is contemporary and rich in contrast, the color reproduction is also very nice in my opinion and makes it special. In terms of pure price-performance ratio, the Voigtländer is an extremely attractive package - the reduction in fine detail sharpness is hardly significant for most everyday tasks.
Conclusion
The Leica Summarit-M 50mm f/2.4 surprised me very positively. In my practical impressions, it delivers a "well-rounded" image: very sharp, high micro-contrasts, beautiful bokeh and typical Leica outstanding build quality. It is small, handy and comparatively inexpensive by Leica standards. You shouldn't have the high expectations of Summicron enthusiasts - in return, it works all the more relaxed in everyday use. Buying the Summarit can be worthwhile, especially if weight and budget are tight, but you don't want to do without the classic Leica aesthetics. My personal impression: The Summarit does exactly what I expect from an everyday talent - it "simply takes good pictures", almost as beautiful as the Summicron, but at a fraction of the price.
If you can find a good one at a good price, it's a no-brainer.
All sample images shown were taken with the Leica M-Summarit-M 50mm f/2.4 (own photographs).
