Leica Summicron 75mm f2 Review + Photos (Leica APO Lens)
A short Leica Summicron 75mm f2 Review (Leica APO lens) with some of my Flickr photos as examples
Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO lens
The latest addition to my Leica camera bag is a Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO lens!
Why do a ‘need’ another Leica M mount lens for my Leica M cameras?
Without doubt my biggest frustration with the Leica M cameras is the rangefinder focus system only focusing as close as 0.7M. After coming from a Nikon D800 DSLR camera I was used to working very close to my subjects to either create a shallow depth of field and/ or to crop tight to improve my composition. I now have some nice Leica M lenses but I never seem to be able to get as close as I would like. I can get shallow DOF with lenses like the Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.0 and Leica Summicron 90mm f2 but both these lenses only focus as close as 1M. My closest focusing lenses are the Leica Summilux ASPH 50mm f1.4 and Leica Summicron 50mm f2 both of which focus as 0.7M but that is still not near enough for say detail shots at a wedding.
75mm focal length (“FL”) – Why so unpopular?
The 75mm FL is one of the least popular focal lengths as it is too close to both a 50mm and a 90mm. In theory it would make sense to own a 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm say. I think that is how the majority of the population think anyway and at first glance that makes perfect sense. It does until you approach the same question differently..
Leica 75mm Frame lines
Not all the Leica M camera viewfinders have the 75mm framelines so it is worth checking before you buy. My Leica Film Camera Guide covers the Leica film cameras that do and don’t. I have some cameras with 75mm framelines and some without.
What can the Summicron 75mm f2 APO lens give me that none of my other lenses can?
Firstly it gives me a brand new string in my Leica bow. What do I mean by this? I mean I can now do super sharp detail photos at a higher magnification than with any of my other Leica M lenses. That alone that fills a void in my Leica camera bag capabilities.
75mm APO lens – Does it add value?
Yes. It gives me apparent image sharpness and resolution that is comparable with my 36MP Nikon D800 (I think). This means if I am doing freelance wedding photography with high end DSLR cameras the images from the M9 + Cron 75f2 now look more similar to a CMOS sensor than say the dreamy looking images from the Noctilux or older Cron 90f2. I love the latter look for my own wedding photography but when shooting for other photographers most people appreciate lens sharpness and clean crisp images.
Leica Summicron 75mm f2 – Too “clinical”?
The term ‘clinical’ seems to be everywhere when you read up on this lens on the internet. It is said in a negative tense describing images from this lens as characterless. Yes it is crazy sharp, edge to edge, and even more so stoppped down and yes it has little or no vignetting (which I miss!) but that doesn’t mean it creates a bad image. How long does it take to add vignetting in post processing if desired? Seconds. If I want to use the Cron 75mm f2 lens in the studio for clean crisp images perhaps for a magazine it is better to have a lens that can give me this option. I love my Noctilux lens but shot wide open but it has heavy vignetting and famous Leica glow do not suit every occasion. (Yes I could stop down the Noctilux but have tended to use the Lux ASPH 50 to date for sharp studio images).
Voigtlander 75mm vs Leica 75mm – Cheaper?
Yes two popular and cheaper alternative 75mm lenses are the Voigtlander 75mm f1.8 Heliar Classic and the Leica Summarit 75mm f2.5. The Voigtlander Classic 75f1.8 offers fantastic value for money at around 1/5 of the price of the Summicron 75f2 APO. I own some Voigtlander lenses and some of them are real gems. I have no bias towards the Leica branded lenses. A second cheaper option at around half the cost of the Cron f2 is the smaller lighter and very slightly slower Summarit 75mm f2.5.
So why did I pay more to get the Summicron 75mm?
Simple answer. I only had interest in a 75mm as I wanted a longer lens to focus at 0.7M. Both the other 75mm lenses only focus as close as 0.9M. I would not buy a 75mm FL lens otherwise as have 50mm and 90mm lenses already.
Leica Summicron 75mm f2 review – First thoughts?
Pleasantly surprised I think. There is not a huge amount of positive information attached to this lens but for the sole reason it focuses at 0.7M I thought I would get one to try. Leica equipment tends to hold it’s value well so I thought worst case I could just sell it again.
Leica Summicron 75mm APO thoughts:
- Lens build quality – very similar to the Leica Summilux ASPH 50mm f1.4 just slightly bigger
- Size – Around the same bulk and weight as my Noctilux and has a 49mm filter thread
- Lens contrast – less contrasty that Zeiss ZM T* lenses such as the Sonnar and Planar
- Apparent sharpness – Sharp wide open. Not as harsh as expected for female portraits
- Bokeh – Pleasing round bokeh balls shot wide open
- Resolution – I think it is now my sharpest lens. Zeiss lenses tend to appear sharp due to the higher micro contrast. The Cron 75 is more like the Lux ASPH or newer Noctilux 50mm f0.95. (Yes I was not keen on the Nocti f0.95 for looking too modern but for close up detail shots I see the ‘clinical’ sharpness of the Summicron 75 f2 as a positive).
Potential uses for the 75mm APO for my style of photography?
- Studio portraiture needing maximum resolution
- Tighter crop portraits (head shots)
- Street photography at a comfortable distance
- Detail photos for Leica wedding photography
- Product photography
- Macro photography with my Raynox 250 macro lens attached
Leica Summicron 75mm Flickr images
(These photos have been edited so are not great to see the SOOC look from this lens, sorry)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/14392250947
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/14594740513
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/14597583463
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/14573000322
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/14411017097
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/14587207401
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32681588@N03/14412048300
I will as always be sharing new images to my Flickr stream as I take them. I am interested to try the 75mm f2 Cron on my Leica M2 to see how it looks with film loaded!
YouTube Video
Hi Matt, thanks for the post. I have struggled also w the question of closer focussing lenses and then found the SOOKY-M which looks a bit dorky but works well
Hi Charles, thanks for getting in touch. I have seen similar but not tried one myself yet. Does it work OK with any lens attached? I might get one at some point. Cheers Matt
Hi Matt, it works w older collapsible 50mm and some lens heads that can also be used on a visoflex through a small adapter. Focus distance becomes about 45 cm or so. Still not macro but already a lot better for close-in portraits. There is not a lot of documentation
Hi Matt
Didn’t see my reply to your reply, so let me do it again, just in case. The SOOKY works with older (!) collapsible 50mm s from the M3 days. Minimum focus distance is about 50cm and it doesn’t focus to infinity with the goggles on, so that might be a bit impractical for the pace of a wedding. I have also read about people modifying a 50mm DR so that it works on an M9, but I haven’t tried.
Thanks Charles. I was hopeful that I could use it with my existing lenses of which I have a few but not the DR or C’ version. Thanks for the detail though, it is good to know. I think also there is a newer version designed for the 90mm Elmarit but I have not read much on this as yet. Cheers
Pingback: Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO | Matthew Osborne › Von TOMEN
Hi Matt.
I like to work mainly with focal lengths of 28mm and 75mm. I prefer to use the Leica SL2-S. The lenses I use are the current M 2.8 / 28mm ASPH. and the APO M 2.0 / 75mm or the SL APO 75mm ASPH.
The 75 mm focal length is often underestimated. I myself often take portraits of museums or manufactories using only this focal length. I use other lenses less than 5 per cent of the time. I would even photograph weddings with this combination today.
Many thanks for your great website, which I visit often.
Best regards from Germany / Denmark (borderland)
Kai
Hi Kai, thanks for stopping by! Yes the 75mm focal length is nice. I eventually replaced my APO-M with the Nokton 75mm f1.5 . That lens is fantastic for the money and 1 stop faster for weddings/ portraits. I still have the 28mm Elmarit too. Love the size!