50mm Summilux - Why is This My Favorite Fifty?! 

Hi Sebastian...nice to hear from you again. Seems like months ago already! I hope all is well. My M version plays well at shorter distances which is where I tend to shoot from anyhow. Dylan being my main subject...he has a habit of rushing the camera whenever he sees me bring it up to my eye. So, most of his results are within the minimum 70cm out to a meter and a half at most. So...with that said, I really do not have much experience shooting at infinity. I need to get out more often and play around with distant subjects. Even my street shots are all within a couple of meters at most and I don't stop down more than 5.6...ever! I'm a creature of habit...once I find something I like, it's the same old some old until the next new thing comes along! I have been considering a 90 Summicron-R because it's reputed to be a great portrait producer which is my cup of tea! I'm waiting for the right one to make itself available!

@@DrScottMcDonald007 Months sounds accurate. I have a second kid now which is 6 months old so lots of sleep lost. Furthermore, the company I work for is working on a skeleton crew as most of our employees have left with that work falling on those who are left. I don't want to get too political. However, the USA has fallen from a first world to a second world nation under the current administration. Inflation. Supply shortages. Worker shortages. This is the worst I have ever seen it in my lifetime. Absolute disaster. Enough Politics. Back to lenses. Are you a mind reader or spying on me? I currently have three Leica lenses all R mount; 35-70/F4, 50/1.4, and 90/2. The Summicron-R 90 pre asph is the only Leica lens that actually impresses me. It produces beautiful colors and is a high contrast lens. It's a bit glowy at f/2 but still has lots of detail. By f/2.8 it cleans up and from f/4 the resolution for portraits is like nothing I own. Extremely high detail and clarity but with gentle falloff adding depth. It also is unique in that FOV because the minimum focus distance is 0.7m, the aperture is large at f/2 and the size is very compact like a big 50mm lens. The only downside is weight. It's small but heavy. It is unique. I know no other lens with those characteristics. There are macro lenses that are closer focusing, but they are much larger in size and typically only f/2.8. There are lenses around the size but again not as close focusing and maximum aperture of f/2.8. This may be the only Leica lens I end up keeping. The Summilux-R is too expensive and looking to be too specialized. The 35-70 zoom is actually very good, but I have the Zeiss Contax equivalent and it has better corner performance making it a superior landscape lens. The Summicron-R 90 pre asph is the only one that wows me.

@@sebastiang7183 ...congrats on number two! My little guy was enough to tell me that I wouldn't want to do that again unless I was wealthy enough to have a nanny take care of the nightly disruptions! Even at 2 y/o, Dylan still disrupts my sleep pattern. The scene going on currently in the US is like a bad movie. It is not the same country that I left in 2011. We've always had extremists but they stayed on the fringes...now they've taken center stage. Everyone hates everyone who doesn't think as they do. Both parties are to blame but no one wants to admit it (except a few who then get blacklisted for doing so). Sad really. I've always been in the center with a slight conservative leaning but I seem to be all by myself in that regard today. Oh well, it's almost better watching it all go down from over here. Back to photography...I only have a couple of Zooms but never use them. Don't know why, but I seem to be a prime lens fan. The 90mm f2 is something I've been keeping an eye on for a while now but haven't pulled the trigger. I've researched a number of options but this R-mount seems to always be vying for my attention. So, it will with be that one or if an M-mount 90mm tele-elmarit 2.8 (version 2) I think it is, pops up for the right price, I'll snag that. It is the size of a 50 so an ideal pocket lens.

@@DrScottMcDonald007 Thank you. Once you have one, then pretty much it's not that much more effort to have another. After the first you have already lost everything: sleep, physique, free time, etc. Each kid is also different. Our first is a huge pain and remains so. The second kid is a lot easier and more laid back. I could raise three of the second for the same effort the first demands. Sadly, you are right we are left with the extreme left and extreme right although mostly extreme left if you look at who burned the cities to the ground. They are both sharpening their blades for each other and it looks like it will be bloody. The center is mostly gone and what is left is afraid to admit it for fear of repercussions. I use zooms for landscape basically from f/5.6-f/11. I live in the desert and it is dusty and I don't want to change lenses in those conditions in the desert. For the rest I prefer primes. I went with the R mount as the M mount 90 looks to be bigger in size. I have learned that no matter how good the lens if it is huge I will not carry it regularly. The summicron just dropped in my lap for the right price in the right size. The Summilux-R 50 I am a bit torn about. In my opinion, it is too much money for what it is and better left to collectors. It is looking like Zeiss is the 50mm king or even Canon and Leica rules the roost at 85-90mm. Although, I really like my Topcor 58 f/1.4 although it's not exactly a 50mm. In fairness the Summilux isn't either. It's more toward 52mm.

@@sebastiang7183 ...Well, at least you're taking one for the team! I'm happy for you that number two is going easy on you. Dylan is going through the Terrible Two crying-screech-fest this week that is driving us bonkers. When he's in that mode, there is no appeasing him! Pre-school is a blessing since I am home most of the day between semesters. Yes, the desert environment will look for you to let your guard down and creep into your gear when you least expect it. So, in your case, the zoom is ideal...internal zoom would be even better. The 90M is bigger but the one I was looking at was the Tele-Elmarit v2 I think it was. Super small for a 90. I've not had the pleasure of testing any R-mounts yet but hoping that day comes soon enough. I have a Zeiss Planar 50 1.4 on my A7RII at the moment (such a nice lens) but my Topcor 58 1.4 just winked at me from the shelf and said, "See, Sebastian's talking about me...so...?!"