NEW Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 vs Apo-Summicron-M 35mm f/2 | Detailed Comparison 

This is a wonderful review. Thank you! Others have commented on the important rendering and optical differences so I will comment on something else. Your description of both make us feel like we are holding and using both of these lenses; only for Leica does one talk about the lens hoods and caps and feel of the aperture ring in such detail. I can’t image caring about any of this for Nikon, Canon or even Fuji glass. But it’s great you discuss this in such a comprehensive but concise way. It makes these videos so much more enjoyable and gives one more insight into the “soul” of the Leica M system which is so important to those that use it.

A great review of comparison of new Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 and Apo-Summicron 35mm f2 lenses. Thanks!

Hi. Like your videos. I bought the new summilux but I noticed that the “stop” between 0,7 and 0,6 is too smooth. Sometimes while I’m focusing I go under 0,7 because there a soft stop. I don’t know if I explained correctly what I mean

Outstanding comparison video!

Thanks for this highly anticipated comparison review.

Thanks for the comparison!

Wonder if you will visit Leica SL2 too with these lenses and compare with the L mount ones. Thanks.

love your video and comparison. In your conclusion, I wish you took into consideration or mentioned the extra close up distance of the Summicron. I wonder what is your opinion... is it worth paying the extra money to be able to get closer to your subject?

As I, for the most part, use B&W film, the hair-splitting edge that the Summicron has on colour fidelity is of little importance. Although, for photographing artwork for reproduction, the Summicrons have always been my choice within the Leica range. The absence of distortion is also of critical importance. These lenses at between 5.6 and f8 are superb.

Thank you for the review. The summicron seems much sharper at F2 (if looke at your video at 19:54 minutes). As for the summilux, the new version should be exactly like the old one, especially wide open, since optically they are exactly the same.

is the optical performance of 35mm FLE1 Summilux and 35mm FLE2 Summilux the same? Is FLE2 designed for higher mega pixels?

Thanks for another clear and objective review.

no edge/corner comparison and color fringing comparison on high contrast edges?

Thanks, very interesting! Both lenses look beautiful to me but I’m not used to the faster lens being cheaper, so an easy choice really. It’s sad the lens aperture is not correctly recorded by such a new Leica. I was alarmed by the white balance difference in the red flowers. The new lens would clearly be super for street photography, but when you do your star shots I’m not sure that wide open will be usable to get really sharp stars...please prove me wrong!

Actually, the only real world difference is the hood and the price between these two very capable lenses Great review as always

I like the colors of the f2 apo summicron! Thank you for the video!

I enjoy your thoroughness, but it wasn't until you mentioned the APO lack of CA, that my choice was affirmed. I found a new copy of the 35mm APO and bought it right away--then the new FLE came out. I wondered if I had made a mistake, especially considering price. I'm relieved. The Summicron is better for my usage. If I want to do street at night I have a Voigtlander 35mm f12. II, which serves my purposes just fine.

Does the lens cap for the apo fit the Lux???

we need NEW Leica Summilux-M 35mm vs the old one Comparison :)

very good video, very didactic, like all the ones you do, congratulations

As far as I know any modern (or any one ever made I suppose) M lens can have a tighter or looser aperture ring if you specify that in a CLA, adjust it yourself if you know how, or it comes that way from the factory. I don't think the 35/1.4 FLE v2 is especially different or unique in the design or construction of the aperture mechanism, maybe Leica just decided to set them tighter from out of the gate.

The APO cron looks slightly sharper in the centre close-up even when stopped down to f/2.8. But it is massively sharper in the edges at f/2, showing far less coma and lower colour aberrations at distance, just look at the street lights at 19:50 and the grass and foliage at 19:53 in the video. You didn't show the far corners at all, so the APO cron's advantage may still have held there at f/8, although I imagine both lenses are losing acuity from diffraction at that aperture.

At 19.55 the window is sharper on the apo lens, the is some difference between rhe 2 lenses in sharpness in the night test imo, thank you for the review!

Thanks for this comparison

Thanks for this video; I've been looking for just such a direct comparison of these two lenses. I'm still on the waiting list for the APO, but think I'll pick up the new FLE II to play with while I wait. If I'm as happy with the FLE II as I expect, I'll probably pass on the APO. The new lens is a great achievement for Leica and I can't wait to get my hands on one.

Great video!!! Thanks a lot! This Summilux is very very close to the Apo Summicron (apart from the price...)!

darf ich bitte fragen, welche schutzfolie du für deine M11 nutzt? die sitzt wirklich sehr gut. zu den Bildvergleichen: ein Unterschied in der Farbtemperatur hat massiv Auswirkungen auf den subjektiven Eindruck. Sollte die Farbtemperatur bei beiden identisch sein, ok, wenn nicht sollte man die beiden mal gleichziehen (nur die Farbtemp.) und nochmal den Bildlook vergleichen. Kalte Bilder wirken oft kontrastreicher

Can you please add one more important comparison? That is shooting back lighted subject. The “APO” attribute of Sumicron should “shine” there. Thank you

Many thanks for the video! it killed my sumi35apo order as i already have the new lux 35..As you tested both systems, what do you prefer M11 with lux35 or X2d with 55mm ?

Does the metal lens cap from the APO fit on the Summilux? It did on the FLE v1

As usually, a great review. Thank you! I own the APO-Summicron 35mm and previous version of the Summicron 35mm ASPH FLE. I would be interested to see a comparison of these two lenses on an M11. Cheers!

Very Good analysis

Please do image quality (raw) tests of Leica M11 with 35mm Lux and 35mm APO. Then attach these lens to Sony A7RV using Voigtlander close adapter. Then also test on A7RV Sony 35mm GM lens and compare to Leica

Please do a 50mm apo summicron vs a 50mm summilux asph

Have the aperture blades detched yet? Sounds like all the shipped lens' have been recalled..

Wonder if there is any purple fringing when shooting under bright sunlight with the Summilux?

Thank you for the comparison!! Do you think the chromatic difference between the two lens are almost equal as well? I'm thinking that the extra $$$ on the Summicron would correct the chromatic edges better than what we could do in post-processing?

Are the colours / tonal / contrast a lot better on new 35 Summilux or 35 Apo?

Hi, Great comp. Thank you! Would you please compare the new Leica Summilux-m 35mm f1.4 with the older f1.4 35mm it has replaced? Thanks you.

From this nice video I would say Leica did a great job with the Summilux. Against the app it’s 98% but I believe it’s on or with Voigtlander Apo. That makes it a great lens.

The APO sum micron is always going to be the expensive one, because it is a corrected lease, and the chromatic aberration is very minimal..

very nice video, that helps me a lot. The apo is definitely to clean for me, a perfect lens, but to perfect for me. The Summilux should be the right lens for me. Thanks a lot.

Do you feel same about 50mm between APO 2.0 & 50mm 1.4?

The colors are surprisingly different between the two. The Summilux is warmer and the Summicron is cooler.

I wonder how would the bokeh look like, at 30cm @ f/2 vs 40cm @ f/1.4. Also, the APO lens might be better in managing color fringing and accuracy.

I found all leica lenses have some play at the end of the aperture range. You'd expect a more solid design when paying a few grand for a lens. On the other hand, my voigtlander lenses feel way more solid.

I have the new Summilux. It is very good - although I would prefer a harder delineation between the close focus part and the normal part. I actually ended up getting what was the only copy of that lens in NZ at the time, partly because there were no Apo lenses and I was advised I would have to wait at least 12 months to get one. I decided I probably would never tell the difference in daily use for practical purposes so went with what I could get.

Thanks for your comparison... Apo-Summicron is better... is best Leica lens. and... view angle little bit different...

Around 19m50s I see noticeable differences: more sunstars, coma, and and loca on the Summilux than than the APO-Summicron.

Does it mean 0.4-0.7m is not working on Analog Ms?

Color rendering is definitely better in Apo Summicron. It’s not just about sharpness it’s also color accuracy. Apo is way better!

Summilux 35 mm 1.4 Wins ; Portraiture is what I crave , I use many Canon L39 lenses including the Dream Lens 50mm 0.95 , I love my L39 F1.2 Canon lens , and my A.Schact Ulm 90mm 2.8 , yes an M42 lens ....try the 90mm 16 blade Schact Ulm lens , and hold on to your socks ....you will be shocked.

El poseedor de cualquiera de estas ópticas es un ser envidiado por mí🙃

Great video. Thanks.

After f/2 you still didn’t compare them at the same apertures. I understand the Summilux is faster, but it would be nice to see the colors, contrast, bokeh and sharpness at the same exact apertures.

So, no need for the APO when you stop down the Lux and get the same sharpness at around f2 or f2.8. Also, you have the opportunity to shoot more soft and dreamy portraits at f1.4, not to mention the price difference of about 3000$

I’m so bummed. That’s my second copy. The first had defective aperture blades. This one has real bad front focusing issue. Impossible to get sharp images at 1.4 on the OVF

We need a direct comparison to the Sony 35mm 1.4 gmaster

I'm sorry I must disagree with you, Math, with regard to your own perception of contrast and sharpness netween these two lenses, mostly when you compare their yielded results at smaller apertures. Contrary to yours, my perception on the two lenses, side by side, at smaller apertures, at all, I stress, ALL shown images, the Summicron IS definitely distinguished from the Summilux. Sharper, more contrast and more natural colors. In some instances you comment "almost". Yes, I agree but, that "almost" makes all the difference. Do you wear glasses? That might explain why I see the better IQ of the Summicron in all instances. As for the bokeh again, while the Summilux does yield a dreamier look both at the foreground and background, the subject target is negatively affected on its sharpness. It's the same as wearing a wrong graded eyeglasses for the whole scenario. In real life, Math, I want to see my main subject crispy clear with a gentle fall off bokeh. The Summicron gives me that. While the Summilux bokeh is really dreamy, the Summicron is dreamy enough. In this case, the "almost" parameter is absolutely irrelevant. Finally, for street photography, the ideal purpose of the 35mm focus length, human expression, subtle eye glimpses and the like, millimeter subtlety will bring one's tears or not. Paying 3 grand more is dirty cheap for a priceless emotion.

I wonder what exactly did Leica do here…better glass formula, better lens polishing, better metals, seems like a lot of RD for very minor gains. Were they not satisfied in the old lens ability to resolve new high megapixel sensors. Was the old factory tooling getting old and it was time to update. What?

then , why buy apo summicron?

APO sharper edge to edge

35mm APO is definitely sharper

APO may be sharper, but the Summilux will always be more beautiful and three dimensional. Sharpness is overrated.

There is not such difference between the two, except in the price. And the superiority of the Summicron is so small, that I prefer the Summilux

Also bei so teuren Objektiven, würde ich diese mit keinem noch so teuren "Filter" in ihren optischen Qualitäten "verschlimmbessern" wollen!

the colour difference is insane and you hardly mention it.

I think the APO is very dreamy in its own way.

Humm i was expecting some real differences considering the price difference but cant justify the extra $3k. Also just a humble suggestion. it's not worth overusing the word "sharp" when describing Leica lenses. Sounded more like a Sony review LOL. But thank you

Why did this pop up when I should be going to sleep?? Ugh

How come no serious photographer ever uses these?