Leica Users: Rigid 50/2 Summicron or Nikkor 50/1.4 Sonnar?

[davela]

I've used the 50/1.4 Nikkor and I own a collapsible Summicron 50/2, and I can tell you they are both top-drawer optics. The Summicron might be the best fifty ever made (even the old ones like mine are astonishingly good), but of course it is "only" an F2 optic. The Rigid Summicron is uncommon in LTM and very expensive (although they appear on eBay), but it's easily available in LTM collapsible and common in M mount in any form. If you have the money for the LTM Rigid though go for it - you'll have a nice collectible as well as a fine lens.

[Venchka]

I own both. The 50/1.4 Nikkor since the mid-70s and a pristine 50/2.0 Dual Range Summicron since 2006. I use both. I tend to use the Summicron more often for color and the Nikkor more often for B&W. As for wanting the 50/1.4 Nikkor to be more compact, I doubt that there has ever been a more compact 50/1.4 lens. It is smaller than the Dual Range Summicron. Next to my Canon 50/1.4 in BL mount, the Nikkor is tiny.

[Rolleiflexible]

V, why do you prefer the Nikkor for B+W work?

[Louis Nargi]

Thanks for this thread I use a Leica and only have a50 Summitar which I like. I know this is not Leicas' best 50 but it seems to me a very nice lens

[Tom Hoskinson]

I have the Nikon LTM 50 f2 and f1.4, plus 2 collapsible Summicrons and 2 Solid mount Summicrons. I have recently added a ZM 50mm Planar and 50mm ZM Sonnar and those are the 2 lenses that I am currently evaluating (along with an M mount 35mm f2 Aspherical CV Nokton). Still early days.



0

[Rolleiflexible]

Tom, you pretty much just bought every lens I've
been thinking about. Please post here again after
you've had time to explore them all.

[Venchka]

V, why do you prefer the Nikkor for B+W work?

I thought about that after I said it. I looked through my rolls of film with each lens. It's closer to 50-50. I've used both lenses about the same amount for color and B&W. A slight nod to the Summicron on total use now that I have both. However, the Nikkor LTM still wins the battle of which lens to use on my Canon VI-T. Supporting both LTM and M mounts leads me to have a majority of LTM lenses. The best of both worlds.

There is no science involved, but I probably favor the DR Summicron over the Nikkor. On the other hand, I have a lot of photos taken with the Nikkor that I am very fond of. That's why I keep both.

[raid amin]

This discussion encourages me to keep my Summicron rigid and not to replace it with a Nikkor 50/1.4 but to [maybe] add the Nikkor. I am also tempted to sell my collapsible Summicron in such a case.

[lens_hacker]

The Nikkor is very different from the Rigid and Collapsible Summicrons, higher contrast. I prefer the Summicrons for C41 B&W as they normally print up with too high contrast. The Summicrons "tame" them.

The Rigid and Collapsible are fairly close. But the collapsible is so cool on an M3...

[Tom Hoskinson]

Tom, you pretty much just bought every lens I've
been thinking about. Please post here again after
you've had time to explore them all.

I've got to get into the darkroom and develop the darned film!