Leica 35mm Summicron First Impressions - Dream Lens!

[@PopoMedic]

Love my 35 cron on my ole' M to L adapter. Got it for the same reasons as you. I'd lose sleep wondering "what if" had I gone with a Zeiss or Voigtlander. Even the Summicron-SL 35mm APO was just too sharp and too perfect- it had no character. This lens is the way to go. Great video & channel keep it up!

[@karledwards]

Thanks!!

[@madminga]

My new favorite photo channel

[@karledwards]

Thanks Minga! Glad to have you aboard!! :)

[@MarcWynter]

Good choice. That’s my primary M lens as well. I had the 35 ultron v1 and loved it but the same reasons for me to the cron asph v2 as well… there was always a curiosity and the close focus distance was good on digital but tricky if you’re quickly trying to pull close focus. Enjoy!

[@karledwards]

Thanks Marc! I think the Ultrons might be designed for digital M users who don't mind double checking focus with liveview? Who knows though!! Glad to hear from a fellow Cron lover!

[@PatrickColpron]

I have two MP, a Chrome one loaded with either Tri-X or T-Max 400 and a Black Paint MP loaded with with either Portra 400 or Portra 160. Lenses are Summilux Steel Rim 35 V1 Chrome for the a Summilux 50 Chrome on the Chrome MP and on the Black Paint MP it is either an APO Summicron 35 or a Summilux 24 with an external view finder.

[@karledwards]

Nice!

[@carlosmcse]

For my 10R Black Paint I’m on the 50 summicron (non APO). It’s amazing. Like 3 lenses in one. The crons are perfection. You buy other lenses and all you think about is getting a Cron. I went through 2 Voigtlander (Nokton and APO) and 1 Zeiss and ended up with the Cron (v5). They always say “but lens XYZ is 90% of the Leica for a fraction of the price”. But it’s that 10% where the magic lies.

[@crispin8888]

Very true. In the end, buy the Leica that you want and not lens after lens that isn't quite right.

[@karledwards]

I totally agree!!

[@nuj427]

I prefer v4 over v5 for the fact that v4 has a tab (which I think is a must with M body), and I prefer a hood you can remove because most the time it's useless. Well the new ones being truly screwed on and all metal is nice, but not the ones before, and I mean shave off whatever amount of weight the better. The v4 is I forgot exactly but 50g lighter.

[@karledwards]

@@nuj427 There's something to be said for each version of this lens... And a lot folks like the rendering of V4. And it's definitely a little lighter! :)

[@karledwards]

@@nuj427 Every version of this lens has something to admire... The V5 has a focus tab as well though. Unless you referring to something different?

[@davidroberts6766]

I consider myself a multi-medium shooter. I shoot three ways: On film. I love exploring film stocks. I have a dozen film cameras that I load up with BW, Colour and expired film. I love experimenting with tones. I use Nikons that range from F2 to FM3a and Old X Series Minolta gear (my first cameras). I know I could never stick to one stock, but if I did, it would probably be HP5. Am I jealous of your MP, lens combo?….yup, just a bit! I also shoot digital on various compact, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. And then their is hybrid shooting; using my vintage nikkor and rokkor glass on my digital mirrorless cameras. Just taking away autofocus, imposes a bit of slowing down in the digital process. Seeing creative impacts like flare, live time, is really cool. I never thought I would go back to film, but damn there is just something so fun about it. Its a blast. And man, those old cameras are just great tools… they all look, feel and sound different. Good luck on your project!

[@w00tw00tish]

ROTFL - Your explaination of how you justified the Leica (Vs the voigtlander etc) is *exactly* how my brain works hahahhaa!! Loved your video - thank you!

[@JimmyCheng]

The vm 35/2 which I reviewed has black paint for the black version which fits your BP MP a bit better than the Leica IMO. It looks more classy as well imo. The sum micron is 1970s old design, which is nothing wrong but ... You'll want the apo eventually :)

[@karledwards]

Thanks Jimmy. I specifically mention the VM 35/2 in the video. That lens wasn't even on my list because of the close focus distance. The Summicron optical design may be from the 1970s but it has the image character that I like. Super happy with my choice! The APO is amazing but there's really not reason I can see to switch off the 'Cron at this point. I'm super happy with the lens! :)

[@Stringbob]

M6 and a 35 and 50 ‘cron for me. I have to say though that I use the 50mm 80% of the time as I’m more into close portraits rather than environmental portraits. One thing I couldn’t do though is only black and white, so I will be watching with interest to see how you get on.

[@karledwards]

Awesome kit, Stringbob! I’ll be posting updates as the year progresses… Hopefully I can get a couple decent shots!

[@karledwards]

Thanks for the comment. To be honest, when I think about shooting film my brain automatically goes to black and white. It's where I started when I studied photography 30 years ago... I guess my brain just likes it! LOL! You can see my progress on my personal Instagram @thekarledwards

[@chrisiclickyou3947]

Your reasoning at 2:27 is amazing, I feel it!! While I work full time as a wedding photographer, I only get the very best lenses abs bodies at the end of the day they make my life easier

[@karledwards]

Thanks Chris! I keep trying to convince my bookkeeper that this logic is sound... But so far, he's not buying it!! I definitely agree on getting the best gear you can afford. Photography is a marriage, not a first date so it's all an investment! :)

[@TOOBBIINN1]

The Leica 35mm Summicron ASPH is the only choice! Think of how many legendary photographs were taken with that lens!

[@karledwards]

Agreed!!

[@ronwolfept]

You rationalize your camera purchases like a pro! cron cron cron cron. hate to one up but i just did the same thing with the 35 lux... lux, lux, lux. but oh baby. who needs food or to send the kids to college. FP4 is my go to from 35 to 8x10 and love developing in 510 Pyro (huge tonal range and I love how much better high light details render) and super economical cuz its a concentrate.

[@karledwards]

FP4 is great but I'm definitely an HP5 convert now! :)

[@marlon.iraheta]

That lens combo with the MP and 35mm is great. I shoot with the MP and a 28mm cron, I like this combination, the lens is not to big and balanced very well. As for film choice HP5 is my go film. Hey, great videos by the way, I really enyoy your content. Cheer from Montreal city :)

[@karledwards]

Thanks Marlon!! I'm just about to develop the first batch of film for the project... Should have some pics to show soon!

[@thomasjayprince]

Amazing! I have the exact same setup, but in chrome! I absolutely love it!! I shoot primarily HP5+ to save $$. I like to shoot at 1600 and throw on my red filter or 4stop ND. Are you shooting any specifics for your project? Any recommendations for bulk loading? Something I am definitely interested in doing to save more.

[@karledwards]

Thanks for the comment, Tom! As much as I love by black paint MP there something about the silver version that always appeale to me. Great little cameras! My subject focus for the year long project is going to be on street photography with a couple personal projects that will be shot indoors. Need to figure out a couple things with flash in the next couple weeks but that shouldn't be a problem. Just getting bulk loading set up myself. Watch for a video on that subject in the coming weeks! :)

[@colinosullivan]

I’ve to try the red filter. Use the 4 stop ND so you can shoot wide open ?

[@karledwards]

@@colinosullivan 4 stop ND could come in handy for shooting fill flash in daylight as well.

[@colinosullivan]

@@karledwards ah ha. I hadn’t thought of that. I must fry this

[@karledwards]

@@colinosullivan the 1/50 flash sync is a bit of a problem during daylight hours!! :)

[@HopefulForever-ln5xm]

I’m not buying your justification to buy the Leica but it works for me!! Seriously though I agree with you. I bought the Zeiss 2.8 and thought I’d buy a Leica later. Fast forward 12 years later, i retired and now can’t financially justify the Leica. I should have just bought one back then. Oh well. I just switched to HP5 this year after watching TriX soar from $80 to almost $150 for 100 feet. I miss TriX though.

[@karledwards]

I hear that!! I was always a Tri-X shooter when I was studying photography. But 20 roll into shooting HP5 and there’s no turning back for me. The midtown contrast alone is worth the price of admission! :)

[@kubowich]

So now that you have Cron 35, the lust after Lux FLE can start

[@karledwards]

Haha! I’m actually one of those weird people who prefers the way the cron renders the rworld! I reserve the right to change my mind at any time though!

[@BillyHopscotch]

Nice! I shoot a very similar setup (35mm Summicron v1 on my MP), and have settled on bulk-loaded HP5 as well. I love the mid-tones I can get out of it, and it prints well (digitally or by hand). Can't wait to see your results!

[@karledwards]

Thanks William. Just developed first batch and they're a bit on the contrasty side. Making adjustments for next batch... Fingers crossed there's something interesting there!

[@BillyHopscotch]

@@karledwards I have found a lot of luck with shooting a full stop over, and developing in HC-110b. Your mileage may vary, of course. I have gone even more diluted (I think h) and that worked reasonably well but wasn't worth the extra time over b. The key seems to have been going one stop over in my experience.

[@karledwards]

@@BillyHopscotch I've been shootingHP5 at 200 ISO so it sounds like we're on the same track there! I'm a D-76 1:1 guy though!

[@BillyHopscotch]

@@karledwards indeed it does 😂 I hear good things about D-76 but my HC-110 has just lasted so long, I haven't had a chance to branch out.

[@kevin-parratt-artist]

My 35mm film cameras? ▪︎ M7 is always loaded with Portra 160 or 400 ▪︎ M2 & M3 are always loaded with either FP4 or HP5 ▪︎ I love that "Black Beauty of yours. It's on my wish list. 👌 .. and yes, I feel the same about the Leica lenses, old and new, as opposed to the others. That said, I made one exception. After extensive research, I chose a Zeiss ZM Biogon f4.5 /21mm over both its faster sibling and the Leica offering, based entirely on performance, for specific purposes. (I do a lot of work with Hasselblad and Linhof as well.) Thanks for the video. Cheers, Kevin Parratt.

[@karledwards]

Thanks Kevin! M7? You rebel!! :)

[@dell-tone6472]

I love your logic about saving money, I've "saved" that way too!!

[@karledwards]

LOL! It's a dangerous way of thinking... :)

[@baladino]

I’m sure you’re feeling good with that summicron ! Mine’s on the way. I use a Leica M-A and have a Zeiss 35mm F2.8 which I’ve been using for 3 months. HP5 is a really versatile film stock though I have a preference for Delta 100. Have fun with your new lens ! Great video !

[@karledwards]

Thanks Baladino! The Cron is treating me real well so far!!

[@baladino]

@@karledwards by the way filter are you using on it ? b+w ? I need to get a filter for mine. Planning to get a B+W UV filter

[@karledwards]

@@baladino Most of the time I have an older B+W yellow filter for black and white work. Careful ordering new B+W filters though. They changed packaging and everything now comes in a crappy little pouch that offers ZERO protection for the filter when not in use. I'm probably going to switch to Heliopan as a result.

[@ianhand5006]

I live about 30 miles away from the Ilford factory, but I prefer Tri-X.

[@andrewshieldsphoto]

I think the best reason to go with HP5 Plus over Tri-X is that the processed negatives lay so much flatter with the Ilford film. Tri-X doesn't curl so much as the negatives cup. This makes it very very difficult to use on any flatbed scanner no matter the carrier type. Because the cup is so severe the negatives end up touching your scanner glass and causing Newton rings which are very difficult to deal with and will cause the need for endless rescans. For home scanning it's ilford all the way.

[@karledwards]

That's definitely a plus! I used to shoot Tri-X and would flatten my sleeved negs under a copy of Magnum Contact Prints for 2 full days before they could be handled. Not sure that's the best reason though.. For me, I'd have to say the best reason is the way the film renders midtones... Looking forward to working with HP5 for the next little bit. :)

[@Fourbars26]

We got the same set up, mp and 35 cron asph, and I love it. tho I prefer the agfa because it is over the top haha but mainly because of the contrast too that is pretty flexible in development part. cheers!

[@karledwards]

Nice... I'm really not a big fan of Agfa but different strokes! Post a link to your Instagram or wherever you post your pics. Would love to see your results!

[@trotomas]

Hey great video. It would also be nice to see some wet prints from your work not only scans 😄

[@karledwards]

Thanks for the comment Tommaso. I'm afraid wet prints just aren't in the cards for the foreseeable future. I'm going to be distributing everything digitally so scanning will be the first stop. The good thing is I can always print the negs any time I like in the future... Options!!

[@eirikkittelsen9787]

Leica M-A, love it! bought i brand new. Use it with Cron 50mm and the elmarit 28mm and sometimes the lux 28mm

[@karledwards]

Sounds amazing. I’m a big fan of the M-A! What color did I get?

[@eirikkittelsen9787]

@@karledwards Thanks 😃👍🏻.Got the regular Black chrome. Got a silver chrome M10-P. So one of each 😂

[@karledwards]

@@eirikkittelsen9787 nice!!

[@chenyang5448]

My Leica MP is waiting to be picked up in my local store (10 minutes walk!). In the mean time I am deciding which 35mm to buy. Your version is in stock in the store and I am tempted to buy it when I pick up the MP on Monday. Would lastest version look too clean? I shoot B/W and I rather like the character of some earlier Summicrons. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[@karledwards]

Thanks for the comment, chen! I never really looked at any Crons older than the ASHP. version because it produced the look and image character that I was after. I debated on getting the latest with the slightly longer hood but now that I have it I'm super happy I went this way! Hope that helps!

[@deantaylor1512]

Wot 😮..you have a new Leica just 10 minutes away … and your waiting till Monday to pick it up ..how will you sleep till then … crazy man …

[@chenyang5448]

Picked up my MP this afternoon and it is amazing. Looked at the Summicron 35mm f2 ASPH and I think it would eventually be my choice too. There is another Summicron ASPH (version I ) in the shop, not brand new but near mint, costing 800 euros less, and it is chrome. I would not use just one lens for a year, I have been shooting 35mm only on digital for 15 months. Can't say that I know this focal length but I have tried a couple of times to shoot street with 50mm and it is clear that it is not for me . I plan to buy a 28mm lens for street and a longer lens for portraits.

[@karledwards]

@@chenyang5448 As near as I can tell the ASPH. I is the same optical formula as the II. Just double check that the mount of the lens hood is solid and working. They don't make that part anymore!

[@SydneyMud]

I got the sliver version of the same 35 cron v2, which is much heavier than your black version. Reason being, get this, the black version is actually not made of brass; unlike your black paint MP.

[@karledwards]

To be fair, only the top and bottom plates are brass on the MP. I actually prefer not to have the lens made of brass though... The weight savings is substantial! Even if the silver version of this lens looks amazing!!

[@ofeykalakar1]

The black anodized Leica lenses are aluminum. I would have gone with that tiny BP 35 Ultron- all brass and tons sharper edge to edge than the cron. The latest editions of VM lenses are not 10% of Leitz quality- it’s the other way round.

[@karledwards]

@@ofeykalakar1 Thanks Fabrizio. Lens character has less to do with sharpness for me. I was specifically looking for the Cron rendering this time around.

[@stefan_becker]

Did you consider the Voigtlander 35mm f2 Apo Lanthar? Imho it does not make sense to spend 5 grand on a lens if you're shooting 35mm on HP5+ or Tri-X anyway. The image will be grainy (yes, I like that look) and will have scanned less of 10MP of real image data anyway.

[@karledwards]

Thanks Stefan. I understand what you're saying but lens character is about more than resolution... And the "look" produced by the Cron is definitely what I was after. Didn't check out the Voigtlander APO. Was a bit too big for my liking... If you watch the video you'll see that I was pretty much set on the Cron from the start :)

[@StuartWeir]

I’m 1,000,000% with you on the close focus distance thing with the 35 Ultron. I got the 28 Ultron originally and one of the reasons I returned it was because the lens drove me nuts not knowing if I had just barely passed the 0.7m close focus, and I was getting shots that came out soft and out of focus because of it. Went with the 28 Elmarit instead and haven’t looked back

[@karledwards]

Thanks for the comment Stuart! It almost seems like Voigtlander markets the .58m close focus distance as an advantage but I couldn't wrap my head around it. Maybe if you have a digital Leica with live view it might be a different story? But it's not for me at all!

[@StuartWeir]

I’m definitely with you there. I think the idea is for the modern, live view mode. It just sucks they either a) don’t make a version for film shooters that can’t take advantage of that feature (easily), or b) allow you to set up a “lock”; for example, with the Voigtlander 40mm f2.8 Heliar they recently released, it has an infinity lock. Imagine if they had a similar thing for “rangefinder coupling close focus lock”

[@karledwards]

@@StuartWeir That close focus lock idea is excellent. Would be a game changer for me!

[@dunerino892]

...all the best choices but I guess with this equipment there are no excuses any more 😉

[@karledwards]

Right?! Now I can finally prove that I'm the WORST PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE WORLD!! :D

[@alanjones3076]

Tri x at 100,200, or 320 plus - dev time with 200 being my 5 stop range base. Hc110 @ 68 deg all the way baby. Does anybody even do fil/dev test for contrast ranges and dif film stocks anymore?

[@karledwards]

I really think most people just follow the instructions on the package or send it to a lab. It's pretty easy to find the right developing time though... Just have to look at your results! :)

[@gutless_worm]

I can't believe how much film costs now! I just checked my email for B&H order confirmations and in 2011 I paid $50 for 3 rolls each of Portra NC, Tri-X and Velvia 50. Absurd!

[@karledwards]

Ya, I hear that! This is one of the reasons I'm shooting HP5+ for the next year. Waay cheaper than Tri-X plus I like the way it looks... :)

[@baladino]

Have you experienced focus shift using this lens ?

[@karledwards]

Nope. But I'm a street guy so I'm normally shooting zone focus at f8. Wouldn't really show up...

[@markgarcia8253]

@2:20 I use that rational all the time. And my credit cards hate me for it😅 Just picked up a KOB for $2300 instead of a G Master lens for the same price cuz the Leica will last me another 60 years😂❤

[@karledwards]

Nice!

[@robifleming]

MP and 35 cron v 4. Mostly black and white.

[@karledwards]

Nice!!

[@colinosullivan]

Enjoyed the video mate. Subscribed. I might actually get this for my m4. I’m also shooting primarily hp5 at 800/1600 for street projects or occasionally fp4+ which is my all time fav if in a sunny location. The cron on my digital m8.2 would become a 45ish! 😂 you can check out my first one or two videos on my channel. FP4 video this weekend on my Leica barnack. 👍

[@analogandnot]

M6 for me with Portra 800 mostly

[@karledwards]

Great combo!

[@hitthestreetsphoto1253]

No APO? Think of how much you would have saved.

[@karledwards]

Hehehe... The APO is lovely but I think it's still a 2 year waiting list to get one. To be honest though? I actually like the "character" of the Cron and the size can't be beat. Not sure I'd trade it for the APO...

[@deantaylor1512]

Naa … tri x all the way … didn’t scrimp on the lens ….why the film … Did the right thing on your lens …sometimes you have to stretch things a bit to get what you know you truly want .. did the same with my MP and 35mm asp. back in 2003…it’s all worth it in the end … Happy snapping…

[@bodythetan]

Preference

[@karledwards]

Thanks for the comment, Dean! Funny thing is I've always been a Tri-X guy all the way back studying photography in the 80's. But I actually do like the way HP5 looks - especially the way it renders midtones. I figured this was a great chance to give HP5+ a try. I definitely reserve the right to change my mind at any time though!!

[@karledwards]

@@bodythetan Not sure what you mean MrBizz...

[@SamuelStreetlife]

I came more than once…

[@SamuelStreetlife]

On a serious note: HP5 was always my favorite B&W film stock. Sooo flexible and never disappointed. And I‘m stealing your tip for saving money :) My wife will understand this time…

[@karledwards]

@@SamuelStreetlife Hehehe… My work here is done! Let’s catch up soon! Been way too long!!

[@weisserth]

Buy a used lens. I bought a new MP and a used 35mm Summilux Aspherical (not the current version).

[@karledwards]

I covered buying used in the MP video. I wanted new gear this time around... This lens will be with me for the long haul and I like the idea of having a warranty. They actually just released a brand new version of the 35 LUX FLE today! Looks pretty tasty!

[@GillesQuennevilleGQ]

Please speak faster…lol😂😂😂

[@andrewdturton4535]

Jeez, slow down ……..

[@karledwards]

LOL!! I tried that once but lost my balance and fell over!

[@jeeefthegreat7555]

You look like an old woman with those earrings. Time to let that go ... unless that's what you're going for. Also, got some version of the Summicron 35mm. Nobody, including me can tell any sort of difference between that and my iPhone. 100% GAS, if I didn't just have money to spend on pointless things, definitely would pass on this.

[@karledwards]

LOL.

[@deantaylor1512]

Well Mr Great .. now you got that off your chest .. May I suggested you go out and learn to use your pointless expense camera gear properly… Or just sell it …

[@karledwards]

@@deantaylor1512 Zinger.

[@jeeefthegreat7555]

@@deantaylor1512 Yea poor people think that way. Sell it why? Looks nice on a shelf. Plus guaranteed I know how to use a camera better than you, peasant.

[@aquilifergroup]

What the hell kind of a statement is that? Who cares about the earrings?