Leica APO vs. Summilux vs. Cron| Which is the better Leica 50mm SL lens?

This video compares the Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2, Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH, and the Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. Lens.
Presets - www.barrerastudios.com/presets
Instagram - @Barreraphoto
Affiliate Links
Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 - bhpho.to/3JItqj7
Leica SL2s - bhpho.to/3YSTpJl
Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 - bhpho.to/3Uc5gBa
Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 - bhpho.to/3ZG4U7c
Image Samples - www.dropbox.com/sh/8htjmzngmh...
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
1:05 - Price
2:02 - Build Quality
2:47 - Weight
5:48 - Autofocus
9:50 - Image Slideshow
10:26 - Image Comparison
23:15 - Final Thoughts
#leica #leicasl2s #leica50mmsummicronsl #Leicasummiluxsl #Leica50mm

[@PeterbFree]

This is the most useful comparison of these three lenses that I have yet come across. I highly recommend that anyone who is seriously interested in the subject download the images that Alex has made available and study the differences in the optical performance closely. It is about user preference and price. I personally am astounded to see just how sharp the APO lens is.

[@valtorf]

I think it's missing the APO point. It's not letting in more light - it has more contrast in the area of focus. The brighter subject is the result of that. If you compare out of focus or shadow areas, you'll see that it's not an exposure change. This contrast is the whole point of APO lenses, combined with sharpness of course. If the APO would let in more light, you'd have to prove it by camera exposition meter changes from lense to lense. But I bet it's the same on all lenses.

[@DINOPBT]

Thank you for the comparison! As a SL shooter this kind of videos is what we’re all looking for but there’s only a few people on YT willing to spend time on this camera series. Thank you!

[@thanyawong]

Thank you for the video. Again you are the first KZbinr comparing these 3 lenses in the video. I appreciate for your effort on this video

[@9dragonarts]

thank you for the review! been waiting for this comparison for long time!

[@samuelkoesling9655]

One of the best reviews I've ever seen on these! thank you!

[@scottlurken9667]

Extremely well put together comparison. Very much appreciated!!

[@Bryan-lu4du]

Good comparison video. My first SL lens was the 50 Summilux and still it is overall my favorite for image quality even over the 35 APO and 90 APO that I have as well.

[@hugomartinsphoto]

This was great, Alex! Thank you for the comparison!

[@bartpeterleroy932]

Alex, incredibly useful and professional comparison! Thank you, Bart

[@dlovisuals]

Another great video! I’m here for the cron gang, just the right size for my needs

[@arshotsphotography]

Best comparison I have come across for these 3 and it definitely help me make my choice. For my own needs, I'm going Summicron route.

[@janromo9753]

Thanks for the video Alex, appreciated.

[@peetje28021970]

Liked and subscribed. Thanks for your effort of making this comparison video.

[@jacobh5817]

Thanks again, Alex. Great review and happy to see content for the L-mount. I’m using the Lux-SL50 and the APO-SL90 in our studio. I fully agree with your conclusion on the Lux, but I wouldn’t recommend the lens unless you really need f1.4 and need the best 50mm portrait lens for L-mount. For all other purposes, it’s a heavy, clumsy lens to carry around. The APO-SL90 is almost as crazy sharp as the 50, but is has much better bokeh. You can tell it was designed for fashion and beauty photography. Some might think that f2 isn’t fast enough, but my experience is that professionals rarely go below f4 on portraits. Esp. with a 90mm you can get too shallow DoF. Even at f4 the bokeh is gorgeous and the focus transition is beautiful. Overall, you can’t get wrong with either one of these lenses. That also is a testament of competence to the Lumix S50/1.8. Almost as good as the Cron at a quarter of the price. Highly recommended.

[@user-nl1iu8ho6q]

Super helpful video! Thank you!

[@KeeeeenW]

I like the summilux photos for portraits for sure! 35 SL APO + 50 SL Summilux is the dream combo. The 50 summicron looks very good for all occasions though considering it is just a re-banded Panasonic lens with Leica housing and possibly calibration and quality control.

[@pioni2]

The Summilux-SL is by far my favourite lens, apart from its weight. It has a more pleasing rendering than any APO primes and is sharper in the centre than 50mm APO-Summicron-M. But it's a beast to carry with the SL2 body. I don't know if I'm imagining things, but sometimes the 50 Lux feels faster with the battery grip but is even more weight.

[@kenmonahan9924]

Great review thanks!

[@mahdimanesh4221]

Great work with the comparison! 😎 What I would love to see is a comparison with some of the small M lens counterparts 👀😳

[@sc1]

Great work. Watched the whole video. You are becoming the go-to authority on the Leica SL system. The 50 Summilux-SL and 50 APO Summicron-SL just sound to big and heavy for me. My question is: How would you compare the 50 Summicron-SL to the 50 Summilux-M on the SL2-S? (Using the same parameters on this video)

[@bubuli]

this is a very good comparison without being too scientific; a real subject with controlled variables to be able to judge objectively. even with YT compression, the more expensive versions are clearly sharper, and the APO design shows its clear advantage by having almost ZERO fringing especially on the static A7R body shot wide open (when compared on Lightroom).

[@nickalot]

WHAT A TREAT to very slowly view images and pixel peep with you from these three luxury lenses heheheh thanks!!!

[@c141charlie]

Great content! Great presentation. The magenta from the APO renders beautiful skin tones. Does your subject like the sharpness of the APO and the Lux? I suspect there is a point where folks don’t want every teeny tiny skin blemish rendered to perfection.

[@CMC5961]

Great comparison among the three, thank you for sharing. I would like to see a comparison between Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4 and Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4.

[@aiseurnae5976]

I had both, the S Pro is slightly sharper, has faster AF, keep better contrast against direct bright light and has the impression of slightly deeper bokeh, it is maybe even sharper than the 50mm Summicron APO SL at F2, never tried the APO but I saw some people saying the S Pro was sharper or at least as sharp at F2. The Summilux SL in the other hand has slightly more character, more vignetting, more subtle/cleaner bokeh and the transition of the focus to out of focus is slightly less abrupt than on the S Pro, the S Pro keep more DOF to the point of focus (but in a good way, giving a lot of punch to the pictures, nothing comparable to a lens like the 55 FE ZA f1.8 which has very abrupt/flat OOF). Also, I never tested this, but it seems the Summulix SL keeps better contrast in underexposed scenes. For what it's worth, every fast 50mm I have tested have special strenghts, by exemple : The 50mm Planar FE f1.4 has extreme local contrast between the shadows and midtones (you can see it when shooting portraits, the shadows on the skin are extremely well rendered, I loved this lens for this characteristic and I really miss it). The 50mm S Pro f1.4 is very sharp, has a lot of punch and good colors (great for landscapes, outdoor shooting or when you want a very punchy pictures to highlight products, by exemple for your commercial work) The 50mm Summilux f1.4 has character with great OOF transitions and colors (great for portrait). The 50mm GM f1.2 has deep bokeh, the best AF (maybe because of the Sony cameras) and it is pretty small for such aperture (maybe the most impressive lens for clients because of the combinaison of sharpness, optical corrections and very shallow depth of field). The 50mm RF f1.2, like the Summilux, has excellent character and deep bokeh, it is maybe not as good optically than the 50mm GM but with nicer looking image IMO (less flat). If you add price in the equation, especially used, the Planar and the S Pro are excellent values. Something I love with the S Pro is the ability to record videos in Open Gate (on the S5II or S1) while having a good stabilization and AF. Video is spectacular and nothing is comparable for now with other brands.

[@lizlana4200]

@@aiseurnae5976 such a great explanation and on point thank you. I have the 42.5 Nocticron, take it it’s for micro 4/3rds those Panny Leica lenses probably have a lot of Leica glass. I can definitely see the Leica look when paired with the em1x. The LUMIX S Pro50 would definitely give even more of a Leica look paired with the SL2. Indeed Ive seen sample photos of the Pro50 and it has a 3D pop. Simply amazing

[@winniduesseldorf]

Great Review ! You help to save a lot of money.

[@Mel-95]

Fantastic comparison. Really admire your Lightroom work that made the comparisons possible. The Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 is the "affordable" Leica lens I had my eye on for the Lumix S5 II cameras. Looks like it's going to work!

[@aiseurnae5976]

If you want the same image quality for 2000$ less, you can found a good copy of the 50mm Panasonic f1.8 for about 250$. Be careful to test the lens before buying, Panasonic QC is not as good as Leica.

[@dell-tone6472]

Although I have no doubt the APO is the superior lens, just testing the lenses at f2 with a centrally placed subject is too limiting. How do they compare stopped down, with an off-centre subject? Or with a long depth of field, edge to edge?

[@rolandrickphotography]

One of them needs pin cushion correction at 10:30. Unfortunately SL lenses are still not covered by Adobe. The model is awesome. Same position and smile after each lens change. The Summicron and the Panasonic look quite identical except for the metal and plastic barrel 😊. I use the APO-Summicron-SL 2/75 for everything on the SL2-S if it comes to people and landscape. The Elmarit-M 2.8/28 for buildings and so and the Summilux-M 1.4/50 if I know there will be no light. Sports/Wildlife/Action Canon R3 plus adequate lenses. Can’t wait for a SL3/SL3-S coming with the Q3 autofocus updates. Will test it immediately with the Sigma 60-600 L-Mount. If they tune power consumption for making the batteries lasting longer, I probably can get rid of the Canon gear. I tried it, I shot a whole 9 days reportage assignment exclusively with the SL2-S the APO-Summicron-SL 2/75 and a 24-90 loaner, it was daily from 11:00 to 19:00, you need at least 2 batteries plus a spare one. Outstanding results, where I live, people are camera shy, but I realised, if you pop up with a Leica instead of another brand, for some reason people change their mind and act total relaxed, not necessary to tell you how this affects the results.

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

Great! The video I was looking for. Mix it with the one you made comparing the Cron with the lumix and we are only missing the new sigma !!! You showed in the other video that the new Cron has CA which already eliminates it following my quality expectation Back to this video : The Summicron has more blurry background than the APO ! Yes but it’s already blurry where it should be sharp !😂 The APO show the famous 3D effect I tend to say And the Lux at f/2 is the best of all. Blurry creamy background and sharp focused area. And even if not sold as an APO, the Summilux behaves like an APO I love mine and would not replace it by anything also. having owned the LUMIX f/1.8 and having seen your video comparing it with the new Cron I don’t see any reason to pay this price for the same lens as the lumix.

[@KristianDowling]

Alex the APO doesn’t have as pronounced broken due to its flatter field, so it’s focus plain gives us the feeling it has more depth of field but really it’s only the flatter field we are seeing

[@Hdden-Beauty]

Great comparison Alex! Totally agree with your conclusions :) I think for professional portraits the lux wins (sharp enough, great bokeh), for travel and personal fun use, the summicron seems like more than good enough. APO is only for those who need everything crazy sharp. Thanks for a great video!

[@joansmith7649]

Here's what I think: The images from the 50 APO pop the most. The micro-contrast is fantastic. The bokeh issue is a non-issue if you plan to retouch and enhance the images in post, as PhotoShop has so much control and so many options for enhancing background blur and subject separation. Therefore, IF you are shooting commercial jobs and you do plan on extensive post-production retouching, your final image result from the 50 APO will be superior in comparison to the other two lenses. That is guaranteed. In addition, if you are shooting moving fashion models, you will be hampered by the slow focusing of the 50 Summilux, whereas the focusing of the 50 APO will not be an issue.

[@ABarrera]

That’s the one lens I’ve been wanting to try and haven’t been able to. One day hopefully 🙏🏼

[@aiseurnae5976]

I agree about the bokeh retouch in post, but it is for now impossible to do that with videos. It is why I use the 50mm S Pro, fast AF and as sharp as the 50mm Summicron SL at F2 but with the ability to get very shallow DOF for some situations.

[@Mixxwizard]

Nice review Alex, but remember from a marketing point. You put out three items. The one in the middle is always the one you one to sell the most of. I love my Lecia glass.

[@farhadfarajov8030]

Another amazing SL content Alex, well done. It would be great if you can do a similar comparison between 24-90 f/2.8-4 SL and 24-70 f/2.8 SL zoom lenses.

[@ABarrera]

We are going to need Leica to help out 😉

[@allena3430]

24-90 for sharpness and lens stabilisation. 24-70 for the M look, constant aperture and weight. 24-70 i face dust issues

[@farhadfarajov8030]

@@allena3430 Thanks for your reply. Are you sure that rebadged 24-70 Sigma lens provides M look? Being honest I don't think so. I know the standard differences, just wanted Alex to do a video comparing the image quality (sharpness, micro-contrast, bokeh, etc.) and AF of these lenses.

[@steveGabrail]

No 50mm in the world compares to the 50 1.4 SL. it is simply "PERFECT"

[@erickgalvan9219]

** 50mm 0.95 Noctilux has entered the chat **

[@lizlana4200]

@@erickgalvan9219Noctilux- no autofocus, chromatic aberrations, price not justified for the imperfections, not as sharp wide open

[@ericrjennings]

Awesome comparison. I have the SL Summicron and I like it. With that being said, let me throw you a curveball… SL 50 Summicron or Panasonic 50/1.4 PRO?

[@ABarrera]

I would have the same stance I do now with the Summilux. The Panasonic 50 1.4 is a massive lens. It would depend on what you are looking for in a 50mm.

[@Bollywoodhollywood2023]

Panasonic is in the same league as SL Summilux 1.4

[@xiiiconcepts]

Hello Alex I’m wondering your opinion on SL 50 summicron non APO vs M 50 summilux ASPH v1. Being one lens option on Leica SL 2s. Which would be the best for portraits and street photography in terms of being a one lens solution at 50?

[@ABarrera]

Two very different experiences. I would say it comes down to if you need or want AF.

[@xiiiconcepts]

@@ABarrera thank for the reply! I totally understand that they are two different experiences, but I was merely asking with respect to image color rendition and contrast.

[@xiiiconcepts]

@@ABarrera I was referring to image quality, appreciate your response!

[@alainmonnens]

Thanks Alex, what would be fun should you be able to compare these against Sigma's new 50mm F2 that has just been announced. Creative greetings Alain

[@danielgontar6743]

Yes please.

[@ABarrera]

Will try my best to make this happen 🙏🏼

[@alainmonnens]

@@ABarrera If possible Alex that would be great. Looking forward to it already.

[@Sanjmaghera]

How does the 50 Apo compare to the Panasonic 50 Pro and the Sigma DG DN Art ?

[@Evrce]

I have the 50 s pro, I know you asked about the apo buuuut i have the 50 lux. 50 lux blows the 50 s pro. That 10% difference is really where the magic is at when i tested the 50 lux on both my sl2 and s5ii. If you love the 50, and dont mind the weight, i highly love the lux for its character

[@aiseurnae5976]

@@Evrce Well, it depends where you see the magic, I also had both, and my S Pro was sharper with more sense of volume. The SL has has smoother transitions between focus and out of focus, two different looks. I love both.

[@hilro0928]

interesting comparison Hope to see sony gm 50mm f1.2 vs sl 50mm f1.4 portrait bokeh and landscape photos And sony gm 50 vs sl 50mm apo landscape photos I may buy the SL system in the future, but I don’t know if I should keep the Sony system? because the sony gm 50 is great and light

[@ABarrera]

The Sony 50 1.2 is a better lens. It’s smaller, lighter and let’s in more light. The Sony has lightning AF and does not miss, there is no other way to say it 😂

[@Fleet42]

Man just found this video ugh you slipped it by me. The SL2 is calling me but I have an R5 do I really need it?

[@ABarrera]

Both are great cameras! SL3 is also around the corner.

[@rumporridge1]

Can’t wait for SL3 to drop.

[@Renzsu]

The APO lenses weee designed to outresolve any sensor to ridiculous megapixel counts (100-110Mp iirc). That explains the sharpness, they’re the best optics Leica makes. For the lux lenses they typically go for flair and style over sharpness and detail, though not always (28mm lux-m for example).

[@MikeKleinsteuber]

How does the Lumix S 50mm f1.8 compare ? I suspect it'll be similar to the regular Cron. But fantastic value at around 4% of the cost of the Lux. However, at the end of the day 90% of what you like in an image is based around the content not the technical quality.

[@ABarrera]

I actually have a video comparing it :)

[@MikeKleinsteuber]

@@ABarrera Cool. Thanks. As I thought. The Lumix is great value and produces some stunning shots on the SL

[@aiseurnae5976]

@@MikeKleinsteuber Yes if you can find a good copy.

[@juin99]

For the Cron-SL. I know it has the badge. I know it's built of metal. I know it performs better. But the fact that Panasonic S50 1.8 with "similar optical design" can be owned for ~300 USD (as kit lens) is still eye-watering...

[@sudharmayoonaidharma1334]

Thank you for frank comment.

[@gusatvoschiavon]

I don't know why would you call the sl summicron a "Budget" option if the m-mount summicron is not the Budget option

[@ABarrera]

The M Summicrons are real Leica lenses. The Summicron SLs see rebadged budget Panasonic lenses.

[@dazhsh7109]

Apo resolve 60mp sensor of sl3. I doubt that Lux and Cron will do it

[@vinnnyn32]

Would love to see the sigma dg dn 50mm added into this!

[@rumporridge1]

I decided……I will take all three. 🎉

[@ABarrera]

😆

[@FotosyMas.]

Peter Karbe lenses vs repackaged Panasonic lens. The little LumixCron never had a chance…😢

[@ralphsaad8637]

I feel like from these images that the canon RF 50mm f1.2 has the sharpness of the APO and the character of Summilux's bokeh with a brighter aperture for a price not far off from the Cron. I just don't get Leicas and Zeisses after all. You can almost always achieve that so called "Leica" look by tweaking the blacks/whites in post if you have good enough dynamic range in your camera. Also regarding the APO's bokeh, almost all APO lenses will have trouble producing creamy bokeh. That's not to say that it's impossible, but the nature of APO lenses means that there is so much contrast and punch in the image to eliminate chromatic abberations that even the bokeh becomes edgy and cotrasty, reducing smoothness.

[@aiseurnae5976]

Yes for pictures, adding a bit of exposure and contrast locally to the point of focus tends to make the same Leica look. It is harder for videos though ...

[@MegaWeitzel]

Thr Panasonic 50mm F1.4 defintely outpetforms the Summilux. And the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN is actually lighter than the 50mm F2 APO

[@jacobh5817]

Having tried the Lumix S50/1.4 extensively and owning the Lux-SL50 the verdict depends a bit on what you’re looking for. The Lumix has less field curvature and is sharper into the corners. So for landscape/architecture a better choice. The Leica has gorgeous bokeh and a very smooth focus transition. It is more flattering for portraits. Since that’s what we do in our studio, I opted for the Leica. Considering the price however, the Lumix is a ‘steal’. As for the Sigma, that’s a great option as well. I wouldn’t compare it to the APO-SL though. The Sigma suffers quite a bit from chromatic aberration, which is a strongsuit of the APO, and it has significant coma. The APO is the sharpest lens that I ever used. The Sigma can’t hold up against that. The Sigma would be the obvious faster (and cheaper) alternative to the Cron (as is the new Sigma 50mm iSeries lens).

[@MegaWeitzel]

@@jacobh5817 I agree the Sigma is not up to par with the Apo. It is also less sharp and corrected compared to the Sony F1.4 and F1.2 version. But if you want F1.4 Bokeh in the L-mount without those options it is significantly lighter than the other options

[@tiziocaio8657]

APO >>> everything else

[@marshall1864]

Love the content but. . .It's not a "weight scale." It's just a scale. A scale is a device that measures weight. Just as a ruler is that, and not a length ruler. And a camera isn't a photo camera. (And I'll now go fuck myself)