A 1959 Leica 35 2.8 Summaron shines on
January 25, 2021
It’s not the easiest lens to use but it’s special – sharp with the old-school swirly bokeh
Leica has a reputation for making special lens – and deservedly so. Ken Rockwell notes the Leica Leitz 35mm f/2.8 Summaron is “exceedingly sharp, possibly sharper than the newest 35mm f.2 ASPH and 35 f/1.4 ASPH at moderate apertures, has no distortion, and gives the same bold, vivid colors as LEICA’s newest lenses.”
This is not a review, just a post sharing a batch of shots taken with a 1959 Leica Leitz Wetzler Summaron 35 2.8 that attest to the len’s ability. You can find Ken’s review here.
Darn sharp… shot at 2.8. Shot in Houston… a fence of locks with couples initials or names indicating their commitments.
I purchased the lens at an estate sale… it was fitted with a goggle viewfinder, ready to drop on various Leica bodies of that era. The nice folks at Tamarkin Leica in Chicago took the goggle off so I could more readily adapt the lens to a Sony A7R2 body.
A view of a foggy Houston. Hats off to German glass. The lens is sharp. I’m pretty sure I shot this at 5.6.
Shot a few years ago on a rooftop near Chicago’s O’Hare airport. I’m pretty sure I shot this at f4 or possibly f5.6.
One of my few attempts at serious portraiture with this lens… and one of my favorites with any lens! My now 96-year-old father-in-law captured with a 1959 lens. He was born in 1924 in Iran. Shot at f2.8.
As you can see above, the bokeh at f2.8 is small and swirly but not pronounced as is common with 50, 75, 85mm and longer vintage lens. You can click on the two images below for a closer look. All images below, but the very last one, were taken in Houston’s Heights area, a hodgepodge mix of old and new and anything goes in a city renown for its minimal or lack of zoning.
While it’s not difficult to focus, the lens is not the easiest to focus. There’s an aperture ring that enables focus. Peak focus on this lens can be a little misleading. The Mercedes below is pretty much spot on.
How sharp is the lens? At f2.8 or f4 (not sure which) I can tell you that the jogger in the center of the frame below is wearing a Texas A&M t-shirt. That’s on a twice-dumbed-down file. I’ll have to test it on a tripod at f5.6 or f8 to see if this improves as I took the shot leaning over the railing.
Consider the image below, which on closer consideration is very interesting. Two men – one old and one younger – moving in opposite but a parallel directions. I see it on a deeper level as the older is headed toward the horizon. At any rate, the lens’ sharpness enables us to actually see them though they are a small part of a 35mm frame. (Sorry – looks like I added some grain on this first image of the batch.)
Taken at a friend’s home, where I could steady my elbows and shoot at a low speed.
The lettering on my wife’s glasses – ESCADA – is easily read. (Out walking, no makeup and still so pretty after 29 years of putting up with me!)
Snapped in Houston’s Heights, an original road sign stands next to an historic home original to the area.
Focused toward the Houston skyline, the bokeh is pretty satisfying.
Someone placed a watch on the fence with locks, marking the words “NEW PRESIDENT” on the watch face. As I clicked a funeral hearst passed in the background.
Finally, the piece de la resistance… snapped in Houston, shooting between two overpasses at Houston’s Beltway 8 and I-10 west intersection.
THE ANGEL by Scott Edwards, (c) 2021.
All images shot on a Sony A7R2 and processed in Capture One and Adobe Photoshop.
Thanks for your time. You can find out more about me on this website. I’m Scott Edwards, a hybrid (digital, modern and vintage lens, and a little bit of film) photographer who shoots portraits, lifestyle, commercial and fine art photography. I gladly, thankfully shoot for individuals, families, businesses and organizations.