After shooting with this lens and the M9 for a few weeks (every day), I am shocked that I did not enjoy this lens that much with the M8. I am getting gorgeous results with it now and it seriously has no flaws that I have found. In the F8 full-size barn shot on page 2, you will see what appears to be soft corners, BUT THIS IS NOT SOFT CORNERS. It is due to the depth of field, even at F8, with those weeds being so close to the lens they are out of focus.

The only other lens I have tested that equaled or surpassed the 35 Summicron in sharpness and detail is the Leica 24 Elmarit. I am only interested in detail for landscape shots, so it is great to know that the 35 Summicron can deliver when I need it to in this area.

Even for shooting people, the 35 Summicron at F2 will give you a very pleasing image because at F2, it renders in a smooth, silky, but still sharp fashion. It’s sharp at F2, but razor sharp by F2.8. At F8, it reaches its sharpness peak. Compared to the 35 Summilux on the M8, I much prefer the Summilux. On the M9, I prefer the Summicron, as with 35mm being so much wider I wanted a 35 that could deliver sharp results when I needed it. The Summilux with its focus shift could not.

BTW, here is a quick grab shot I just took as some good light was coming into my son’s window. Instead of my son, you will see my old dog on his messy bed. I just wanted to show that at F2, the cron renders in a very smooth and pleasing way.



The bottom line is I sold my Summilux and bought this Summicron! I feel that it is the perfect lens for the M9 and if I were to recommend a one-lens kit for the beautiful M9, it would be this lens. It simply delivers in every area. It’s sharp, it’s contrasty, its color is accurate and it has the look that Leica fans enjoy. When its paired up with the M9, I feel this is the best this lens has ever been. I have heard that Leica lenses may be going up in price after January 1st 2010, so act fast if you have been thinking about a new lens or two.

If you prefer a gentler draw and a 1.4 aperture, there is always the gorgeous Summilux, but be prepared for focus shift issues. Still, the lux is magic for wide portraits and I really wished I could have kept both lenses.

I would also like to mention that I have tested out the Voigtlander 35 Nokton 1.2 lens and did not like it at all. I was going to review it, but it did not excite me or inspire me (and it was HUGE), so I did not even want to write about it. I have had people ask me about that lens so I figured since I am talking about the 35 Focal Length I would mention this. Some love it, but I did not. I can say that if perfection is your thing, the 35 Summicron is the most perfect 35 I have ever shot with. The 35 Lux is the most magical but only at 1.4.

You can read more about this lens or order it at the B&H Photo page. They have it in Black or Chrome. I have been buying from these guys forever and they are my #1 choice for anything photo or video related. I even bought a macbook pro from them a couple years ago and last year, we bought my son a very cool telescope. B&H is world class and the cool thing is that this is the way I keep this site going. So if you buy from B&H and use my links to get to their site, you are supporting this site and letting me continue with it!

I can also recommend Leica Dealer Ken Hansen. He is probably the best Leica dealer around if you want old-school service (this is a good thing) and sometimes he has some rarities in stock. He also sells used so feel free to e-mail him if you are looking for this lens or something else Leica related.