One shot I got just before leaving Chicago kind of creeped me out a bit. I was getting into my car, which was parked in a lot on Wabash Ave. My windows were up, and I started the car. I then heard a train above me and looked up and saw the train turning in a way that would allow me to get a quick shot from inside the car. I lifted the M8, did a quick focus and I took the shot. Keep in mind when I looked up at the train it appeared 100% empty. I remember looking before it came to the turn and no one was in the train. When I arrived home and reviewed the shot it gave me the willies as I saw a face staring directly at me!

So what is so creepy about this? You will see the train is pretty much empty, but up front you will see a head, facing directly towards me, staring right at ME! The train was moving pretty quickly, and I was inside the car, with slightly tinted windows rolled up. I did a quick point/focus/shoot and did not see anyone on the train when I snapped it. Also, when someone sits on these trains, they do not sit facing the window! Usually you see profiles of heads inside. This seems to be a short person, facing the window. Odd. Even more odd..when I take a 100% crop and blow it up 10X you get this...

OK, enough of that. Let’s get back on track and talk about the lens. To those who LOVE sharpness, you may be wondering how sharp this lens is wide open? To find out, click on over to page 2!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PAGE TWO OF THE LEICA 75 SUMMARIT REVIEW

LEICA 75 SUMMARIT REVIEW - PAGE 1 - 2 - 3

The Leica 75 Summarit 2.5. This is a lens I NEVER thought I would use, let alone OWN. I mean, this is a borderline “slow” lens with a max aperture of 2.5 and with the M8’s dodgy high ISO performance I was hoping for the 75 Summilux (1.4)! I somehow ended up with this new Summarit and I must say, it is THE sharpest Leica lens I own, or have ever owned.

I know sharpness is not the most important feature of a lens. To some it is, and to others, the way the lens renders the image or “draws” is more important (that is where I fall). How does this lens do in that area? I have read many forums with discussions on this lens and the others in the Summarit line, and many seem to think it is a sterile, overly sharp lens with bad Bokeh. This is absolutely not true in my opinion!

I may get slammed for saying this, but honestly this 75 Summarit is sharper than my beloved 50 Summilux ASPH, and renders the image in a similar way! If I shoot the 50 Lux at 2.5 and take the same shot with the 75 Summarit at 2.5 they will have identical out of focus areas! But, more on that later...

So how did I end up with this lens? Well, I sort of stumbled onto it by accident! I was attending and shooting the SEAL concert, and I walked into Central Camera on Wabash St. in Chicago. This is  where I saw this little lens. They had a demo for $500 off and I snagged it up as I could not resist the price. Unfortunately, that demo had a back focus issue which screwed up 80% of the shots I took with it that night.

I was so pissed off that I decided to return it for a refund, but at the same time there were a few shots that really had something unique about them. I decided to exchange it, and am glad I did. Below is one of the shots that just had something about it that I liked.

I ended up heading back to the store and exchanging it for a new-in-box 75 Summarit. After all, there is still a $300 rebate going on so it would bring it close to the demo price. I tested it on my M8 and it seemed to focus spot on, near and far. So with that out of the way I slapped it on the M8 and away I went.

Many of you may be wondering if this lens is built to a lesser standard than say a $3500 50 Summilux ASPH. Well, be assured that this lens is built very well, and 100% up to Leica standards. As a matter of fact, it focuses smoother than my 50 Lux and is about the same size. It feels really good in the hand and on the M8. The build gets an A from me, not an A+ like my Lux ASPH but still, it is pure Leica quality. You gotta love that.

The lens comes bundled with a cloth pouch instead of the typical leather case. No big deal for me, the pouch works fine. It also comes with a Leica 2 year warranty. My other Leica lenses came with a 3 year passport and this lens only has a 2 year standard warranty. I guess Leica had to cut their costs somewhere since this is *almost* their least expensive lens at $1595.

Still, a 2 year warranty will cover you. Just don’t drop it or play catch with it or use it as a dog toy. That would be bad :)

While I was in downtown Chicago I decided to shoot a little with it as I had an hour to kill and well, you know how it is when you get a new lens!! You are so filled with excitement you just want to go shoot it. So I did! It was so easy to focus and use, and honestly, I really started to dig the 75 mm focal length on the M8.

You may notice I usually shoot ALL of my lenses in these reviews wide open, even in the bright full sun. Why? Because I LOVE shooting wide open! I guess that is why I really love Leica glass. They usually perform just as well wide open as they do at F8 (well, sometimes) and I am usually so used to shooting in low light, I just shoot wide open unless it is for a critical shot.

As I walked around in Millennium Park, most of the shots that I got were with my 28 Elmarit. I am so used to that little lens, taking pics with it was like second nature. This 75 seems a bit long to me (after all, on an M8 it is the equivalent of a 100 mm lens). Still, I can see the times when you may want to use a longer lens.