The Summicron V3 was manufactured from 1969-1979, a time Leica would probably like to either redo or forget entirely. But to really understand why the V3 comes with such a bad reputation, we should look at the history of Leica itself. The Summicron I’m stuck with today is the Summicron V3, famous in Leica fandom for being the black sheep of the ‘cron family and, to some, the lens that let the family down. While we’re not here to delve into that debate it’s important to know which Summicron we’re talking about, if only to cover our asses.
There’s the original collapsible Summicron, the rigid Summicron, the Dual-Range Summicron, the Summicron V3, the Summicron-M, the Summicron V5, and the current absurdly-priced APO-Summicron-M f/2 ASPH, all of which have their own set of fans and critics. The Summicron evolved throughout its history, and although some of these differences are incredibly minute, debate rages on about which ‘cron is the best ‘cron. When you hear the name “Summicron”, you immediately know that you’ll be dealing with the don of the 50mm family.īut as with all things Leica-related, it’s not that simple.
With the Summicron, Leica set the standard for how a 50mm lens should look and behave, a standard that holds to this day. Forget the speedy and expensive Summilux and Noctilux the Summicron is the lens that earned Leica glass its place at the very top. The Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 is Leica’s most famous lens. In any case, I’ve been suckered into the risky business of writing about a Leica product once again, so let’s get on with it. Either the universe has a wonderful sense of irony, or James has a cruel sense of humor. Considering my aversion to Leica, it’s only fitting that James would ask me to talk about that company’s most storied lens, the Summicron 50mm f/2.
I generally prefer Japanese manufacturers and often champion their products’ value over their pricier, hyper-mythologized German counterparts. Longtime readers of the site will know that I’m far from a Leica fanboy.
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