I was interested in anyone's comments on the comparison between the screw mount Summitar lens and say the Rigid Summicron 50mm. Most of my photography is people and occasionally gardens. Both of these lenses are available to me at good prices.

Any comments would be welcome.

Kind Regards,

Tony Salce

-- Tony Salce (NadinaTony@bigpond.com), December 05, 2001

Answers

The Rigid Summicron was a world class lens when it was introduced and it is still a fine lens, even by today's standards. IMO, this is a no-brainer...take the Summicron.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), December 05, 2001.

They're both good lenses. I'd take the Summicron.

-- Wilhelm (bmitch@home.com), December 05, 2001.

I'd take a collapsible Summicron 50. This is better than the Summitar but a little worse than the rigid ‘cron (in perfect condition only).

-- Victor Randin (ved@enran.com.ua), December 05, 2001.

Tony

The 50/2.0 Summitar (6-elements) is an improvement on the 50/2.0 Summar (which it replaced in 1939), but it is not a "modern era" lens design. Pre-war and WWII era Summitars are not even coated, unless they were sent to the factory for coating by the owner after the war. The 50/2.0 rigid Summicron (1956-1969) (7-element) utilizes new highly refractive glasses introduced in the 1950s and hard coating, for improved protection against reflections.

This lens is an improvement over the 50/2.0 collapsible Summicron (also 7-elements), which was introduced around 1952-1953. It is far better than the Summitar, which can only compete with the Summicron in the very center of the field. As you go toward the edges and into the corners of the field, the Summicron maintains a relatively high level of performance, while the Summitar fails badly.

If you are in the market for a rigid Summicron, a few suggestions. The later lenses had an improved coating compared to the earlier one. Make sure you check the glass on any lens you buy from that era. Coating marks and internal fog are relatively common in these lenses (even more so on the Summitars, which are rarely found with really clean glass). Accordingly, Summicrons are always more expensive than Summitars, condition being similar.

The rigid Summicron and the 50/2.0 dual range Summicron (which allows you to focus as close as 19 or 20 inches, depending on the vintage) have the same optical formula. You can get either lens to use with the same results, but the DR attachment allows you to focus closer than 1 m (40 in.), which you can't do with the rigid Summicron. I hope this information is helful.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), December 05, 2001.

Thank you for your replies. They were all very helpful particularly the last very comprehensive reply. The rigid summicron looks the better option.

Regards,

Tony Salce

-- Tony Salce (NadinaTony@bigpond.com), December 06, 2001.