Which lens is considered better optical performer (speed issues aside) the 28mm Elmarit or the 28mm Summicron Asph?

My leaning is for the Summicron, but would consider the Elmarit if it was actually a better performer.

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), April 27, 2002

Answers

Providing you can afford it, Erwin's advice is unambiguous:

http://www.imx.nl/photosite/leica/mseries/testm/m2-28.html

As always try before you buy.

Matt

-- (matt@pulzer.org), April 27, 2002.

Over the shared aperture range their performance is essentially identical. Think of the Summicron as an Elmarit with an extra stop.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), April 27, 2002.

Subject matter has more to do with the choice. At 28mm the DOF is substantial. For better subject isolation, the wider the aperture the better. For landscape work at f/8 and smaller the 28mm setting of the Tri-Elmar, or any of the older 28mm Elmarits will produce results as good as the current Elmarit and Summicron. To confuse the buyer even more, one of the best all-round bargains is the 3rd- generation Elmarit (1979-93)with performance almost identical to the current Elmarit at lower cost but less compact dimensions.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 27, 2002.

Quality of 28/2.8 vs 28/2.0? It's a photo finish.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), April 27, 2002.

I had the elmarit (see pics all taken with the elmarit) http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=190598 I now have the summicron and would say the end result is slightly better in all respects to Putts views. However, i like to work in low light and the only reason I went for the cron was the extra stop.

-- Stewart Weir (weirs99@aol.com), April 28, 2002.

Trying to squeeze the most quality out of your 35mm by using slow, fine grained film? The faster lens is almost always the better performer. My Nikon 28/1.4 for my purposes (handheld low light photography) is sharper than the 28/2-M ASPH and kicks the pants off the 28/2.8-M. When the last two are riding the edge at 1/15 and 1/8 respectively, I'm getting 1/30. That makes for a big, consistent difference in sharpness in the final result. "Yeah, but which one is sharper, bolted to a wooden Ries tripod?" I'd venture to guess the 28/2.8-M, all things being equal (although I have heard that it is superceded by the 28/2-M ASPH due to an improved optical design, I can't confirm this as I haven't tested them myself). But then you're barking up the wrong tree, get yourself a Mamiya 7.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), April 28, 2002.

I´m very happy with my my third version of the Elmarit.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.

Amazing body of work Stewart.Is a 28 the only lens you work with?

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.