LEICA SUMMICRON R 50mm(ROM)
Second generation Leica R mount standard lens
A review and Photo example the LEICA SUMMICRON R 50mm.
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Table of contents
Gallery
Sample photo by CANON EOS-1DsMKIII
Review
1．Overview
The Summicron-R 50mm is a so-called standard lens with a focal length of 50mm for Leica SLR cameras.
There are old models with a separate hood on the lens barrel, and new models with a built-in hood.
The lens configuration is a standard Gaussian type with six elements in four groups, which is not significantly different from older SLR lenses from other companies. The minimum focusing distance is 0.5m, and the aperture has six blades, making it a very ordinary lens.
Old Summicrons come in 1-CAM, 2-CAM, and 3-CAM versions, and since there are many of them, some may have been modified to ROM, but I have never seen one. New Summicrons come in 3-CAM, R-CAM, and models with a ROM terminal. The lens used for this introduction is the new lens with a ROM terminal.
2．Usage
Since it is a manual lens, the focus ring feels good. The angle from infinity to 0.5m is appropriate and there is no dissatisfaction, and the images are well-imaged.
The R-type Summilux is a big presence in the 50mm focal length lenses for Leica SLRs, so it is difficult to find a reason to choose the Summicron. It is a lens that I have bought and sold about three times.
When I used it with a Canon SLR via a mount adapter, I liked the ease of focusing with the Summicron at full aperture F2 and the good yield of the results.
There are times when it is difficult to focus with the Summilux’s full aperture F1.4, and when you look at the results, the focus is sometimes not on the intended spot. However, this can be avoided by using the EVF of a mirrorless camera, so it is a problem that only occurs with SLR photographers with poor eyesight.
3．Add Info.
The Summicron lens barrel is 43mm, 16mm shorter than the Summilux, and when mounted on a large EOS-1 series camera with an integrated vertical grip, this difference affects how it fits into the camera back.
Also, some R-mount lenses can cause lens errors on EOS cameras equipped with 35mm full-frame sensors, but this lens worked without any problems on the EOS-1 Ds MKIII.
The Summicron-R 50mm is a lens with mediocre specifications, and there are quite a few of them on the market. It’s not very expensive for a Leica lens, but a Japanese-made lens with the same specifications can be purchased for several thousand yen, so it’s certainly expensive. Unless you have a special attachment to the R-mount, there’s probably no need to go out of your way to get one.
Specification
| Items | SUMMICRON | SUMMILUX R E55 | SUMMILUX R E60 |
| focal length(mm) | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Maximum aperture | 2 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Minimum aperture | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Aperture blade | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Lens Construction | 6elements in 4groups | 7elements in 6groups | 8elements in 7groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Lens length(mm) | 42.8 | 50.6 | 51 |
| Lens Max diameter(mm) | 64 | 68.5 | 70 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 55 | 55 | 60 |
| Weight(g) | 290 | 395 | 490 |
| Release date | 1976-2001 | 1989~1995(Model 1777) | 1997~2005 |
| Production numbers | 99,736 | 4,149（Late） 35,322（Early） | 2,700 |
Reference links
- All about the R-type Leica / Author: Shinichi Nakamura / Edited by Asahi Sonorama Ads by Amazon
- SUMMICRON-R 50mm F2 Leica wiki
- LEICA Wiki SUMMILUX-R 50mm F1.4 E55
- LEICA Wiki 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-R II E60
- LEICA Wiki 「SUMMILUX 1.4/50-3rd」
Update history
- 2024.12.15
- 2024.02.15:Update article
- 2022.02.06:First draft
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