Bright medium telephoto R SUMMILUX 80
Review and photo examples using the Summilux R 80mm F1.4 with film and digital cameras
Table of contents
Gallery
- The sample photos were taken with a LEICA SL typ601 and a LEICA R8 + Digital Module R (DMR).
- The sample photos were taken with SONY α7Sii, LEICA CL, LEICA R8 + FUJIFILM100
Review
1．Overview
The Leica Summilux-R 80mm is a large-aperture medium telephoto lens for the Leica R mount, and approximately 12,000 lenses were manufactured over the 29 years from 1980 to 2009.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are listed in the table.
- Aperture value: 1.4
- Lens construction: 7 elements in 5 groups
- Aperture blades: 10
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.8m
- Hood: Built-in
The basic elements, such as the lens construction and the lens barrel with built-in lens hood, have remained the same since the initial release, and the mount is available in 3-cam, R-cam, and ROM terminal versions, and can be used with SLR Leica R bodies from the R3 onwards.
2．Usage
The Summilux R 80mm has a thick lens barrel, and like the Summilux 35mm, it is well suited to large SLR film cameras such as the LEICA R8 and R9. For digital cameras, it is well suited to the LEICA SL series and LUMIX S1 series.
The bokeh at full aperture is typical of a large-aperture, medium telephoto lens, and the depiction of the image melting away from the focal plane may become repetitive, but it is a depiction that you will want to use actively.
When shooting at full aperture, if you change the focusing screen of the LEICA R8 to 14343/14392 (DMR), Universal Split Wedge Micro Prism, or split + micro prism in the center, it is easier to grasp the focus peak in the center. It is also possible to focus using 14387/14395 (DMR), Ground-Glass Screen with Grid, grid, or frosted glass, which are convenient for composing.
The lens I own, 80, is a lens with a ROM terminal in very good condition with only a few small scratches on the focus ring.
When used with the digital mirrorless Leica SL typ601 and the Leica genuine mount adapter, Leica R-Adapter L (16076), the focal length and aperture value are recorded in EXIF, which is a very useful function for lazy people who don’t take notes every time they take a picture. DMR (LEICA Digital Module R) records only the focal length in EXIF.
Because it is a fixed-focus lens, the lens barrel only has an aperture ring and a focus ring, and the focus ring rotates 180 degrees from infinity to the minimum shooting distance of 0.8m. The aperture ring can be narrowed down from 1.4 to 16 in 1/2 steps.
There should be a lot of this lens in circulation in Japan, and it was often seen on the used market in the 2000s. However, although this is a general trend for R-mount lenses, it has become a little rarer recently and the price has risen accordingly.
Mount Adapter
The image circle of the Summilux 80mm is wide, covering almost the entire digital medium-format sensor size (44mm x 33mm) of the HASSELBLAD/FUJIFILM.
When used with the digital mirrorless Leica SL typ601 and the Leica genuine mount adapter, Leica R-Adapter L (16076), focal length, aperture value, etc. are recorded in EXIF. This is very useful for lazy people who don’t take notes.
DMR (LEICA Digital Module R) records only focal length in EXIF.
With a mirrorless camera that can use an EVF, the focus magnification function eliminates concerns about the focus position, which was a bit of a worry with SLR cameras.
I have never encountered Error 20 (Err20), which occurs when the rear lens element interferes with the camera sensor, because the rear lens element is contained within the mount, which is a problem when using it with the EOS 1DS MK-III. Since it is a bright F1.4 lens, it is easier to focus by changing the EOS focusing screen to the Super Precision Matte Ec-S.
3．Summary
To sum up, the SUMMILUX R 80mm F1.4 is a large-aperture lens that represents the Leica R mount, along with the SUMMILUX R 35mm F1.4. A long time ago, it was always available on the second-hand market, but in the 2020s, it has become less common.
With a single-lens reflex camera, it was sometimes difficult to adjust the focus position, but with the electronic viewfinder of a mirrorless camera, this worry is eliminated, making it easier to use.
Not only is it high-resolution, but the depiction that also has a subtle softness is addictive.
SUMMILUX R 80 and SUMMILUX M 75
Leica released the Summilux-M 75mm with almost the same lens configuration at the same time as the Summilux-R 80mm. Since M-type lenses are made to fit the viewfinder frame of the camera, it is natural that a focal length of 75mm was chosen as a medium telephoto lens.
Considering the reason why the focal length of this lens was 80mm, Leica’s lineup of SLR lenses after the standard lens is 50, 60, and 90, and either 70 or 80 could be candidates because the numbers are arranged better when the last digit is 0 than 75mm. Also, in the 1980s, 85mm was the mainstream interchangeable lens for portrait lenses of other companies’ SLR cameras, so if you were to create a large-aperture lens for portraits, it would be natural to choose 80mm rather than 70mm.
If the focal length is extended to 90mm, skipping 70 and 80, it would be difficult to share the design with the 75mm lens. The approximate size of the Summilux 90mm F1.4 is 64.3mm, and if the barrel width is increased by 10mm (5mm thickness on one side x 2) to ensure the rigidity of the barrel and to include mechanical parts, the lens diameter will be 74mm.
Leica has released two large-diameter lenses, the NOCTILUX M 75mm F1.25 in 2018 and the SUMMILUX M 90mm F1.5 in 2021, and both lenses have a maximum lens diameter of 74mm. Based on this, if a 90mm F1.4 for SLR cameras was made, a thick lens with a maximum lens diameter of 74mm would have been created.
In addition, the SUMMILUX M 90mm F1.5 will cost over 2 million yen in 2025, so releasing it as an R-mount lens in the 1980s would have been difficult in terms of cost and manufacturing technology.
Only Leica lenses can allow you to create so many different fantasies with just one lens.
- The lens construction diagrams are quoted from each company’s materials, and the sizes have been adjusted by us, so they are not exact.
Specification and Competitor
| Item | SUMMILUX R | SUMMILUX M |
| focal length(mm) | 80 | 75 |
| Maximum aperture | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Minimum aperture | 16 | 16 |
| Lens configuration | 9 | 10 |
| Leaf blade | 7 elements in 5 groups | 7 elements in 5 groups |
| Minimum distance(m) | 0.8 | 0.75 |
| Lens length(mm) | 69 (from R mount surface) R mount flange back 45.5 Total: 114.5 | 80 (from M mount surface) M mount flange back 27.8 Total: 107.8 |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 75 | 69 |
| Filter type | 67 | 60 |
| Weight(g) | 700 | 560 |
| Hood | Build in | Early model: Hook fastening Late model: Built-in |
| Lens mount | LEICA R | LEICA M |
| Release date | 1980 | 1980 |
| Production numbers | 12,250 | 14,752 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2025.4.5
- 2024.8.17
- 2024.2.11:Update
- 2022.04.07:First draft
Leave a Reply