Haden123

I am about to buy my first Leica lens, a 50mm SUMMICRON-M f.2.0. I have the choice of a “mint” 20-year-old lens or a brand new lens. The price differential is about 25% with the new lens being more expensive. My question is whether the fancy glass in the new lens trumps the higher build quality of the old lens. Which lens would my fellow photographers choose as the better lens for an M6?

BebuLamar

I don't know that the old lens has higher build quality.

Biogon44

I would choose the Leica Summicron, as I have a soft spot for the Leica brand. The 50mm f2 Summicron is a wonderful lens, regardless of age. If the lens is in excellent shape cosmetically and functionally, you find find that it will hold its value, unlike almost any other brand. You can consider the Leica (almost all its models) to be like the Rolex watch in its resale attraction. Other optical products, except for maybe Zeiss, simply cannot match the quality and reputation of Leitz goods.

Biogon44

If the choice is between an older or a new Summicron, it would be hard to notice the improvement with the new lens. My advice is always to use the supplied lens hood, whether old or new. The 50mm f2 Summicron, regardless of vintage, is always a superb lens.

651roy Loc: Black Hills, SD

The newest 50 is both APO and aspheric. Astronomically expensive =$9000!

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I doubt, with the film today, that the newer lens could actually show you any difference. There has been no (color) film advancements in about 25 years now - IMO.
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Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

Not a huge difference in either. The straight dope, stay out of the Leica brand unless you have the monetary commitment to the Leica brand. This Leica 50mm SUMMICRON is a great optic, BUT, then there is the Leica LEICA SUMMITAR 50mm f/2 this is lens that establishes the qualities of bokeh, no it is not 'sharp' it is a magical lens that marries the old with the modern. It is legend of all lenses. It is thread mount, so you will need a converter ring that is the Asian knock off; expensive? Try finding a Leica converter ring from thread to M series lens, about $800. Also, a Leica lens hood for the a 50mm. modern version but Leica will run a few hundred, but the original folding black square hood is around $5,000. How do I know? I sold my duplicate to a guy several years ago. And guess what, E. Leitz though it foolish to put a filter on the lens so you have to have a knowledgeable camera worker to cut the front of the lens barrel so that a filter will fit while the hood is on. But E. Leitz never intended a filter of the standard type to fit that way, a special set of filters that recess into the front flange were made, but in limited production. The standard UV recess filter goes for about $5,000.

I'm sooo lucky Daddy 'collected' the Leica camera just as WW II ended and he was a military doctor in Northern Germany! The duplicate 50 SUMMITAR was traded for a carton of Lucky Strikes, it had the black folding hood and the filter set with it.

You do know that the aspherica lens is one grown by a computer. Leitz has two of these, and contrary to popular opinions only E, Leitz committed to this, so no one else has this amazing technology. Still, the final approval of each lens is over seen by an optical bench master. To say that an aspherica lens is APO, is like noting that the Pope is Catholic.

jwreed50 Loc: Manassas, VA

The Leica 50mm Summicron is a legend -- arguably the "classic" Leica lens; either the old one or the new one will serve you well on an M6. The new one sells for about $2700. If the new one is only 25% more, I'd lean in that direction simply to avoid the issues you can have with any older lens, i.e. fungal growth, etc. Any Leica M with a 50mm Summicron is a great combo. I don't think there's been any drop in build quality for Leica lenses -- they are, and have been, world class.

A 50mm lens is my default lens on my Leica M10 (I still have my M6 and my Dad's M3 but haven't shot film in years ;-)). I eventually sold my 50mm Summicron for the 50mm Summilux to get that extra stop. The characteristics of the Summicron are superb, however -- it's a sweet lens on a Leica M.

BebuLamar

For 25% I would lean toward the new one too but you said the old one is better build makes me think but all the Leica lenses I have seen have excellent build quality.

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

I'm sorry to point this out, if you have fungal growth on a Leica lens then an idiot played with that lens. This is such an absurd statement that I have to call you out on it. As a kid (14) I took the old Leica IIIf shooting on the Pacific shore doing tide pooling. I freaked the first time it went into a large tide pool, but never again. The 'dogs' on the Elmar 50mm f3.5 were locked and the whole thing went down into the fresh sea water, down several minutes. No moisture entered body nor lens. I still have both, in great condition.

During the Viet Nam war, two cameras went into the jungle, Leica's with their rubberized shutter curtains and Nikon's with it's titanium shutter, these were the only cameras that could survive for two weeks in the jungle of South East Asia. And the Nikons developed fungus you tossed them for fresh optics. Leicas are sealed to not have this issue.

Now grant it, the M bodies are not water proof, they will take water as will the R models, but pre M bodies, nope, water resistant enough to use in a standard pool. And I have never herd of a Leica lens serviced by Leitz have fungal issues.

jwreed50 Loc: Manassas, VA

Well, as a Leica user for about 50 years now, I have to disagree with you. It's not about the camera body; it's about the lens. ANY lens -- Leica or not -- is potentially vulnerable to fungus. It happens even to lenses that have been well cared for. Largely a function of the age of the lens and the environment that it's lived in. Other than storing a lens in a vacuum, it can be hard to avoid.

John Van Stelten at Focal Point Lens in Colorado Springs made quite a career out of treating lenses that had fungal growth. John specialized in Leica lenses, but he worked other brands too. I had John treat a couple of 35+ year-old Leica lenses for me, and he did a superb job. Unfortunately, he's now retired.

Haden123

Thanks for all the great information from my fellow members! Your thoughts are extremely helpful and will simplify my decision.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I can assure you from experience that other brands survived at least a year in the jungles of Vietnam, including Canons, Minoltas and Nikormats (although Leicas and Nikons were the preferred cameras by working pros like David Douglas Duncan)

wweary

I have a good size collection of Leica screw mount lenses for my IIIf, all superb. A 135 mm Hektor from the 1930s did have fungus in it; I had it professionally cleaned and the magical quality of that lens was gone.

Festus Loc: North Dakota

Since you will be using the Summicron an an M6, go with the used lens. You will not need the electronics in the new lens to to communicate with the M6.