summilux 75 1.4

[armandopavia]

Just purchased some weeks ago the lux 75 1.4

Big problems with focusing at 1.4. Is any body owners of such lens who can give me some advices as i notice that there is a big difference in sharpness with the other asph lenses.

Thanks

Armando

[jaapv]

1. DOF is extremely shallow. Don't move between focussing and taking the pic.
2. Don't focus/recompose.

[vizioneer]

Are you saying that the wide-open close-focus performance is not sharp enough? And/or DOF makes focusing difficult? For focusing, I get it approximately correct and then move my head forward/back to fine focus and take the photo before the subject moves. The DOF is so shallow that sometimes the lens probably gets mistaken for being a bit soft? Of course, I'm sure the 75 cron is sharper, but I'm a bit curious how the 2 match up at f/2 close-focused. The 75 lux is an early 60s/70s design, and the new cron is well new. :P

[vizioneer]

BTW I've seen StuartR's comparison a while back, it'd be nice to see him do .75m, f/2, on a few different subjects, esp. a person's eye(s) in focus.

[jaapv]

Are you saying that the wide-open close-focus performance is not sharp enough? And/or DOF makes focusing difficult? For focusing, I get it approximately correct and then move my head forward/back to fine focus and take the photo before the subject moves. The DOF is so shallow that sometimes the lens probably gets mistaken for being a bit soft? Of course, I'm sure the 75 cron is sharper, but I'm a bit curious how the 2 match up at f/2 close-focused. The 75 lux is an early 60s/70s design, and the new cron is well new. :P

Open perfomance is spectacularly good, but if you mean say 1m focussing distance, or semi macro, that is really not what this lens was designed for and performance may be less than you expect in that case. It is basically designed for low-light medium range photography like theater, portraits including the shoulders, etc. However 95% of the problems are with moving out of the DOF whilst pressing the shutter. Basically this is exactly the same story as the Noctilux, as DOF is similar. Try it out using a tripod.

[vizioneer]

I know I've owned a 75 lux- the DOF can be a bear. It also can provide neat effects. f/1.4 is there when you need it though. Which will double your shutter speed which of course will make your exposure less prone to shake/subject movement. All depends on a person's average use of the focal length whether to get the cron or lux.

[fgianni]

Basically this is exactly the same story as the Noctilux, as DOF is similar. Try it out using a tripod.


Actually the DOF is even worse than with the noctilux,

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

for 35mm at 3 ft gives a DOF of 0.04 ft to the 75 summilux at 1.4 and 0.06 for the noctilux at f1.0

[neilsphoto]

Sean Reid in his www.Reidreviews.com site posted a 75 'lux photo of mine in his article "sticking with film".

I nailed nearly everyone of my 75 shots that day for focus. I wasn't of course at 1 meter when shooting. Those 1 meter shots are really really tough to get. But when you do the look, the dare I say Bokeh is without compare. Wish I could get a similar look/feel in digital.

All I can say is keep trying. Whenever I feel I should sell the 75 for lack of use I use it. Right away I know I must keep it.

[Mackinaw]

No doubt focusing is a bear. I picked up my 75/1.4 from a fellow list member back in February and am still learning how to use it. When you're on, the images are golden. When you're off, forget it.

Below are three pics taken with the 75/1.4 a few months back. The picture of the old Continental and the gal pointing at a picture were taken at 1.4. The picture of he little kid at the diner was taken at about F1.6.

Jim Bielecki

[neilsphoto]

Lets see if I can post a couple. All at 1.4.

[Mackinaw]

Neilsphoto-------Very nice! What kind of film and developer?

Jim Bielecki

[neilsphoto]

Well the one on the left and right is TMZ 3200 @3200 developed in HC110. Scanned with a Minolta 5400 and Vuescan.

The center shot is Ilford XP2 C41 process B&W film. All are at 1.4 and left to right 1/15th, 1/30th, 1/60th I believe.

As another poster said, when you nail te focus you are golden, if not well............ Well worth trying though.

[MCTuomey]

I second Jim's kudos, Neil. Very nice work. What the 75 is meant to do, I think.

[neilsphoto]

Thanks guys.

[vizioneer]

Rockin'! Making my choice clearer gentlemen.

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

[vizioneer]

Hi Leica_Magus, I think black lenses on chrome bodies look good! The 75 cron is probably optimal in a lot of respects, I too will be considering it despite the lux temptation LOL.

[boilerdoc2]

The 'lux is essentiallyas sharp at 2.0 as the cron is at 2.0. But the 'cron doesn't have the extra speed when you need it. That extra weight just balances so much better IMHO also improving steadiness. If you can hack the $ you'll love it. But yes, for tack sharp focus use a tripod when possible; otherwise you'll move that few millimeters between focussing and the shot.

[armandopavia]

Many thanks to you all for your kind advices on summilux 75.

Armando

[jaapv]

The 'lux is essentiallyas sharp at 2.0 as the cron is at 2.0. But the 'cron doesn't have the extra speed when you need it. That extra weight just balances so much better IMHO also improving steadiness. If you can hack the $ you'll love it. But yes, for tack sharp focus use a tripod when possible; otherwise you'll move that few millimeters between focussing and the shot.

Sorry -not quite true. They both are excellent tools, but the 'cron is different from the 'lux. The 'cron is "hervorragend" and the "lux is "einzigartig" according to Leica, and the MTFcurves bear out that there is a difference at all apertures.

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

[jaapv]

Je te remercie pour l'approbation

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

[jaapv]

I've been doing my sums for the M8dig : the 50 will turn into a rather inconsequential 66.5 mm, the 75 into a very useful 100 and the 90 mm into a 120 mm which is neither here nor there and too close in effect to the 75-100 'lux to be of much use.Which would make the combo:CV 21- 35 lux asph -trielmar - lux 75 {- apo 3.4/135 } the ideal set.

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

[jaapv]

I've got mine on order.... Sorry :rolleyes:

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

[twopointeight]

I could buy an older 75 Summilux from a friend. It doesnt have the hood. How difficult would it be to find that hood? Can I use it without the hood? Can I use the 75 on an M3 body with the 90mm frame lines? I think a 75 auxillary finder might make focus even more unsteady.

[vizioneer]

So outstanding for one, and unique for the other. And if you're shooting lowlight, the double shutter speed from the lux can preserve all that optical uniqueness. :D Or if you're going for .7m focus, the cron can give you the extra outstanding-ness to the catchlight of the eye. ;)

[jaapv]

Heavystar (e-bay) supplies hoods for just about anything.

[jaapv]

So far, however, there is a flatness that is unflattering. Maybe Leica will be different.

That is Canon. The Digilux2 and RD1 seem to avoid a lot of that flatness - or is it the flat country I'm shooting in ? ;)

[rvaubel]

What a minute. The perspective of a full frame camera is always "flatter" than the equivalent F.L. in a crop factor camera whether your shooting in digital or film. I found that out when I started to use my RD-1 in conjunction with my R3-a . A 35mm on the 1.5x camera is roughly equivalent to a 50mm on the film camera, but after moving around to compose the foreground subject in the same way (subtend the same field angle) , the background perspective has changed considerably. Thats why all those point and shoot pictures look so wide open; its almost impossible to get a shot that looks anyother way.
And whats this business about certain focal lengths having a kind of mystic quality? Christ, tell that to the medium format guys and they could hardly take a picture. Look, focal lengths be focal lengths...thats all. Different lenses for different applications in different formats. Their is nothing sacred about any particular focal length. Sure, I have my favorites within a particular format but when I use a new format I often find I don't like the equivalent focal length as much as I did in the original format. Personally, I enjoyed moving into the 1.5 crop factor arena as it transformed my existing lens collection into a new set of tools to use and explore with.
No accountin' fur taste
Rex

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

[vizioneer]

I dunno...the 50mm seems awfully neat. :D