Dan Kerin

 Leica 35mm F/2 Summicron Version 4 A.KA The King of Bokeh

Within the Leica ecosystem there are a number of lenses which have earnt a myth like status over the years and this is one of them. The Leica 35mm F/2 Summicron version 4 is often referred to as the ‘King of Bokeh’ (KOB) because of its painterly smooth out of focus areas when stopped down. The lens is also referred to as the ‘7 element’ which is a nod to its optical design of 7 elements in 5 groups. Though it is the prior ‘King of Bokeh’ name which has given this lens legendary status, and something I have always been curious and somewhat sceptical of. So, time to find out if it lives up to its name. The lens was manufactured between 1979 and 1999 and was one of the last lenses Dr Walter Mandler designed. The lens was manufactured in both black aluminium and chrome brass. Most of the lenses were manufactured in Canada while select few black anodised ones and the less than 2,000 chrome brass lenses were manufactured in Germany. These lenses warrant a significantly higher asking price as unlike other Leica equipment the German made ones were actually made to a higher standard and included full metal internals while the Canadian ones opted for some plastic internal components. As mentioned above the lens features 7 elements in 5 groups and has an aperture of F/2 down to F/16 with half stop clicks. The lens has a 10 bladed aperture diaphragm which helps attribute to its ‘King of Bokeh’ status. For those of us who like to use filters, this lens features the standard 39mm filter thread which is always a welcome, especially when trying to build a filter collection.

I managed to pick this lens up a few months ago to add to my personal collection however I have since sold it, something which I will touch on at the end of the review. The lens I had was one of the rarer chrome brass models which other than weighing 100g more than the black aluminium one (which weighs 160g).  When mounted on the camera it feels nice and compact and even the heavier weight of the chrome model was not off putting at all. I decided not to use the hood as the 12524-hood supplied with the lens is an awful plastic clip on design and in my opinion just ruins an otherwise perfectly built lens. I shot this lens paired with my Leica M4 and it felt like a match made in heaven. The setup allows for a small compact every day carry without the worry that you are trading off performance in anyway whatsoever.

After having developed all the film shot with this lens there is no doubt that it performs well. This lens really has some of that magical Leica ‘3D pop’ where there is clear separation from the focused subject and background even when shooting stopped down a little. Stopped down this lens us very sharp but wide open is where the magic happens. Shooting at f2 is where this lens really stands out from the rest. Being a Mandler designed Lens I can’t deny its character however it’s not as wild like some of the lenses which came prior and is certainly sharper than the previous version 2 and 3 which I wasn’t really that impressed with. However, does it live up to the legendary name? In my opinion no, while it is a very good lens and performs fantastically it is still only a Summicron, having a maximum aperture of f2 so there is only so much background blur you can create. This being said the out of focus areas are very painterly and do transition very nicely from the subject area.

I truly enjoyed using this lens but for me it never really scratched that itch. There were two reasons why I decided to sell this lens. While the Summicron is great having an f1.4 aperture like on a Summilux gives me much more flexibility when shooting and thinking what film to load into my camera. If I am working on a specific project or know exactly when and where I will be shooting this is not normally a problem as I can work around these things. However, when travelling and more importantly photographing places I have not visited before having that extra stop I have found really does help. The second reason comes down to price. This lens has become almost a collector’s item with chrome models often fetching upwards five times what I had originally brought the lens for and this is something which I could no longer justify having. When reviewing equipment which comes in through the store, I am always overly careful, as I know I need to sell it after the review is written. Personal equipment on the other hand I am more carefree with and enjoy shooting in all conditions which for a collectable lens such as the King of Bokeh could harm its value over time, especially given the condition of my one.