Dan Kerin

Leica 50mm F/2 Summicron

Introduced in 1956, the Leica 50mm Summicron ‘rigid’ was the replacement to collapsable Summicron released 4 years prior. This was released at a time when Leica was fully committing to the M system releasing the last screw mount IIIG in 1960. The rigid Summicon had an extra 3 elements over its collapsable brother, having 7 elements in 4 groups and 10 aperture blades. Like with many Leica lenses during this period it had a 1 meter minimum focus distance. A ‘dual range’ variation of the lens was also released which used a set of detachable goggles to allow focus from 1 meter down to 50cm. The lens primarily came in a chrome finish and some came in a factory black paint finish which have become very collectable.

I first used this lens in 2015 when I brought my Leica M3 and while it did have some light haze it still performed well. The lens pairs very well on any Leica M camera and has an especially timeless look when paired on the Leica M3. While I did end up parting ways with this lens, in 2023 I ended up swapping my version 3 Summicron for a very clean (optically) dual range Summicron and have not looked back since. Between first owning this lens and re purchasing one 8 years later I shot with many 50mm’s but none could come close to how this lens rendered images and performed. For me this lens gives the perfect combination of classic/ vintage style, while still being exceedingly sharp in the centre and once stopped down to f4 its sharp across the frame.

This is a lens I would recommend to anyone who’s looking for a 50mm with a little more character than modern lenses. While there is no denying modern optics are flawless when it comes to sharpness they can sometimes lack the character that comes with old lenses. Prices have been rising for this lens doubling since 2016 to 2023 and like with any old lens finding one which is also optically clean is getting more and more difficult. This being said for around £800 you should be able to get a good example and £1000 should get you a pretty clean one. And unlike modern lenses which tend to loose value after purchase vintage lenses hold their value very well and go up over time so can be seen as an investment.