[Focal Range] - Leica Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 ASPH Review
28 Summilux f1.4
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28 Summilux f1.4 |
My Trusty Leica MA and the 28 Summilux
Throughout this review process, I employed the Leica MA for outdoor shots and the Konica Hexar AF in situations where I knew that metering by eye would be a little risky.
If you have been following me for a while, you would know that 80% of the time, I’m carrying my trusty Leica MA and Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux. Nearly 3 pounds of brass strapped around my neck certainly comes with its challenges, but I find it worth every painful moment considering the images that this lens delivers to me. How this lens came into my possession bears similarities to how I get most of my camera gear; it was sold to me by a close friend, Jon Vu. Jon is what most would describe as a drug dealer, but for camera gear. He strategically gives you your first taste, hooks you, and then has you begging for more. I was introduced to this lens for the first time in July 2024, during one of Jon’s annual pilgrimages to Southern California for Anime Expo, which has been taking place since 2016. When he makes these trips, he usually brings a plethora of drool-worthy gear that is either rare, exotic, or both for me to test and give my opinion on. It's never enough to have a run-of-the-mill, “pedestrian” version of something for Jon. It has to be personalized and/or a rare bird to be a part of his collection and I’ve taken a lot from his type of collecting.
On this particular trip, he had with him a ‘Kanto camera’ Painted M6 with a Summilux 35 Steel rim in titan paint, a variety of point-and-shoots, and the star of the show today, the Summilux 28mm mounted to a Titanium Konica Hexar RF(Limited edition no less). Jon, being Jon, was excited to show me the marvel of the 28mm Lux and the magic that was the pairing of that lens and the ultra-fast Hexar shutter speed. For the next few days, he allowed me to use this setup, and thus began my love affair with the 28mm focal length. The following photos are from that 2024 visit.
Ashley and Jon on HP5+ Shot at box speed [Konica Hexar RF] July 2024
If you're new here, my approach to reviewing lenses focuses on their practical application. No graphs, brick walls, or pictures of tree branches to check for chromatic aberration. I share my thoughts on the lens after real-world use and compare it to other lenses with which I have a decent amount of experience.
So, who is the 28 Summilux for? Suppose we are strictly speaking in film terms and disregarding the shutter capabilities of the digital M bodies. In that case, I believe the 28 Lux is best suited for an exceptionally small group of Leica M-mount camera users. To be frank, I'm not sure I even fit into the target audience for this lens. Given the fast nature of this lens, most M body users like myself will have a hard time utilizing the full capability of its wide-open aperture in most conditions; given that the max shutter speed Leica-M film bodies is 1/1000th of a second, I've had more opportunities to shoot this lens wide open with the Konica Hexar RF which tops out at 1/4000th of a second. Even though I do own the Hexar, most of the time I tend to pick up one of my Leica M’s anyway, so for a majority of my daytime shooting, I’m not getting anywhere near F1.4, but I still like that I have that option if the moment presents itself. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I would personally recommend spending your money on the Summicron f/2 or Elmarit F/2.8 (one of my favorite lenses due to its excellent size-to-performance ratio).
Given the shutter speed limitations of meterless M bodies, particularly in sunny conditions, I still believe this lens could be a versatile all-day option for metered M6 and M7 users. With their ability to meter through the lens, the M6 and M7 will allow you to use the maximum aperture more confidently as you move in and out of dynamic light conditions and as the light fades throughout the day. Sunny 16 is hard to nail when it isn't "sunny" anymore. I primarily shoot without a meter and prefer cameras that don’t have any electronics of any kind. When metering with the Sunny 16 rule, it’s very rare that you open up into lower F stops with any confidence, as the lines of aperture rules tend to blur. Certainly, an external light meter would solve all my problems with low-light conditions, but that's not how I prefer to shoot, so please keep this in mind when considering my thoughts. If you are someone who likes to slow down your shooting and find that an external light meter works for you, then pretty much any M body you have will suit this lens, as long as you are shooting in conditions where you can open up the aperture.
Ashley and Sharla on Kodak Gold 200 shot at box speed [Leica MA - Metered with sunny 16] (Even these indoor shots are at F4)
Returning to my thoughts on the Summicron and Elmarit, I believe that a significant portion of users in the 28mm focal range will fare better with those “slower” lenses, given that the shooting styles and overall conventions of 28mm are not well-suited to situations where shallow depth of field is desired. For the vast majority of 28 shooters, the 28 Summilux is simply the wrong lens.
Suppose you are the extreme minority, though —a shooter who likes stylized portraits or getting close to your subject —and the camera body you use affords you the maximum open aperture even a few times per roll. In this case, I do believe it is worth the hefty toll of size and weight that you pay to have it with you for those rare instances. Sometimes I question my sanity after a day's worth of shooting in bright conditions, only to get a few shots or two at anything near f/5.6. In this case, I would have rather had the Summicron or Elmarit to keep the kit light.
Match made in Heaven
The 28 Summilux mounted to the Konica Hexar AF just makes sense. Aperture priority, fast shutter speeds that surpass that of Leica M film bodies, and an impressive viewfinder with low magnification suited for 28 mm frame lines
Now, if you are strictly a reportage or street photographer, you shouldn't even be reading this review, and you should already own a 28 Elmarit. The size-to-performance ratio I previously expressed is among the best in the entire Leica M lens catalog. If you find yourself yearning for a stop of light more, the 28 Summicron efficiently delivers without sacrificing too much in terms of size. Still, if you are a glutton for pain and enjoy beautifully out-of-focus areas in photos that can only be crafted by pairing a shallow depth of field with a wide focal length, then, in that case, the Summilux is your only option. I must caution you to consider the physical and financial toll of that single extra stoplight. Is it worth it? I'm not absolutely sure, considering I like shooting without a meter; I rarely feel the confidence in my eye metering to open up to F/1.4. Do I love it? Positively. Would I recommend it to others considering it? That’s up to you to decide.
