Whole Lotta Leica - Results From May's Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM

For some reason, I haven't really shot much with my M9 and Summaron 35 this month. I suppose I've been shooting other cameras too much. But, I've got a few results to share.

 

To read about the Summaron (Click Here).

 

Here's a shot I took in DC on my way to a training class. These guys were carrying in chairs for an event. I processed the image in Lightroom, and used Nik SiverefexPro2's Tri-X 400 preset for the black and white conversion.

 

Carrying in the Chairs, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f8, 1/180 sec.

 

The Summaron is tiny. It is difficult to see the f-stop numbers and settings, but otherwise, it's great to have such a compact lens.

 

Springtime Sun and Shade, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 160, f8, 1/125 sec.

I like the way this lens renders colors. While I did remove some contrast in the shot above in Lightroom, the Summaron gives nice colors on its own. This is not a high contrast lens.

 

Church at Harpers Ferry, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 200, f22, 1/125 sec.

 

Closed down, the 35mm lens gives miles of depth of field. I really didn't think I'd get the flowers in the foreground in focus using the hyperfocal setting for f22, but I think it did pretty well. Again, I really like the colors, which are much more saturated in this scene.

 

The Summaron is an older lens, in Leica Thread Mount (LTM), and yields the vintage Leica look. I really enjoy using it, and like the results. However, at f3.5 maximum aperture, it's not really an all-purpose lens for me. I like faster glass, in general. That said, in the right circumstances, the little Summaron can deliver. I like the image quality much more than the comparable W-Nikkor-C 3.5cm f2.5 LTM lens that I featured in February's Whole Lotta Leica posts. (Click Here) to read about that lens.

 

I'm going to try to get out with the Summaron at least one more time in the month of May. Hopefully I'll have more results to share soon.

 

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