I admit. I went down the rabbit hole trying to pick out ‘the’ Leica 50mm glass to put on my Leica M4-P. I bought the camera some years back from a friend and he included a Voigtlander Nokton 35mm 1.4. It’s a lovely piece of glass.
But I couldn’t help wanting to put Leica glass on the body. And since I’ve always liked a 50mm I started studying all the variations. Many here have probably done similar and know all the choices available. And the choices are many.
I finally narrowed it down to either a Summicron 50mm f2 or… I know it’s not exactly a Leica but… a Zeiss Planar 50mm. Another pro photographer friend has the Planar and really likes it. I was looking on the web and came across a pristine looking Summicron. It’s a version 3 from 1968. The version 4 is lauded often but the version 3 has some detractors. Then again my 1980 early model M4p does too. But it looked really nice and the price was about the same as a nice used Planar so I bought it.
I received it just a week ago and this past weekend finally took it out to play. Over my years as a journalist I covered many kinds of rallies and protests but was never a participant. My wife and I decided to join in the No Kings rally near us. I thought it a perfect chance to test out the camera and lens combo. I debated taking a digital camera but decided just to use my phone when not shooting with the Leica. I also brought a Voigtlander 21mm but never used it. I just wanted to test the 50.
It was strange to be a participant but the journalist in me demanded a bit more. My long-suffering wife even helped me by carrying my sign when I wanted to shoot.
I only shot 25 frames of the roll. I chose Tri-X out of nostalgia to my long-past newspaper days. It was an incredibly bright clear fall day and I would have been better served by shooting some 50 or even 25 speed film. As it was I was shooting 500th around f11 most of the day. So I didn’t get to test the lens wide open. The film is so grainy it was hard to be sure how sharp the lens was. But it was very sharp as text in some signs shows.
Metering was with the new KEKS M meter which I put my trust in and found it to be perfect.
Being new in my hands I was working much slower than I expected. I found my fingers searching for the focus tab and then with the camera in a vertical position and me being left-eyed it was even more of a challenge. But I think the slowing down was just the right thing for me. I would see someone I wanted to photograph and, after asking permission which was always granted, I would focus and shoot a frame. Just one. I was far too slow to shoot candid with any anticipation. I hope I can speed up with it as usage becomes more automatic.
I did shoot some photos I liked and one in particular I really liked and thought I would not have captured had I been shooting digital.
Share this post:
Comments
Steve Macfarlane on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Charles Young on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
The big message is in the photos.
Let's hope for big political changes in the near future!
Chuck
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Geoff Chaplin on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Gordon Ownby on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Scott Ferguson on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Fantastic post and great shots! I agree on your favorite -- I was stunned by the b&w luminosity of the flag as a scrolled down through the image and it just kept getting better with the determination and the bold clear message of the protestor. Fantastic that you are having fun with the Summicron on a M -- I have a Summicron too and like it a lot, but have ended up getting more attached to a 1949 collapsible Summitar which is great for street shooting because it is so compact, but has great bold personality in color and b&w, especially wide open. That was the main lens I used when I shot No Kings in NYC with my M3, which you'll see in an upcoming "Five Frames" post. Where were you shooting? I love the spirit of the people and the messages -- it looks like a feelgood day wherever you were, just like it was in NYC.
Best,
s
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Gary Smith on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Love your shots as I'm partial to NO KINGS and Tri-X both.
Thanks for your article Art!
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
Comment posted: 19/11/2025
David Pauley on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 20/11/2025
Comment posted: 20/11/2025
Harrison Matthew on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 20/11/2025
Comment posted: 20/11/2025
Michael Jardine on A new old lens at No Kings Day protests
Comment posted: 21/11/2025
Never taken pics with a Leica RF... in fact my experience with RF cameras is limited to Kiev Contax clones which break when you look at them! I'd love to know how a Planar looks on 35mm, as I'm luck to have used a Rollei quite a lot with that lens on 6x6.
Comment posted: 21/11/2025