I bought one about 2 years ago and I have found that on digital, the focus shift did affect images and have been stuck with ƒ/2-2.8 and ~5.6-8. I love its size and don’t think it too heavy. May sell it soon before the price drops and a newer (?APO) version appears.

I have recently bought a 35 ASPH Summicron, as I found my chrome/brass 35 ASPH f1.4 Summilux too heavy for a travel lens, which is my main use of the 35 lens. Sadly the 35 Summicron was wrong from new and had to go straight back to Leica (I could not exchange as it was an ex-display model from Leica Montmartre). It has now come back from Leica focussing perfectly. Compared with my usual M lenses of the 35 Summilux, 50 Noctilux f.95 and on the M240 Zeiss 28-85 f3.3, unlike Jip, I find it a total featherweight :) and I much look forward to using it. Wilson

In reply to Dariel.

Hey Dariel,

I’ve only briefly worked with any of the 35mm f/1,4 lenses by Leica, but I found them heavy. I don’t really mis the one stop on the summicron. I do have the latest summilux 50mm ASPH. So if I need faster I just grab that, or up the ISO on my M (Typ 240).

Jip

Do you prefer Summicron’s 35mm f/2 character and feel to Summilux’s 35mm f1.4?

@jim: I also _had_ the Zeiss 35/2,8 and have tested extensively the Summicron ASPH 35. The Zeiss is more pleasing in its OOF rendering, being smoother, with better colour transitions. As a bonus, it is smaller. But its filter size is weird, and it fits a good Leica ecosystem a bit less well.

That said, phenomenal. I’ve settled with an even stranger lens, the Canon 35/1,5 LTM, which focuses to 1 metre, but is 185g, and sharp enough.

As for Jip: great photography, great blog. Great work. Keep it up.

Have you had the chance to use the Zeiss 35mm/2.8 Biogon-C? I also own the 35/2 Cron ASPH, purchased as an upgrade to the 35/2 V4 cron, which I sold when I went digital. I found I really missed the lightness of the V4. As you mentioned, the ASPH is heavy for its size. The Zeiss balances so well on the M9 it’s a joy to use. It’s also one of the most flare resistant lenses I’ve used.

The Zeiss has a smoother transition and nice OOF rendering (I don’t want to use the B word…) where the ASPH sometime feels busy. I think your smoking man is an example of this.

Great write up and nice images!

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