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Leica R vs Leitz Cine Summicrons and Summilux

chris ware

chris ware

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Hello

I'm curious if the old Leica R Summicrons and Summilux still lenses can visually compare to the cinema Leitz Summicrons and Summilux lenses. Obviously the cine versions have advantages for focus and aperture being in a cinema housing. I'm curious if one were to build a vintage still lens set that was cine-modified, would they look similar to the modern versions. If not, what would be the difference. Other then cost......

Happy Holidays!

thanks

chris....
 
Nope. Very different glass.

And I'll get slightly into the minutiae of Leica-R glass having small variances as subtle changes were made over the years in manufacturing. This is why discerning photographers and cinematographers try to get lenses within the same manufacturing year ideally in the R's case. A bit of a pain, but worth the work from my perspective.

The Summilux-C Primes. In many ways these were the hero set of showing the potential of modern complicated aspherical designs. Extremely low CA, lower than the Rs and Cron-Cs for sure. Compact Super 35mm primes, T1.4. Optically superior to Master Primes "slightly" at the cost a smidge of light, but with a smaller lens body.

Summicron-C Primes. Made elsewhere and have a fairly different look to Rs and Lux-Cs, though I would say the Lux-Cs are closer to what's good about the Rs in this case. The Cron-Cs are their own thing and not really IMO very Leica/Leitz-like, but they are so they are if you catch my drift. Compact, Super 35mm, T2.

Thalias should be mentioned as you are sifting through their offerings. They were based on the medium format S-Mount glass with a couple of notable additions to flesh out the set. They have a different looks than any of the Cron-Cs, Lux-Cs, and Leica-Rs - yet are a nice rendering IMO.

Their newer T1.8 VV glass, which nearly nobody has really worked with yet and it took a hail mary for me to even test out are also a very different thing.


Out of the above I've obviously owned the Rs the longest and put together several sets of them over my career. I have also worked the most with Summilux-C primes a lot, like a whole lot. Those are great primes.


I'll poison the water with one quick mention. For my R set, I mainly shoot with the f/2 Summicrons. The speeds, Summilux, are also nice, but are different.

And the M-Mount stuff has very little relation to any of the above btw.

Hope that helps!
 
Merry Christmas!! Thanks so much.

Any links from finished pieces filmed with f/2 Summicrons Rs that you can share? Would love to see content filmed on a red with this glass.

thanks!!!!
 
Phil Holland said:
Their newer T1.8 VV glass, which nearly nobody has really worked with yet and it took a hail mary for me to even test out are also a very different thing.
Click to expand...
These aren't even on the website yet!

BTW the 0.8 cine M lenses seem very half-baked. Witness marks are unchanged, and nowhere on the website can you find the T stops. I also don't think the Noctilux belongs in that set, but whatever. I am not at all a customer for any of these lens sets. But I'm also a huge Leica fan so it pains me to see this kind of product.
 
chris ware said:
Any links from finished pieces filmed with f/2 Summicrons Rs that you can share? Would love to see content filmed on a red with this glass.

thanks!!!!
Click to expand...

I have a set of the Summicrons that were rehoused by GL Optics, they are my favorite set of lenses that I own. There’s a whole Leica R discussion with tons of links shot by them here on reduser. Here’s a couple thins that I shot with my Leica Rs at least:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_eqqC98BWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSD_HBc9csg
 
I'll even go medium level rogue here.

You should do a nice side by side of the Leica-R and Schneider Xenon FF-Primes. They are different, but I enjoy similar things about them.
 
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