Leica 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0
Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0

By: Thorsten Overgaard

The 35mm is a great all-round lens, the Summicron-M f/2.0 with better chance of getting focused correctly than the 35mm Summilux-M f/1.4, yet with nice bokeh and selective focus fully open.

The sample photos on this page was taken with my Leica Summicron-M f/2.0 Version I from 1960.

Leica M9 800 ISO with Leica 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (version 1)

35mm Summicron-M types

Version I chrome		Version II made in Germany		Version III made in Canada
Version III made in Canada		Version IV "King of Bokeh"		Version V limited edition titanium
Version V black		Version V chrome		Version V limited edition black paint

"The King of Bokeh" is the nickname of the Leica 35mm Summicron-M (IV or Version 4) f/2.0 though none of the Leica 35mm Summicrons seem to lack pleasant bokeh.

Bokeh definition - The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens: It's a matter of taste and usually photographers discuss a 'nice' or 'pleasant' bokeh (the out-of-focus area is always unsharp why the quality discussed is if one likes the way it renders or not by a particular lens: Some lenses make highlights round, some look like stop-signs in shape, others make them more silky with less actual edges).
ORIGIN from Japanese 'bo-ke' which mean 'fuzziness' or 'blur.'

See which serial numbers relates to which years in the Leica Lens Compenadium

Leica M9 in JPG black & white mode, 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (Version I from 1960)

Which hood for the Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASHP f/2.0


The lens comes with the square plastic hood that does the job. But if you take the extra effort and it's Christmas or your birthday, you may convince your self to get the 2-300$ metal vented hood 12 504 (in photo) or the 150-200$ model 12 585H so it looks like a real Vietnam war camera.
Very few available from new, but second-hand you have a good chance finding one of the metal hoods.

The 35mm ASPH does a really good job but has always suffered from the un-sexy look of the standard plastic hood that comes with the lens. I think the metal hood makes it as sexy looking as the 35mm Summilux-M ASPH, but smaller.

Hoods for 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0
Standard hood 12 524 Clip-on plastic (comes with lens)		Vented metal hood 12 504 Clip-on metal (ca. 2-300$)		Vented metal hood 12 585H Clip-on metal (ca. 150-200$)

The Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 can be made into a sexy looking lens with the original Leica 12504 lens shade in chrome. To find the chrome lens shade, you may have to look in every corner of many camera stores, as Malou Lasquite from Switzerland did to acquire this one for her Leica M9-P and matching chrome lens.

Leica M9 and 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (Version 1) @ f/2.0, 200 ISO, 1/710 second.

Erwin Puts on the difference between the 35mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4 (IV) and the current 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 (VI): "The Summicron-M ASPH 35 mm at full aperture gives quite comparable performance to the Summilux ASPH at f/2.0, with a very high contrast image over a large part of the picture field. The finest details are rendered a frac- tion softer at the edges and with some- what lower micro contrast. The Summilux-M ASPH at f/2.0 is slightly ahead of the Summicron according to the MTF graphs in the outer zones. The better flare suppression of the Summicron produces a slightly tighter overall image. I would prefer to call it a difference in fingerprint or characteris- tic of image rendering. The Summicron-M ASPH shows a pattern of extremely high quality on axis, becom- ing less so when going outwards to the corners. The difference between the available image quality on axis and in the field is quite gradual. The Summilux-M ASPH at its full aperture of f/1.4 has the same pattern, but stopped down to f/2.0 shows very even cover- age over most of the field. That is re- markable after only one stop. "

Leica M9 and 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (Version I) @ f/2.0, 200 ISO, 1/180 second. This one is very special, the bokeh and the handling of light. It's actually been improved a great deal in terms of contrast in Lightroom. But as one said, that's the "fashion look, you pay thousands to get someone to create that look in photoshop." Well, no need to anymore, just find an old lens and a new Leica M9.

Leica M9 with 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (I), 200 ISO.

Having fun with the Leica M9 and my daughter. 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (I), 200 ISO, "aged photo" in Lightroom.

Leica M9 800 ISO with Leica 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (I)

Leica M9 evening photo at 1250 ISO, 1/125 second, 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (I). (+ 0.26 EV adjustment in Lightroom). And below a 100% crop:

Another Leica M9 evening shot through a shop window. 1250 ISO, 1/125, 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (I). (-0.3 EV in Lightroom)

Leica M9, 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (Version I), 400 ISO.

Sigfred's Kaffebar, Århus Denmark, March 2006
Leica M4 with 35mm Summicron-M F/2.0 (Version I) on 100 ISO Fuji Astia run as 200 ISO, scanned on Hasselblad/Imacon Photo slide scanner. Available light from a large window to the right + a 100 cm silver reflector reflecting a sunbeam from below the chair in the left corner.

Leica M9 with 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0, 200 ISO (I).

My daughter shot with Leica M9 and 35mm Summicron-M f/2.0 (I).

Thank you
For help, corrections and information to
Erwin Puts
Justin Scott

This article was started February 2006 and latest editing was done on January 2012