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Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH F/1.4
 
 
Beck. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.
   
 
   
       
  Leica 50mm Summilux f/1.4 lenses    
 

By Thorsten von Overgaard. April 9, 2012. Updated July 28, 2022.

 

 
  Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 (2004)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA Limited Edition 11 627 Black (2005)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA Limited Edition11 628 Chrome (2005)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Lenny Kravitz Edition (2015)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome Edition (2016)
Leica 50mm Xenon f/1.5 (1936)
Leica 50mm Summarit f/1.5 (1949)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 I (1959-1960 non-ASPH)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 II (1962, non-ASPH)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 III (1992, non-ASPH)
 
       

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The workhorse of Leica lenses:
The 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4

The Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 (2004) is the lens that suits the Leica M the best in terms of design and proportions. It also happens to be a unique masterpiece of lens design that reflects the core qualities of a Leica lens. A versatile workhorse for the photographer.

 

Petit Palais in Paris. Leica M11 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Petit Palais in Paris. Leica M11 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

The Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 (2004) in chrome and black on the Leica M9-P (2012). It's the most harmonic lens combination for the Leica M in terms of industrial design.
The Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 (2004) in chrome and black on the Leica M9-P (2012). It's the most harmonic lens combination for the Leica M in terms of industrial design. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Hong Kong. Leica M9 with 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Hong Kong. Leica M9 with 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

An understated favorite lens of mine

Once I included it in my lens arsenal, I found it useful for cetain projects. For certain occasions I would pick the 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH for a job. When I visited the White House, this was the lens I brought because it was compact and didn't look like anything. The invitation had stated, "no professional cameras", which definitely ruled out big-looking cameras. So I tried to look compact (and it worked).

 

At the White House Christmas Party I decided for a discrete camera as "no professional cameras" were allowed. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.
At the White House Christmas Party I decided for a discrete camera as "no professional cameras" were allowed. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Looking back at recent years, when I photographed the Clive Davis Grammys Gala, this again was the only lens I brought. Simply to be able to move quicky while taking photos with an artistic narrow depth of field at f/1.4, yet have clarity and details. Ideally, I wanted to move around like a guest without getting noticed for my camera.

 

John Legend at the Clive Davis Grammys Gala. I'm almost resting the camera on his knees. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
John Legend at the Clive Davis Grammys Gala. I'm almost resting the camera on his knees. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

When I photographed my daughters wedding, this too was the lens I brought as my main tool, for the same reasons as above. To be able to move, but to get the photos I wanted, with an artistic look, in high quality.

 

My daughter's wedding. Leica M240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2016-2018 Thorsten Overgaard.
My daughter's wedding. Leica M240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

The reason it took me so long to love this lens

For the longest while I had to force myself to put it on the camera, because I always felt that the result of it was given. "Unsurprisingly good pictures", if that makes any sense. While many around me in my workshops used the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4, it never appealed to my heart, even despite the fact that from the moment I first saw it I knew it was a masterpiece of lens design. In terms of industrial/optometric design, it is the best harmonic for the Leica M.

 

Leica M10 Monochrom with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10 Monochrom with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

The version I got for myself was the limited edition in the 1959-design barrel, but with the 2004 lens design. It's the one called Black Chrome, because it is brass with matte chrome paint on it. Over time the black paint wears off and the brass shows.

In many ways, it doesn't make sense that I got the heavy model when I admire the original industrial design so much. But well, that's how it went down. And as the weeks had gone by, this lens had grown more and more on me.

I could have it as my one and only Leica lens if I wanted to pretend I was going to an island and could only bring one lens.

 

Tebogo Louw. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Tebogo Louw. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

       
 

The soul of a lens - 50mm Summilux f/1.4

   
  By Thorsten von Overgaard  
       

 

The definition of a Summilux lens

The Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 is rather special because it is a 2004 lens design that sets the standard for all Leica lenses today. With small size and few means it delivers a very stable image.

It is a departure from the low-contrast, soft-but-detailed Leica look that seems to have set the tone for great photography of the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's photography when it was at its best. That "Leica look" was designed by legendary lens designer Dr. Mandler, who was the lead lens designer and CEO of the Leitz/Leica factory in Canada back then.

 

Classic 1960's soft but detailed    
 
Elise Lou by Thorsten Overgaard. Leica M9 (2009) with Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 II (1956)   Katharine Hepburn

 

I am a big fan of classic photography. In fact, when I really like one of my own photographs, it has a look of the 1940's or 1960's or some undefined "good old days". The soft-but-detailed Leica look, along with a softer contrast, is an essential part of that look of past times.

What happens to the photograph when performed with the higher contrast, more clarity and more detailed, like what the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 delivers, is that it's elevated to what could best be compared to the classic large format photographs. When done in the studio, these often had high contrast and much detail.

As this lens has grown on me, I have become accustomed to the new look this lens presents, and as we look around, most lenses have gotten increased contrast and detail level. Some too much, but that is not the case with this one.

 

     
 
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4.
© Thorsten Overgaard
  Elizabeth Taylor

 

An artist's brush

What makes the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 special in the range of lenses, are its artistic qualities. First off there is the f/1.4 aperture that is optimized to be used wide open at f/1.4. Not many lenses are optimized to perform their optimum at their widest aperture. In most lenses, a "low light" wide open aperture is often added for the possibility of making photographs in low light - with an implied loss of quality because it's so difficult to control the light in a wide open lens.

With higher ISO capabilities in modern cameras, a "low light" aperture is not that necessary. Let’s face it, at 6400 ISO or 25,200 ISO, even a f/4.0 lens can do the job of "low light" and make you able to take a photo at 1/125th of a second so there is no motion blur. But the advantage of the narrow depth of field that f/1.4 delivers serves to direct the viewer’s attention to what is in focus, as well as an artistic dreamy look of a blurred background and foreground.

 

Tokyo, Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Tokyo, Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

If we are honest, there's not many f/1.4 lenses that can produce this level of clarity, sharpness, details and color accuracy. If we are completely honest, in fact almost no lenses can do it. If we are pessimistic and realistic, there's maybe only this lens that offers these exact qualities.

"Bordering on the edge of perfection and artistry" is a good description. A true artist's brush.

 

Smokey bokeh

The word "bokeh" comes from Japanese and has come to mean "how aesthetically pleasing" the out-of-focus background looks.

Bokeh is defined as how the lens handles light; how unfocused light reflections plays in the lens. As such, it is fair to believe that a lens that handles clarity, details and colors well, will also have a beautiful bokeh.

 

Arthur Argote in New York. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Arthur Argote in New York. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

Particularly in black and white, the 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 stands out with an often silky smoke look. As if steam reproduced on silver paper. It's very unique as there aren’t other lenses in the stable of Leica lenses that have a similar look. In black and white, the bokeh has a texture of its own.

In color the bokeh has a sense of texture as well, as if silver gelatin particles, or actual light dust particles spread out in a fog.

It is not that every photo you take with the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 has this look, but when you have some brightness in the background, it's as if the lens is able to capture the protons that else would hang around in the air unseen. It's a sort of magic trick this lens can perform.

 


Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2017-2018 Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Crisp with bokeh

Any f/1.4 lens has so narrow depth of field that elements in the foreground and background will be blurry out of focus. But the signature of the lens is what determines how this plays out.

How the lens paints with the light is what distinguish a lens like the Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 from any other lens.

 

Pep Williams. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Photographer Pep Williams in Los Angeles. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Best described, and what you may appreciate the most in practical use, is the lens' ability to define what matters (what is in focus) with extreme clarity and realism, while laying the background detail in a smoke screen that has a lot of built-in aesthetics.

 

Director Daniel Sackheim in Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Director Daniel Sackheim in Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Perfection of clarity

Clarity is another word for sharpness, and one which I prefer. I want an image to stand out so clearly that it feels like I can touch the subject and sense its texture.

Normally sharpness - as expressed in photography - is just edges well-defined, which doesn't mean that you can sense the texture or even see details. Clarity has details, colors, textures - in which you can include the light. How the light reflects, bends, travels through surfaces.

(See my article , "What is Sharpness in Photography?" for more on sharpness).

 


Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

       
  The history of Leica f/1.4 and f/1.5 lenses:    
 

By Thorsten von Overgaard.


 

Leica 50mm Xenon f/1.5 (1936)
Leica 50mm Summarit f/1.5 (1949)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 I (1959-1960 non-ASPH)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 II (1962, non-ASPH)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 III (1992, non-ASPH)Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 (2004)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA Limited Edition 11627 Black (2005)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA Limited Edition 11628 Chrome (2005)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Lenny Kravitz Edition (2015)
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome Edition (2016)


Xenon
f/1.5
(Schneider)


1936-1950
"XEMOO"




Screw
mount

Summarit
f/ 1.5



1949-1960
"SOOIA"
"SOOIA-M"
11 120


Screw
mount

Summilux
f/1.4
Version I


1960-1963
"SOOME"




Screw mount


Summilux-M
f/1.4
Version I


1959-1961
"SOOME"
11 114
"SOWGE"
11  014

M-bayonet mount


Summilux
f/1.4
Version II


1961-2004
Chrome
11 114
Black
11 113
11 110
M-bayonet mount
Summilux-M
f/1.4
Version III


1992-2005
Chrome
11 855
11856
Black
11 623
black  anodized
11 868
titan
11 869
M-bayonet mount
+ a few screw mount editions
Summilux-M ASPH (APO)
f/1.4


2004-current
Chrome
11 891
Black
11 891

M-bayonet mount
Summilux-M ASPH (APO)
f/1.4
Black Chrome

2015-current
Black Chrome on solid brass
limited edition 500 pcs
11 688

M-bayonet mount
Serial xxxxxxx
to -
Serial 491898
to 1546150
Serial 1640601
to 1790000
Serial 1640601
to 1790000
Serial 1844001
to 3558910
Serial 3588960
to 4011798
Serial 3979722
to -
Serial 4316136 to 431700
Shade:
XIOOM
Shade: XOONS Shade
12 586
E43 filter
Shade
12 586
E43 filter
Shade
12 586
E43 filter
Built-in shade
E46 filter
Built-in shade
E46 filter
Shade
12 586
E43 filter
          0,7 m - infinity 0,7 m - infinity 0,7 m - infinity
7 lenses in 5 groups
7 lenses in 5 groups
    7 lenses in 5 groups 7 lenses in 5 groups
8 lenses in 5 groups
This lens is an APO construction.
8 lenses in 5 groups
This lens is an APO construction.
300g 320g 320g black
360g silver
320g black
360g silver
275g black
380g silver
275g black
380g silver
335g black
460g silver
710g black
f/1.5 f/1.5 f/1.4 f/1.4 f/1.4 f/1.4 f/1.4 f/1.4
Horace William Lee & Taylor-Hobson Otto Zimmermann Walter Mandler Walter Mandler     Peter Karbe Peter Karbe


Screw-thread lenses are for Leica II, 250FF, III, 250GG, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IIc, Ic, IIIf, If, IIf, If, IIIg, Ig but can be mounted on Leica M bayonet cameras with an adapter.


 


 

 

 

 


The Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Version II (1962) with ventilated hood (order no 12586)
The Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Version II (1962) with ventilated hood (order no 12586)



Artist Mia Bego. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Artist Mia Bego. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.



       
  Fast lenses and their names    
 

By Thorsten von Overgaard.


 

"Summilux" refers to the maximum lens aperture - in this case the f/1.4 lenses from Leica. "-lux" means light, and "Summi-" probably comes from Latin summum, meaning "highest." Lens of "Highest Light".

  Professor Dr. Max Berek
 
Professor Dr. Max Berek
   
 
 

Originally, the idea was to call the camera Leca, but another company already used that brand (building blocks), so the camera was named Leica.

The first Summilux lens introduced was the 1960-model of the 50mm Summilux f/1.4, which was a screw-mount lens. As you may know, any older screw-mount lens can be used on a modern Leica M with an adapter. If you do so, it's often the easiest to leave the adapter on that lens so it is already ready to fit on the camera.

Before the Summilux lenses started entering the arena, the most lightstrong lenses were the 1936-1950 Leica 50mm Xenon f/1.5.

In 1966 Leica broke the light wall again with the even higher light lens, the first Noctilux f/1.2 "Light of the Night" or "King of the Night" lens

Previously, Leica had made the 85/1.5 Summarex in 1948. The name of that lens was simply it's designer, Dr. Max Berek, who named lenses after his two favorite dogs. One of his dox was Rex, so he named the lens Summarex.

Summarit referred to the maximum lens aperture of 1949, which was f/1.5, but has then been used in later lens names for f/2.4 and f/2.5 lenses.

Summar has been used as a base for many names of Leica lenses, though the origin of the name is unknown. Leica has invented other names that were inspired by glass suppliers (Krown became Cron), dogs and so on.

The name Leica itself is derived from Leitz Camera, but originally they wanted to call the Leica camera LECA (which was already used by another brand with a very similar logo, LECA who makes building blocks and others from expanded clay).

For the lens names with Summar, these started out as Summar (f2.0) for the 1933 lens 50mm f2.0 Summar, then the Summitar (f2.0 in 1939), then the Summarex (85mm f1.5 in 1948), then the Summaron (35mm f.2.8 in 1948), then the Summarit f1.5 in 1949 and used again for the 40mm f2.4 Summarit on the Leica Minilux in 1995, which may have inspired the use of the name again for the 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 90mm Summarit f2.5 in 2007.
Then Summicron (f2.0 in 1953 for the collapsible 50mm) and finally the Summilux (50mm f1.4 in 1959).

However, before Leitz in Wetzlar started making cameras in 1925, they used the name Mikro-Summar for their 42mm f4,5 around 1910 for their Leitz microscopes.

For complete overview of Leica lenses, visit my "Leica Lens Compendium and Serial Numbers".

 

 

 

Tokyo, Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Tokyo, Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Miami. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Miami. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

       
  Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH
video review
   
 

By Thorsten von Overgaard.


 

Watch my video review of the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome limited edition on my Magic of Light photography television channel:

 

 

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Miami. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Miami. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

       
 

The Design of the 50mm Summilux f/1.4

   
  By Thorsten von Overgaard  
       

 

  A cut-through of the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 lens (C50) shows the patented floating element
  A cut-through of the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 lens (C50) shows the patented floating element
   

A beautiful piece of design

The optometric design is the mechanical design of the lens which determines how it focuses, how the aperture clicks, the weight, stability and many other things such as which materials to use where and for what.

Andre de Winter is from Indonesia, and his first design for Leica was when he started working for Leitz Canada Midland in March 1969.

His first assignment was the 50mm Noctilux f/1.0 (C271) with Dr. Mandler who was the CEO and head lens designer.

Andre de Winter did the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 design in Solms, Germany, but these days he works from home in Midland, Canada. Recently Andre de Winter designed the Leitz Cine Summilux-C lenses for which he won an Oscar for the optometric design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lens designer Andre de Winter in his office in Midland, Canada. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Lens designer Andre de Winter in his office in Midland, Canada. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

.
Leica instructor at Leica Store Nuremberg, Michel Birnbacher with his 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica instructor at Leica Store Nuremberg, Michel Birnbacher with his 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

One of the most beautiful Leica lenses, inside and outside

The Leica 50 mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 from Leica is an aspherical lens, and according to lens designer Peter Karbe it's even an APO lens. That means it's corrected greatly for the color light rays, red, green and blue.

If you look at APO-lenses generally, they have really bright and accurate colors. That is the case for the Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0, as well as the older and more traditional use of APO, the Leica APO tele lenses for the Leica R system.

 

Leica M Monochrom with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M Monochrom with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

APO is a way to optimize the precision of the light rays (red, green and blue) so they meet in the same spot, so as to define texture and details. It was used to begin with, in long tele lenses where this precision was considered important (and usually expensive).

Over time, lens designer Peter Karbe has introduced APO in 50mm lenses and now even in wide angle lenses for the Leica SL system. The first lens for which he introduced it, was the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4, though he found it not suitable to label a 50mm lens with APO at that time.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Leica 50mm Summilux and soft filters

A sharp lens with soft diffusion filters can make intersting pictures. Read my article here for more on that:


"Soft Images" by Thorsten Overgaard.

 

The Workhorse: Colors and details

I find that I bring the 50mm Summilux-M ASPH when I need precision, a compact lens and a sexy look with depth of field and bokeh.

The Summilux has quite a bit of the dreamy look (bokeh) that the Noctilux has, but has extremely crisp details and a very accurate color sense.

It's something that's taken me a while to realize; but I actually often take the 50mm Summilux when it really counts and I want to be able to move around and be able to go both close distant, as well as do group shots or such.

It's a lens you can never fail with.

 

Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

My favorite 50mm lenses

My favorite lens is – if you have looked at my website you know – I shoot a lot with the Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95 and I often shoot it wide open. That's really a lens I like a lot.

I have also used the Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 Version II from the 60’s a lot, the one that's also called “Rigid”. It's not an expensive lens. It's a really good lens, but there're so many of them so they're not really expensive; it's not a collector's item. They're usually from $500 and up. They only go up to $2000 if they're in perfect new condition.

But with the 50mm Summilux-m ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome version, this lens has slowly moved in as one of the lenses I use the most.

 

Tokyo, Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Tokyo, Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Anya in London. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Anya in London. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

         
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One of the great things about the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 is that it has closest focus distance at 70 cm, like in this photograph. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
One of the great things about the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 is that it has closest focus distance at 70 cm, like in this photograph. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

The Thorsten Overgaard Photography Extension Course 2010

 

 

Bokeh. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Bokeh. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 


Layla Bego in the Mustang GT 1966. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.


My daughter Caroline. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
My daughter Caroline. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

 

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Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

       
  Limited editions of the Leica 50mm Summilux    
 

By Thorsten von Overgaard.


 

 

Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA Edition (2005)

In 2005, Leica made a limited run of the then newly designed 50mm Simmilux-M ASPH f/1.4 designed by Peter Karbe. This was the LHSA edition in black paint (glossy) and a silver chrome. The price upon release was around $3,000 and dropped a bit in the following years, then sky-rocketed towards $7,000 - $8,000 in 2015 and above $10,000 in 2020.

LHSA is Leica Historical Society of America, which is a collector’s association that everybody can be part of, from anywhere in the world.

 

Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA-edition in black paint.
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA-edition is a beauty in black paint. Hood is part no 12586.


Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 LHSA-edition in silver and black.
These limited edition lenses were sold separately, as well as with a special limited edition MP3.


The original 1959-version has yellow feet scale on the black lens, while the LHSA-edition (2005) and Limited Edition Black Chrome (2015) have red feet scale.

 

Leica focusing scale and colors used

On a silver lens, the Meters are black and the Feet are red. On a black lens, the Meters are white and the Feet are yellow. This is the traditional Leica colors used for feet and meters.
The focusing scale in meters and feet on the 50mm Summilux (1959-design).

 

 

Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
Lenny Kravitz "Reporter" Limited Edition of 125

In 2015 Leica Camera AG then released a very limited series of this lens in black paint, but intentionally brassed. A set of one black Leica M-P 240 camera and two lenses (35, 50) in a suitcase, designed and named after Lenny Kravitz.

The series of 125 numbered sets then sold out about 9-12 months after its release.

 

The limited edition 50mm Summilux in the Lenny Kravitz set is pre-brassed.
The limited edition 50mm Summilux in the Lenny Kravitz set is pre-brassed.



/2.0 Black Paint and Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Paint. All brassed and then given a clear lacquer as protection.
Lenny Kravitz "Reporter" limited edition of 125 sets in suitcase. Leica M-P 240 with Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 Black Paint and Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Paint. All brassed and then given a clear lacquer as protection.

 

Layla Bego. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Layla Bego. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC (Black Chrome) 2016

Few months after the release of the Lenny Kravitz model, Leica released another series of 500 of the same lens, but in matt black (Black Chrome).

An up-to-date optically designed Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 lens, but in old-school 1959's brass design and barrels. Initially the retail price was $3,900 and then rose to $4,350 in autumn 2016 and $5,095 in 2020.

This is the one I got for myself.

 

Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome limited edition in 1959-design (500 released in 2015) on Leica M-D 262. Comes with hood (12586) and metal as well as plastic lens cap. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome limited edition in 1959-design (500 released in 2015) on Leica M-D 262. Comes with hood (12586) and metal as well as plastic lens cap. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

This is a little bit heavier to use because it's brass. The aperture ring is moving very softly and I like to shoot wide open so I don't want to have the aperture suddenly slide to something else. I thought that maybe I could put some tape on it so it stayed in place, but then I sent it in to Leica in Wetzlar and they actually adjusted it. After that adjustment the aperture ring is stiff and stays at f/1.4 as I want it to.

This is something that is always possible to do with Leica lenses. You can get the aperture ring and focusing ring adjusted to be looser or harder to turn.

 

Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

The ventilated shade that falls off

The lens shade is really heavy as it is also made of brass, and it's the clip-on type, made to be like the original ventilated lens shade for the 1959-model.

While the ventilated shade is a piece of beauty, it is also useless as it falls off whenever it gets a chance to do so. I had one of the first days when the shade fell off twice while walking through security in the airport. Off it went, and rolled across the floor. Thankfully I noticed, so I didn't lose it.

 

I made my own E43 ventilated shade with E46 filter thread

As I make ventilated lens shades for most Leica lenses, I had one made for this lens also, and you can buy it in Black Paint, Silver and RED from my website. This is a screw-on that stays on the lens and protects it from bumps and bangs, and flare as well, of course.

This is my daily ventilated shade that looks beautiful and more compact than the original, and which takes the bumps and beatings of everyday use. The original brass stays home in a box (with a dent from one of the times it flew off).

This one is aluminum, so it's lighter while it still looks the part!

The genius of my ventilated shade is that it has a E46 filter screw on the front so that you can add filters to the lens without taking off the ventilated shade, and without stacking filters that puts the shade further and further out (makes the lens longer).


The E43 ventilated shade I designed for my 50mm Summilux sits on the 43mm filter thread and has an E46 filter thread built-in in the front of the shade. The shade also fits the original 1959-designed 50mm Summilux lenses in black and silver (comes in Black Paint, Silver or RED).
The E43 ventilated shade I designed for my 50mm Summilux sits on the 43mm filter thread and has an E46 filter thread built-in in the front of the shade. The shade also fits the original 1959-designed 50mm Summilux lenses in black and silver (comes in Black Paint, Silver or RED).

 

The limited edition is 43mm filter

One thing you also find out when you get this vintage lens is that it's not a 46mm filter as with the traditional 50mm Summilux ASPH. It's got a 43mm filter, like the original 1959's design!

You can still get 43mm filters and they will fit. The only thing is that when you put on the filter you cannot put on that vintage brass lens shade the lens comes with (the design doesn't have space for it inside).

You can get very rare thin filters that fit if you are a collector and don't mind the premium price for getting a rare, original filter. Although, not all new 43mm filters that fit the lens, also fit the shade! There's no space for it sometimes.

 

Then Leica modified of the lens shade (2018)

Since 2018, Leica offers a free modification of the lens hood so it will screw in instead of clip-on. One has to send the shade to Leica in Wetzlar, and then they return it with the E43 screw mount fitted. They also return the spare part clip-on so it's possible to bring the shade back to the original look if one should want that (as it's meant as a collectors’ item).

 

A modified brass shade E43 for the 50mm Summilux Black Chrome.
A modified brass shade E43 for the 50mm Summilux Black Chrome.

 

Older limited editions

It might not be pretty, but it's different and rare. A Summilux with gold fittings, selling for about $4,000 in 2020.

 


Not pretty, but rare.



San Francisco. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

How to mount a filter
on the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome
or any other 1959 non-ASPH version

You will notice that whereas the normal 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 has a 46mm filter size, the limited editions has a filter size of 43mm. Not a big problem as 43mm ND filters and UV filters are also available. Just a surprise as no other current Leica lenses have a 43mm filter size (but all the 50/1.4 lenses did so in the old days).

But you will see that when the filter is mounted, the classic shade (part no 12586) doesn't fit onto the lens anymore! There exists a vintage UV filter that goes with the lens. I don't use UV-filter, so I haven't tried to get one.

But I do use ND (Neutral Density) filters, so I acquired a 43mm ND filter (3-stop or 0.9ND) and then fumbled with it for a bit.

 

Step 1   Step 2   Step 3
How to mount a filter  on the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome  Yo   How to mount a filter  on the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome  Yo   How to mount a filter  on the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome  Yo
Put on the lens shade.   Drop the ND filter into the shade.   1) Lock filter first with the bayonet locks.
2) Then press it down with a finger and turn the whole shade with filter until it sits as tight as it can.

 

In actual fact, if you mount the shade first, and then drop the ND filter down into the bayonet locking mechanism (press the silver buttons to open the "reverse locks" for attaching the shade upside-down when traveling). Then you will see that it almost locks. If you then turn the shade around, the filter will actually screw onto the lens to some degree. Enough to make it stay there.

Obviously, when you want to take off the ND filter, you will have to turn the shade counter-clockwise until the filter screws let go of the screw on the lens.

Ken Rockwell has made this filter overview of 43mm filters for Leica lenses.



Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 


Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.


My own design, the "Always Wear A Camera" Mini Messenger Camera Bag. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
My own design, the "Always Wear A Camera" Mini Messenger Camera Bag. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Santana. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Santana. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 


Writing notes in the park in Tokyo, Japan. Leica M-D 262 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

State Dining Room, The White House. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
State Dining Room, The White House. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2017-2018 Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Panasonic Lumix DC S1R with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Actor Jason Dohring in Hollywood. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Actor Jason Dohring in Hollywood. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Miami Muscle Beach. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Miami Muscle Beach. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.


Leica M10 Monochrom with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10 Monochrom with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.


 

Miami. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Miami. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.


Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

Paris Fashion Week. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Paris Fashion Week. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

Tokyo street portrait. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Tokyo street portrait. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Moscow, Russia. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Moscow, Russia. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Beyonce and Jay-Z. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Beyonce and Jay-Z. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Miami Muscle Beach. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © 2016-2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Miami Muscle Beach. Leica M 240 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

New York. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2018 Thorsten Overgaard.
New York. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

         
 

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Shadows and 50mm lenses

Newer Leica lensees, starting with the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 seem to be able to see in the dark. Sahdow details are more crisp and the image seem to open up more. If you compare these next photos, you will easily spot the difference.

 

Proud owner of a Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4, Hans van Dijk from Holland. Palermo, Italy. © Thorsten Overgaard 2011-2018
Proud owner of a Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4, Hans van Dijk from Holland. Palermo, Italy. LLeica M9 with 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 Version II (1956) © Thorsten Overgaard


Street portrait in Soho, London. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Street portrait in Soho, London. Leica M10-P with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC.(2004). © Thorsten Overgaard.


The Leica M9 and Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 in the hands of Birgit Krippner who used to shoot exclusively with this lens.
The Leica M9 and Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 in the hands of Birgit Krippner who used to shoot exclusively with this lens. Leica M9 with 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 Version II (1956) © Thorsten Overgaard

 

Bob Goldins. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Bob Goldins. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

       
  Interview with lens designer Peter Karbe
on the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
   
 

 


 

 

 

  Peter Karbe at the factory in Solms, with an original notebook of Max Berek from 1930.  Photo by: © Thorsten Overgaard 2010-2017.
  Peter Karbe at the factory in Solms, with an original notebook of Max Berek from 1930.
© Thorsten Overgaard
   

Peter Karbe, head of Leica optics design, worked on the 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 for ten years, and in his spare time.

His masterpieces so far include the Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 and the Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. (See my article with interview with Peter Karbe on the Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0).

Here's an excerpt from a talk that David Farkas of Dale Photography had with Mr. Peter Karbe at Photokina in 2008:

Sitting with Peter you really get the feeling that these lenses are his children. Talk of certain lenses puts a small smile on his face and a glint in his eye. Then, he’ll go on about why it is special and unique. For instance, many know of his many years of work on the 50mm Summilux ASPH.

He is extremely proud of this lens, pointing to the MTF-chart and exclaiming that wide open at f/1.4 it resolves 40lp at above 50%.

He went into how he came up with the modified special double gauss design and how the back half of the lens is identical to the 35mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4, while the front half is identical to the Leica 50 Summicron. This was the secret to achieving such performance in a fast 50.

Then, he said that one Saturday morning over his first cup of coffee in his kitchen he thought about Dr. Walter Mandler. Apparently, after Mandler designed the Noctilux, he used the same design to build the 75 Summiux.

And while Peter doesn't like the 75 Lux, he decided that he needed to design a 75 based on the 50 ASPH design.

Shortly thereafter, keeping everything the same, except for removing one lens element in the first doublet behind the central ASPH element used to correct for aberrations caused at 1.4, he minted the design for the Leica 75 APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0.

 

 

 

 

San Francisco. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
San Francisco. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.


Why the Leica 50mm Summilux is an APO lens

I asked if the design was the same why the 75 was an APO lens and the 50 wasn’t. Here is a bit of a shocker… the 50 lux ASPH is an APO lens, containing an APO-correction element. But, he thought the idea of an APO 50 was a bit silly so they never put it on the lens or in any marketing materials.

He really believes in revisiting the past for inspirations on the future. Peter said that he often thinks about what his predecessors from decades ago would do with today’s technology.

This was his inspiration with the Summarits. Classic designs with a modern twist. He studies and claims (who would doubt him) that he is familiar with the designs of almost all of the Leica lenses made to date. He has his favorites as well as examples that were not so successful.

 

Dave Chen. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2018 Thorsten Overgaard.
Dave Chen. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2018 Thorsten Overgaard.

 

According to Peter, the great leaps in lens design were brought about by technological advances. The first was with new types of glass, then with coatings, followed by computer modeling, and now just recently, advances in mechanical design and manufacturing.

This is why the S lenses and the new 21 Lux are as lightweight as they are. A lot of attention is now being paid by the design team to the manufacturing process. Karbe has organized small design teams in his fast-growing department to be more efficient and productive. An optics designer is paired with a mechanical designer and a production manager to develop the entire product, not just the optical path. Handling, feel, ease of manufacture, and consistency in quality control are equally important to imaging performance.

 

Rome, Italy. Leica TL2 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2018 Thorsten Overgaard.
Rome, Italy. Leica TL2 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Also, by using more shared designs and more common components, more lenses can be brought to market faster. The 35 and 50 Summarit. The 75 and the 90 Summarit. The new 21 Lux and 24 Lux are all examples of this. With the 21 and the 24, one designer did both lenses simultaneously as they are fundamentally the same optical formula.

Another interesting thing I learned was that Leica started using computer-aided modeling back in the 1960’s before anyone else. Since that time, they have had their own proprietary software (kept up to date, of course) based on calculations made at Leica over the last 100 years. He says this is one of Leica’s real advantages that no one can copy.

 

Thorsten von Overgaard by Oliver von Overgaard. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Oliver Overgaard.
Thorsten von Overgaard by Oliver von Overgaard. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Oliver Overgaard.


Geert Remmery in Brussels. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2018 Thorsten Overgaard.
Geert Remmery in Brussels. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 


LL Cool J. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
LL Cool J. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

The foundation of knowledge and expertise is handed down from each generation of lens designers to the next. The Leitz Glass Works has also been invaluable in learning about new formulations and the handling of exotic glass elements. These latest exotic glasses require a great deal of care in handling. Much like a piece of raw steel, this glass reacts adversely and rapidly with gasses in the air. They use a wet to wet to wet process in Solms, whereby the glass moves through the grinding, polishing and coating steps in one go, not spaced or binned. This is crucial to maintain the performance of these expensive elements which can cost more per ounce than pure silver.

We talked more about how the type of glass for certain lens elements are chosen and how, based on his experience, he just knows what effect this will have on aberrations. We discussed the trade-offs lens designers have to make and how MTF only tells part of the story."

 

Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 BC. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Product photo of my "Always Wear A Camera" The Von 24hr Jetset Bag. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © 2018 Thorsten Overgaard.
Product photo of my "Always Wear A Camera" The Von 24hr Jetsetter Bag. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

       
 

Leica Definitions

   
  By Thorsten von Overgaard  
       
  More resources:    
  Leica and Photography Definitions by Thorsten Overgaard    
  Leica Camera Compendium article by Thorsten Overgaard    
  Leica Lens Compendium article by Thorsten Overgaard    
       

 

 
  1:2/50 the description says. But what does it mean?
   

1:

Basically means 1 divided with. But why is it on the front of the lens? If you look close, a lens will often say 1:2/50mm on the front, meaning it is a 50mm lens with an f/2.0 apterture. The 1: itself is a ratio, that indicates that the aperture diameter (25mm) is the ratio of 50mm divided with 2.
It's a strange way of writing product information on modern products, but here's how it's right:
a) A lens is called a 50mm lens because there is 50mm from the sensor to the center of focus inside the lens.
b) A lens is f/2.0 when the widest opening is 50mm divided with 2 = The lens opening is 25mm in diameter at it's widest. Had it been an f/2.8 lens (1:2.8/50), the widest aperture opening would be 50mm divided with 2.8 = 17.8mm.

 

35mm

a) 35mm lens is a lens that has a viewing angle of view is 63°vertically, 54° horizontally and 38° vertically within a 35mm film frame:
b) 35mm film format is a standard film format where the actual widt of the film is 35mm. In photography the frame within the widt of the film is 24mm (on the width) and 36mm (on the lenght of the film roll). 35mm was first used in 1892 by William Dickson and Thomas Edison for moving pictures with frames of 24 x 18mm, using film stock supplied by George Eastman (Kodak), and became the international standard for motion picture negative film in 1909 [later other formats came about such as Academy Ratio (22 x 16 mm), Widescreen (21.95 x 18.6 mm), Super 35 (24.89 x 18.66 mm) and Techiscope (22 x 9.47 mm)].
Oskar Barnack built his prototype Ur-Leica in 1913 as a device to test film stock and/or motion picture lenses and had it patented, but Ernst Leitz did not decide to produce it before 1924.
c) 35mm is often given as a comparison when talking about lenses in small cameras or cameras with other sensor/film format than the 24 x 36mm frame. The camera has a smaller sensor and hence uses a wider lens to capture the same image as a "35mm camera" would. Example: A camera with a 12 x 18 mm sensor has a 14mm lens on it, and even the lens is actually a 14mm, it is specified as a 28mm lens (35mm) which means that the resulting image is equivalent to a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera.

 

 
  The Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 lens
   

50mm

a) 50mm lens is a lens that has a viewing angle of view is 47° vertically, 40° horizontally and 27° vertically within a 35mm film frame.
b) 50mm lens is often compared to the human eye. Not because of viewing angle but because of size ratio. The 50mm lens is the lens that comes closest to the size that the human eye see things (whereas the human eye has a much wider angle of view [120-200°] than the 50mm lens [47°], thought a more narrow focus (your eyes may observe very wide but your focus is on a limited view within that angle of view).

 

AF = Auto Focus. The idea is that the camera does the focusing itself (the word auto comes from Greek "self").

APO corrected basically means that the red, green and blue has been corrected to meet more precisely in the same spot. Clarity of colors and definition of details would be the result.
APO corrected basically means that the red, green and blue has been corrected to meet more precisely in the same spot. Clarity of colors and definition of details would be the result.

APO = in lens terminology stands for "apochromatically corrected". In most lenses, optical design concentrates the focus of blue light and green light into a single plane, but red light falls slightly into another plane of focus. In APO lenses, the design and expense has been put in to making red light focus on the same plane as blue and green. Under a microscope you would see that all light subject is now in focus, creating a sharper image overall. Many manufacturers offer APO designs, but in most of these only the very center of the lens is APO corrected. Leica prides itself on making most of the frame APO corrected.
APo-correction has traditionally been used for long tele lenses (and periscopes), but in recent years APO-correction has been applied to 50mm and wide angle lenses as well. One will notice that the colors are really bright and alive, almost more real than to the eye, in lenses like the Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 and 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0.
Apochromat; ORIGIN early 20th century, made of the two words; apo (Greek origin, away from) and chromatic (Latin origin, meaing relating to color).

Aperture = The f/ stop on the camera that regulates how much light passes through the lens by increasing or decreasing the hole through the lens. On a f/2.0 lens the lens is fully open" at f/2.0. At f/2.8 the aperture inside the lens make the hole through the lens smaller so only half the amount of light at f/2.0 passes through. For each f/-stop (4.0 - 5.6 - 8.0 - 11 - 16) you halve the light. The aperture of the lens is basically the focal length divided with the f/-stop = size of the hole (50mm divided with f/2.0 = the hole is 25 mm in diameter).
Besides regulating the amount of light (so as to match the correct exposure), the aperture also affects the dept of field: , which is how deep the sharpness is. To get the sough-after photos with narrow depth of field where the background is blurry, the lens has to be wide open at f/2.0 or so. Stopping the lens down to f/8 or f/16 will result on more depth of field, meaning the background will start becoming in focus. To maintain narrow depth of field, one can use the ISO sensitivity and/or the shutter speed to match the correct exposure (as aperture is only one of three ways to control the exposure; the correct amount of light).
ORIGIN: Late Middle English : from Latin apertura, from apert- ‘opened,’ from aperire ‘to open’.

The aperture blades inside the consist of a number of blades that - as the aperture ring on the lens is rotated - narrow into a smaller and smaller hole. © Thorsten Overgaard.
The aperture blades inside the consist of a number of blades that - as the aperture ring on the lens is rotated - narrow into a smaller and smaller hole.
© Thorsten Overgaard.

 

  spherical (ball)
spherical (ball)
  a-spherical (non-ball)
a-spherical (non-ball)
   

ASPH = (Aspherical lens) stands for "aspheric design". Most lenses have a spherical design - that is, the radius of curvature is constant. These are easy to manufacture by grinding while "spinning" the glass. This design however restricts the number of optical corrections that can be made to the design to render the most realistic image possible. ASPH lenses (a-spherical, meaning non-spherical), however, involve usually 1 element that does *not* have a constant radius of curvature. These elements can be made by 1) expensive manual grinding, 2) molded plastic, or 3) Leica's patented "press" process, where the element is pressed into an aspherical ("non-spherical") shape. This design allows Leica to introduce corrections into compact lens designs that weren't possible before. Practically, the lens performs "better" (up to interpretation) due to increased correction of the image, in a package not significantly bigger than the spherical version.

There is another Aspherical lens manufacture technique: an uneven coating layer is applied to a spherical lens. The coating is thicker on the edges (or on the center, depending). Canon "Lens Work II" calls these "simulated" aspherical lenses. Simulated and Glass-Molded (GMo) asphericals show up in non-L Canon lenses, while the L lenses have actual ground aspheric elements.

A- means non, or without. From Latin, ex.
Sphere: ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French espere, from late Latin sphera, earlier sphaera, from Greek sphaira "ball".

     
Normal spheric lens (grinded)   ASPH (note the shape of the glass as result of pressing rather than grinding)

 

  Barrie Gledden
  Bokeh of a Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. British composer and producer Barrie Gledden.
© 2013 Thorsten Overgaard.

 

  Barrie Gledden
  Bokeh of a Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. British composer and producer Barrie Gledden.
© 2013 Thorsten Overgaard.

Bokeh = 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, which is why the quality discussed is if one likes the way it renders or not by a particular lens). The closer you get to something, the 'more' bokeh' you get (in that the focus becomes less for the background and foreground at close distances than at long distances). ORIGIN from Japanese 'bo-ke' which mean 'fuzzines' or 'blur.'.

 

Bokeh: The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image. Photo at Bar del Fico in Rome. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.Bokeh: The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image. Photo at Bar del Fico in Rome. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

Camera - is today’s short name for Camera Obscura (meaning “a dark room”). Camera means Chambre and was used only as a Latin or alien word, actually only for Spanish soldiers’ rooms, until popularized in connection with photography in 1727: “Camera Obscura”. In 1793 the slang term “camera” was used by Sterne Tr. Shandy: “Will make drawings of you in the camera” and by Foster (1878), “The eye is a camera”. Camera Obscura was described by Iraqi scientist Ibn-al-Haytham in his book, “Book of Optics” (1021) and by Leonardo da Vinci in 1500; popularized and made widely known in 1589 by Baptista Porta when he mentioned the principle in his book “Natural Magic”. Johannes Kepler mentions Camera Obscura in 1604.
Camera = chambre (room), Obscura = dark (or cover).

 

     
 

Why is it called a "camera"..?

The word Camera is today's short name for Camera Obscura (which originally means “a dark room”).

Origin of the word Obscura means "dark" or "covered", and the word Camera means Chambre and was used originally only as a Latin or alien word, actually only for Spanish soldiers' rooms, until popularized in connection with photography in 1727: “Camera Obscura”.

In 1793 the slang term “camera” was used by Sterne Tr. Shandy: “Will make drawings of you in the camera” and by Foster (1878), “The eye is a camera”.

Ibn-al-Haytham mentioned Camera Obscura in his "Book of Optics" in 1021.
Ibn-al-Haytham mentioned Camera Obscura in his "Book of Optics" in 1021.

The concept of Camera Obscura was described by Iraqi scientist Ibn-al-Haytham in his book, “Book of Optics” (1021) and by Leonardo da Vinci in 1500; popularized and made widely known in 1589 by Baptista Porta when he mentioned the principle in his book “Natural Magic”. Johannes Kepler mentions Camera Obscura in 1604.

Camera = chambre (room), Obscura = dark (or cover).

 
     

Collapsible - Usually refers to a collapsible lens such as the Leica 50mm Elmarit-M f/2.8 Collapsible, or Leica 90mm Macro Elmar-M f4.0 Collapsible, etc. A collapsible lens is one that can collaps into a compact lens when not in use.

The Leica 50mm Elmar-M f/2.8 Collapsible on a Leica M10-P Safari. Here extruded for use; it can collapse into the camera so as to be more compact when not in use. © Thorsten Overgaard.
The Leica 50mm Elmar-M f/2.8 Collapsible on a Leica M10-P Safari. Here extruded for use; it can collapse into the camera so as to be more compact when not in use. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Contrast - The degree of difference between tones in a picture. Latin contra- ‘against’ + stare ‘stand.’

 
Normal to low contrast   High contrast
     

Depth - Distance between front and back. Distance from viewer and object.

 
  Lens distortion looks like this. The lines are not straight. Our eye uses distortion correction. Lens designers can design lenses so they have very little distortion, or they can make less complicated lens designs and "fix" the distortion in software.
   
 
  Lens distortion looks like this. The lines are not straight. Our eye uses distortion correction. Lens designers can design lenses so they have very little distortion, or they can make less complicated lens designs and "fix" the distortion in software.
   

Distortion = In photo optics/lenses: When straight lines in a scene don't remain straight because of optical aberration.

Lens designers can correct for distortion to a degree so the whole image field is perfect corrected and all lines remain straight. In modern lens design many designs rely on Software Distortion Correction (SDC).

The eye adjusts for distortion so we always see vertical and horizontal lines straight when we look at things. Even when you get new prescription glasses (if you use such), you will often experience distortion in your new glasses. After a few days they eyes have adjusted for the glasses and the distortion you saw to begin with is now gone. Software Distortion Correction (SDC) is far behind what the human eye can perform of adjustments. (Also see my definition on Perspective for more on the eye and optics)

 

Narrow Dept Of Field in use: The face is in focus, the hand in front is slightly out of focus, the background is much out of focus and blurry. Leica 50mm Noctilux f/1.0 at f/1.0 and 2.5 meters distance to subject in focus. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Narrow Dept Of Field in use: The face is in focus, the hand in front is slightly out of focus, the background is much out of focus and blurry. Leica 50mm Noctilux f/1.0 at f/1.0 and 2.5 meters distance to subject in focus. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 
50mm f/1.4 lens at f/1.4.   50mm f/1.4 lens at f/5.6
     
  The lines on this 28mm lens indicates the DOF. Here the focus is on infinity, and if the lens is stopped down to f/1.6, objects from 1.8 meter to ininity will be 'acceptable sharp'.
  The lines on this 28mm lens indicates the DOF. Here the focus is on infinity, and if the lens is stopped down to f/1.6, objects from 1.8 meter to ininity will be 'acceptable sharp'.
   

DOF = Depth of Field (or Depth of Focus), an expression for how deep the focus is, or (more often use to express) how narrow the area of focus is. This is how much of the image, measured in depth or ditance, will be in focus or "acceptable sharp".

The appearance of the DOF is determined by:
1) aperture (the smaller the aperture hole is, the deeper is the depth of field, and opposite, the wider open a lens you se, the more narrow will the DOF be) and
2) distance to the subject (the farther away, the larger area is sharp; the closer the subject in focus is, the more narrow the DOF gets)..
The DOF scale measurement on top of the Leica lenses shows lines for each f-stop that indicates from which distance to which distance the image will be sharp. Shallow DOF is a generally used term in photography that refer to lenses with very narrow focus tolerance, like f/1.4 and f/0.95 lenses, which can be used to do selective focus; making irrelevant subjects in the foreground and background blurry so only the subjects of essence are in focus and catches the viewers eye).
in modern cameras like the Leica SL2, the camera has a DOF scale inside the viewfinder. As DOF is the same for all lens brands and designs, only depending on focal length, distance and aperture f-stop, the camera can calculate it and show a 'digital DOF scale" in the viewfinder.

Depth Of Field scale from Fujifilm, same lens with different aperture settings from f/2.0 to f/8.0.
Depth Of Field scale from Fujifilm, same lens with different aperture settings from f/2.0 to f/8.0.


Depth of Field: Focus is on the flowers and the photograph on the desk and the foreground and background is blurred as the depth of field is narrow. If one stop down the aperture of the lens from f/1.4 to f/5.6, more will be in focus. If one stop down the lens to f/16 even more (if not all) will be in forcus. Another rule: The closer you go to a subject (the less focusing range), the more narrow the Depth of Field will be. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Depth of Field: Focus is on the flowers and the photograph on the desk and the foreground and background is blurred as the depth of field is narrow. If one stop down the aperture of the lens from f/1.4 to f/5.6, more will be in focus. If one stop down the lens to f/16 even more (if not all) will be in forcus. Another rule: The closer you go to a subject (the less focusing range), the more narrow the Depth of Field will be. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

Dynamic range. The grade of ‘contrast range’ (or number of tones) a film or sensor, or simply a photograph, possess between bright and dark tones. The human eye is said to have a dynamic range of 10-14 ‘stops’ (but because we scan area by area and compile a concept of the overall scene, they eye is often thought to have a much higher dynamic range), Film used to have 7-13 ‘stops’ and some modern sensors have up to 15-17 ‘stops’.E - Diameter in Leica filters and screw diameter, as in E46 which means that the filter diameter is 49mm for this lens. In general language, one would see Ø46 used, as Ø is the general symbol for diameter.

f/ (f-stop, also known as aperture).

f- (focal length). Often given in mm, for example 90mm. In the past they were often given in cm or inch, for example 9.5 cm or 3.2 inch.

f/1.25 is the size of the "hole through" the lens, the aperture. f/1.25 means focal length divided with 1.25. In the Leica 75mm NoctiluxM ASPH f/1.25, the "hole through" the lens at f/1.25 is 60mm in diameter. At f/1.4 the "the hole through" is 53.5mm in diameter. At f/4 the "hole through" is 18.75mm in diameter.
Each step smaller from f/1.4 to f/2.0 to f/2.8 to f/4.0 and son on is a reduction ofthe light to half for each step. The Noctilux f/1.25 therefore lets 50% more light in through the lens than a 75/1.4 Summilux.


f-stop = the ratio of the focal length (for example 50mm) of a camera lens to the diameter of the aperture being used for a particular shot. (E.g., f/8, indicating that the focal length is eight times the diameter of the aperture hole: 50mm/8 = 6,25 mm); or the other way around, the hole is the focal length divided with 8).
ORIGIN early 20th cent.: from f (denoting the focal length) and number.
One f-stop is a doubling or halving of the light going through the lens to the film, by adjusting the aperture riing. Adjusting the f-setting from f 1.4 to f.2.0 is halving the light that goes through the lens. Most Leica lenses has half f-stops to enable the photographer to adjust the light more precicely.

Flare = Burst of light. Internal reflections between (and within) lens elements inside a lens. Mostly, flare has a characteristic "space travel" look to it, making it cool. Particularly in older lenses with less or no coating of the glass surfaces to suppress this, it can be a really cool effect. In newer lens designs, the coatings and overall design try to suppress flare and any reflections to a degree, so that there is seldom any flare to be picked up (moving the lens to pick up a strong sunbeam), but instead a "milking out" (or "ghosting") of a circular area of the frame; meaning simply overexposed without any flare-looking flares.

 

Sunlight creating (fairly supressed) flare in the bottom right quadrant of the image of a modern lens.

  The camera moved slightly to avoid the flare.

Older lenses with less coating, or without coating, are known to create flare that can look like this (Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 II Rigid model from the 1960's). © Thorsten Overgaard.
Older lenses with less coating, or without coating, are known to create flare that can look like this (Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 II Rigid model from the 1960's). © Thorsten Overgaard.

Lens Flare in Star Trek (2013). JJ Abrams famously said, "I know there's too much lens flare ... I just love it so much. But I think admitting you're an addict is the first step towards recovery (ha ha)" 
Lens Flare in Star Trek (2013). JJ Abrams famously said, "I know there's too much lens flare ... I just love it so much. But I think admitting you're an addict is the first step towards recovery (ha ha)" 

 
  A 28 mm lens has a 74° viewing angle
   

Focal length = Originally focal length referred to the distance from the sensor (or film in older days) to the center of focus inside the lens (28mm, 50mm, 400mm, etc). Today one call it effective focal length (EFL) as a 400mm lens is not nessesarily 400mm long due to optical constructions that can make it shorter. The 35-420mm zoom on the Leica V-Lux 1 is for example only ca. 135 mm long. Nobody uses that measurement, except those who construct lenses! For users of lenses, focal length refers to how wide the lens sees. The viewing angle, which is often given in for example 90° viewing angle for a 21mm lens, 74° viewing angle for a 28mm lens, 6° viewing angle for a 400mm lens, etc.
Each human eye individually has anywhere from a 120° to 200° angle of view, but focus only in the center.

Focus, in - Sharp and clear in appearance. Focus - “The burning point (of a lens or mirror)”. In Latin the word focus meant fireplace or hearth. The word was probably first employed outside of its Latin literal use as “the burning point of a lens or mirror” in optics, and then came to mean any central point. The German astronomer Johannes Kepler first recorded the word in this sense in 1604.

Frame lines = the lines inside a viwfinder that indicates the edger of the frame. In a Leica M, the viewfinder always is as wide view as 24-28mm. A mechanical contach on the lens (triggers the camreas frame selector) so the viewfinder shows the frame line of that lens. In the Leica M, the frame lines comes in sets, so there are alwaus twop sets of frame lines shown at any time (see illustration below).
(This is different than in most cameras where you only see what the lens captures: SLR cameras was the evolution in 1940's where the image from the lens was displayed directly onto a matte screen inside the camera via a mirror. Later mirrorless cameras, the viewfinder shows the exact picture that the sensor sees through the lens).

Frame lines of the Leica M, here showing the set of 35mm and 90mm framelines.
Frame lines of the Leica M, here showing the set of 35mm and 90mm framelines.

Ghosting = Secondary light or image from internal reflections between (and within) lens elements inside a lens. The reflected light may not always be in focus, so overall it looks like a "milked out" image. A subject in focus has brightened patches in front of it that come from reflections inside the lens. the most elementary look of ghosting is when you look in a rear-view mirror in a car at night and you see doubles of the headlights behind you (a strong one and a weaker one), because the headlights are reflected in a layer of clear glass on top of the mirror glass.

   
Degrees of ghosting from strong sunlight entering from outside the frame. To the right the outside light has been shielded with a shade.

 

Leica = A compound word derived from " (Lei)tz" and "(ca)mera". Apparently they were originally going to use "LECA", but another camera company already used a similar name in France, so they inserted the 'i' to prevent any confusion.

The word lens derives from lentil, because of the similar shape.
The word lens derives from lentil, because of the similar shape.

Lens - A piece of glass or similarly transparent material (like water or plastic). It has a shape so that it can direct light rays. The word “Lens” is used both for single piece of glass as well as a camera lens with several lenses that works together. The word lens if often used to refer to the entire camea lens, which is usually compose of seberal lens elements. From ‘lentil’ because similar in shape.

A camera lens consists of several shaped lens elements of glass. The lenses can also be made of simple cheap plastic as in "kit lenses" (sold with a camera as a kit to make a workable cheap package), but it is mostly very exotic glass (that can be heavy or light in weight, very hard or very soft in surface (esay to scratch or very resistant) with each optical glass recipe made to develop very specific qualities in how the glass and final lens treats light. As a general rule, high quality glass is soft, which is why some lenses has as their front and back element, a non-optical lens element that is there to protect the actual optical glass from scratches. As a side noite, Leica made their own glass laboraty, The Leitz Glass Laboratory, from 1949-1989, which deveopled 35 new glass types and took out more than 2,000 patents of glass recipes from more than 50,000 experimental melts of glass. These designs, or recipes, are still used today by the lens designers to obtain very specific optical results. Other lens manufacturers in the world of course have had their glass laboratories, and today one will find an interchange of glass patents amongst production facilities that service Leica, Nikon,, Fuji and so on with optical lens elements.
A camera lens consists of several shaped lens elements of glass. The lenses can also be made of simple cheap plastic as in "kit lenses" (sold with a camera as a kit to make a workable cheap package), but it is mostly very exotic glass (that can be heavy or light in weight, very hard or very soft in surface (esay to scratch or very resistant) with each optical glass recipe made to develop very specific qualities in how the glass and final lens treats light. As a general rule, high quality glass is soft, which is why some lenses has as their front and back element, a non-optical lens element that is there to protect the actual optical glass from scratches. As a side noite, Leica made their own glass laboraty, The Leitz Glass Laboratory, from 1949-1989, which deveopled 35 new glass types and took out more than 2,000 patents of glass recipes from more than 50,000 experimental melts of glass. These designs, or recipes, are still used today by the lens designers to obtain very specific optical results. Other lens manufacturers in the world of course have had their glass laboratories, and today one will find an interchange of glass patents amongst production facilities that service Leica, Nikon,, Fuji and so on with optical lens elements.

Lens hood = (also called a Lens shade or Ventilated Shade). A tube or ring attached to the front of a camera lens to prevent unwanted light from reaching the lens and sensor. In the past where lenses were not coated to prevent internal reflections inside the lens, the lens hood was often essential. These days where lenses are coated, the shade serves just as much as decoration and protection (bumper) as well.
ORIGIN Old English hod; related to Dutch hoed, German Hut 'hat,' also to hat.

Lens hood or Lens shade or ventilated shade. In the picture is a ventilated shade with clip-on mount to a 50mm f/2.0 lens. Ventilated means it has openings that allow for view from the viewfinder.
Lens hood or Lens shade or ventilated shade. In the picture is a ventilated shade with clip-on mount to a 50mm f/2.0 lens. Ventilated means it has openings that allow for view from the viewfinder.

 

Lens names of Leica distinguish which widest aperture the lens has:

Noctilux f/0.95 - f/1.25
Nocticron f/ 1.2 (Leica-designed Panasonic lens)
Summilux f/ 1.4 - f/1.7
Summicron f/2.0
Summarit f/2.4 - 2.5
Hektor f/1.9 - f/6.3 (used 1930-1960 for screw mount lenses only)
Elmarit f/2.8
Elmar f/2.8 - f/4.5
Elmax f/3.5 (only used 1921-1925 for the 50mm Elmax f/3.5)
Telyt f/2.8 - f/6.8 (used for tele lenses)

Light = Tiny particles called photons that behaves like both waves and particles. Light makes objects visible by reflecting off of them, and in photography that reflecting off of subjects is what creates textures, shapes, colors and luminance. Light in its natural form (emanating from the sun) also gives life to plants and living things, and makes (most) people happier. So far, nobody has been able to determine exactly what light is. The word photography means “writing with light” (photo = light, -graphy = writing). Read more about light in my book Finding the Magic of Light.

LMT - Leica Thread-Mount: Also known as M39, is the screw mounted lenses for Leica cameras. It’s a simple as that; you screw on the lens, and back in 1932, the possibility to change the lens was the big news hwen introduced by Leica on the Leica III. The M39 system was updated with the M Bayonet from 1954 for the Leica M3. The M bayonet is a quick way to change lenses and is the current mount for Leica M digital rangefinders.

M (as in "M3", "M6", "M7" etc.)
A) The M originally stands for "Messsucher", which is German "Meßsucher" for "Rangefinder". The "3" in M3 was chosen because of the three bright line finders for the 50, 90 and 135 mm lenses. Later the numbers of the M cameras were more or less chosen to follow each other.
M-body evolution in chronologic order:
M3 - MP - M2 - M1 - MD - MDA - M4 - M5 - CL - MD-2 - M4-2 - M4-P - M6 - M6 TTL - M7 - MP - M8 - M8.2 - M9 - M9-P - MM (black and white sensor) - ME (Type 220) - Leica M (Type 240) - Leica M-P 240 - Leica M 246 Monochrom - Leica M-A (type 127, film camera) - Leica M 262 - Leica M-D 262 (without a screen) - Leica M10 - Leica M10-P.
B) M also refer to M-mount as the M bayonet that couple the Leica M lenses to the Leica M camera. Before the M bayonet the coupling between the camera and lens was screwmount.
C) M nowadays refer to the Leica M line of cameras rather than the "Messsucher".

The Leica M bayonet on the Leica M10.
The Leica M bayonet on the Leica M10.

M-mount: The Leica M-mount is a bayonet that was introduced with the Leica M3 camera in 1954 and has been used on all subsequent Leica M cameras, as well as on the Epson R-D1, Konica Hexar RF, Minolta CLE, Ricoh GXR, Rollei 35RF, Voigtländer Bessa, and Zeiss Ikon cameras (2019).
Compared to the previous screw mount (M39), the M mount requires a quick turn of the lens, and ithe lens is mounted. The patent for the M-bayonet ("Bajonettvorrichtung für die lösbare Verbindung zweier Kamerateile") was registered by Ernst Leitz GmbH 10 February 1950 (patent number DE853384). Hugo Wehrenfennig was credited with the invention.

M9
Leica M9 is a model name for the Leica M9 that was introduced on September 9, 2009 (as the first full-frame digital Leica M). It was the latest model designation using the M and a number. From their next model, Leica Camera AG introduced a new model system so each camera would simply be a Leica M but then with a model designation like Typ 240, Typ 246, Typ M-D 262 and so on. The idea was inspired from Apple who name their computers for example MacBook Pro and then it has a sub- model number designation which model it is (and which would define speed of processor, etc).



Leica M9 digital rangefinder (2009). © Thorsten Overgaard.

Mandler, Dr. Walter (1922 - 2005)
Legendary Leica lens designer and CEO of Ernst Leitz Canada (ELCAN) 1952-1985. Read more in Leica History.

Dr. Walter Mandler (center) at the Ernst Leitz Camera factory.
Dr. Walter Mandler (center) at the Ernst Leitz Camera factory.

Megapixel (or MP) - Millions of pixels. See pixel further down. How many units of RGB is recorded by a given sensor by taking height x widt. A Leica M10 delivers a 5952 x 3968 pixel file = 23,617,536 piexls. On a screen the resolution you choose determines the size of the image. Say you have a 5000 pixel wide file and your screen is set for 8000 pixels wide. Then the image will fill only the 5000 pixels fo the 8000 and the rest will be empty, If you then change the screen resolution to 5000 wide, the image would be able to fill out the whole screen.

Meßsucher = (rangefinder or distance finder) = Mess = range, sucher = finder. It is always correctly written with the "ß". There are technically not three "s", rather the "ß" and one "s" because it is a word constructed by the combining of two precise words.

Focal length is determined by the distance from focus inside the lens to sensor surface to, and is given in milliemeters (mm). © Thorsten Overgaard.
Focal length is determined by the distance from focus inside the lens to sensor surface to, and is given in milliemeters (mm). © Thorsten Overgaard.

mm = millimeter(s), as in a 50mm lens. (Earlier in lens history lenses focal length was given in cm = centimeters; as in a 5 cm lens). For anyone used to centimeters and millimeters, it’s no wonder. But if you grew up with inches, feet and yards, you may have had a hard time grasping what a 50mm lens was. But as lenses were designed first in Europe, the metric system with centimeters and millimeters was used to describe lenses.
(Leica and others made lenses for a while with either meter scale or feet scale; but then eventually started including meter and feet on all the lenses (two scales, usually distinguished with different colors). However, the lens' focal length remained always 50mm, 75mm and so on).
The reason a 50mm lens is a 50mm lens is that there is 50mm from the focus plane (the film or sensor surface) to the center of focus inside the lens. When photography was a young subject, it was engineers who made it all, and the users were expected to understand. The engineers were so into the making of the lenses, that it apparently never dawned upon them that today’s users would think of a 21mm lens as a wide angle lens rather than a lens where there is 21mm from the sensor to the center of focus inside the optics.

ND
Neutral Density filters are grey filters function as 'sunglasses' for lenses. They simply block the light so that a lens can work at for example f/0.95 or f/2.0 in sunshine.
If a camera is set to 200 ISO and the maximum shutter speed is 1/4.000, this will usually result that the lens has to be at f/2.8 or smaller aperture in sunshine. Else the image will over-exposed. So in order til stay within the maximum shutter speed of 1/4.000 and still use a lightstrong lens wide open, one mount a ND-filter that reduce the light with 3 stops (8X) or 6 stops (64x).
For video ND-filters are used quite a lot (as the shutter speed for video is 1/60), and ND-filters are also used to reduce the light for really long multi-exposures at night (stop-motion video and stills).
ND-filters also exist as variable ND-filters so one can adjust the amount of light going through from for example 1 stop (2X) to 6 stops (64X).
ND-filters also exist as graduated ND-filters where the top of the filter is dark and then gradually tone over in no filter (so as to reduce the skylight in a landscape for example).
The ND filters are called Neutral because it is a neutral filter. It doesn't change colors, only the amount of light.

ND-Filrers. Neutral Density. Photo © Thorsten Overgaard
ND-filters / gray-filters.

Noctilux = Also known as "King of the Night" because "Nocti" means Night and "Lux" means Light. The f/1.0 lenes from Leica are named "Noctilux". The first Leica Noctilux lens was the 50mm Noctilux f/1.2 which shortly after it's introduction was improved to the 50mm Noctilux f/1.0. In the current model the f-stop has been improved further to f/0.95.
"Noctilux" refers to the maximum lens aperture - here f1.0 . "Nocti" for nocturnal (occurring or happening at night; ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from late Latin nocturnalis, from Latin nocturnus ‘of the night,’ from nox, noct- ‘night.), "lux" for light. The Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.0 is famous for enabling the photographer to take photos even there is only candleligts to lit the scene. See the article "Noctilux - King of the Night"

The Noctilux "King of the Night" lens. From left the 0.95 in silver (same on the camera, in black, the f/1.0 in the back and the rare and expensive first model, the f/1.2 in the front.
The Noctilux "King of the Night" lens. From left the f/0.95 in silver (same on the camera, in black), the f/1.0 in the back and the rare and expensive first model, the f/1.2 in the front.

No.
Number, on this site Leica catalog numbers or order numbers. Some the numbers changed depending on the number of cams in the lens: The Elmarit-R f2.8/135mm started life as No. 11 111, however when fitted with 2 cams for the SL became No. 11 211, yet another No. for the 3 cams lens and a fourth number for 3 cam only at the end of its life. Number changes also applied to M lenses depending on whether they were screw-thread, bayonet or for M3 with “spectacles”. Thus the No. in the Thorsten Overgaard Leica Lens Compendium list is a guideline but not a comlete list of existing catalog numbers.

Optic = Eye or vision. From French optique or medieval Latin opticus, from Greek optikos, from optos ‘seen.’

Perspective = The way objects appear to the eye; their relative position and distance. Also, selective focus (foreground and background out of focus) can change the perception of perspective (also see Three-dimensional). A wide angle "widens" the perspective and makes objects further away appear smaller than they are to the eye; and objects closer, relatively larger than they are to the eye. A tele lens will "flatten" the perspective and often objects further away will appear relatively larger than close objects than they are in real life. A 50mm lens is the one closest to the perspective and enlargement ratio of the human eye.

The word Perspective comes from the latin word for optics (perspicereper- ‘through’ + specere ‘to look’), and so-called Renaissance painting is simply painting done within the framework of optics and the linear perspective it presents.

 

Perspective is relative position and distance. The objects nearby are larger than objects far away. This is how the eye and the mind calculate distance. The eye and the camera automatically captures perspective. In darwing and painting one would see "stupid" two-dimensional drawings 500 years B.C where elements were thrown into the mix without considering that a an object far away must be smaller than if close to the viewer. Pier 7 in San Francisco by Thorsten Overgaard. Leica M11 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95.
Perspective is relative position and distance. The objects nearby are larger than objects far away. This is how the eye and the mind calculate distance. The eye and the camera automatically captures perspective. In darwing and painting one would see "stupid" two-dimensional drawings 500 years B.C where elements were thrown into the mix without considering that a an object far away must be smaller than if close to the viewer. The word "perspective" comes from "to look through (optics)". Pier 7 in San Francisco by Thorsten Overgaard. Leica M11 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95.

 
  Vanishing points are the points where lines meet. This is how you make perspective in paintings and drawings (and some times make movie sets or theatre stages appear more three-dimensional than they are)
   

Painters works with vanishing points, which is where the lines meet, so as to create an illusion of perspective and three-dimensional effect on a two-dimensional painting or drawing.

The human eye corrects for perspective to an extreme degree. We always see vertical lines vertical and horisontal lines horisontal: The eye has a angle of view equivalent to an 8mm wide angle lens, a size ratio equivalent to a 50mm lens and we focus on relatively small area of the viewing field - one at the time. Three things happens that are worth paying attention to:

1) We compile areas of our view that we focus on, to one conceptual image that "we see". Ansel Adams, the great American landscape photographer pointed out that a large camera used for landscape photography capture every detail in focus and sharp so you can view it in detail after; but the eye does not see everything in focus when you try to compose the landscape photography, the eye scans only one part at a time and stitch the idea together. This makes composing or prevision of a landscape photography challenging.

2) We compile areas of our view that we individually adjust the exposure of. A camera adjust the exposure of the whole image frame to one exposure. That's why what looks like a nice picture to the eye of houses in sunshine with a blue sky above, becomes a photograph of darker buildings with a bright white sky: The camera simply can't take one picture that compare to what we "compiled" with our eyes, adjusting for each type of light.

3) Objects (on a table, for example) in the bottom of our viewing field will appear 100% perspective corrected - to a degree that it is impossible to correct in optics, with or without software correction. A wide angle lens, even with little distortion, will exaggerate the proportions of the closet part so it - to the eye - looks wrong.

 

Perspective distortion: Comparing these two photographs you can see how the cup stretches in the 28mm wide angle photograph compared to the 50mm photograph. Both actually has a little stretch because both the cup is in the edge of the frame in both photographs. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Perspective distortion: Comparing these two photographs you can see how the cup stretches in the 28mm wide angle photograph compared to the 50mm photograph. Both actually has a little stretch because both the cup is in the edge of the frame in both photographs. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Rigid - Refers usually to the Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 "Rigid" of 1956.
It is called "Rigid" because, unlike the 50mm Collapsible, this one is not able to be changed.
Rigid means stiff, uable to be forced out of shape. Not able to be changed. From Latin rigere, "be stiff".
The name is a little confusion nowadays as all or most lenses are rigid today, but back in 1925-1956, many lenses were collapsible so the camera was compact when not in use. Just like compact cameras today often has a lens that extrudes when the camera is turned on, and collaps into the camera body when the camera is turned off.

RF
(R)ange (F)inder - the mechano-optical mechanism which allows M Leicas to focus.
Alternative meaning - RF is also shorthand for Hexar RF , Konica's motorised "M-lens-compatible" rangefinder camera released in 2000.

Saturation: How colorful, intense or pure the color is. Less saturation would be less colorful, more saturation would be more colorful. In today’s photography, de-saturating a photo on the computer will gradually make it less and less colorful; and full de-saturation would make it into a black and white photo.

A photo from Verona, Italy de-saturated, normal saturated and over-saturated. © Thorsten Overgaard.
A photo from Verona, Italy de-saturated, normal saturated and over-saturated. © Thorsten Overgaard.

Sharpness - See “Focus”

Summarex
The great thing about being a lens designer is that you get to name the lens. Dr. Max Berek who worked for Leitz from 1912 till his death in 1949 named lenses after his two favorite dogs. One was Sumamrex named after his dog Rex, the other Hektor named after his dog Hektor.

Summarit
Refers to the maximum lens aperture - here f/1.5.

Summicron = Refers to the maximum lens aperture - here f/2.0 . There are many guesses how this name came about, a popular one being that the "summi" came from "summit" (summit means the highest point of a hill or mountain; the highest attainable level of achievement) while the "cron" came from "chroma" (ie. for colour). Not so: The name (Summi)cron was used because the lens used Crown glass for the first time, which Leitz bought from Chance Brothers in England. The first batch of lenses were named Summikron (Crown = Krone in Deutsch). The Summi(cron) is a development from the orignal Summar (the 50mm f2.0 lens anno 1933). Vario-Summicron, Vario-Elmarit is Leica Camera AG's name for zoom lenses, for example the Vario-Summicron f/2.0 as the one that is on the Leica Digilux 2.

Summilux = Refers to the maximum lens aperture - here f/1.4 , "-lux" added for "light" (ie. the enhanced light gathering abilities). In Leica terminology a Summilux is always a f/1.4 lens and a Summicron is a f/2.0 lens.

Three-dimensional = Having the three dimensions of height, width and depth. In photography and lens design, three-dimensional effect is also the perception of even small micro-details; the texture of skin can appear flat and dead or three-dimensional and alive. Also, selective focus (foreground and background out of focus) can change the perception of depth. Also see Perspective.

Three-dimensional = Having the three dimensions of height, width and depth. Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Three-dimensional = Having the three dimensions of height, width and depth. Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Ventilated shade on a 35mm of Elliott Erwitt's Leica MP camera.
Ventilated shade on a 35mm of Elliott Erwitt's Leica MP camera.

 

Ventilated Shade - A shade is a hood in front of a lens that provides shade from light going straight onto the lens from outside what you are photographing, which could cause internal reflections like flare, which would make the picture less contrasty.
The ventilated shade has holes so it doesn't obstructs the view from the viewfinder. In many of today’s mirrorless cameras where there is no viewfinder looking ver the lens, so there is no actual need for a ventilated shade; but they are considered classic or vintage looking and are still in high demand. It makes no difference for the purpose of the shade (to create shadow) if it is ventilated or not.

 


Ventilated Shade for the Leica Q. I make ventilated shades for most lenses and sell them from here.

Viewfinder a device on a camera showing the field of view of the lens. Also known as the German word "Messucher" (or Meßsucher).
1) A built-in viewfinder in a camera that simply show the frame you get when you look through the viewfinder.
2) A rangefinder viewfinder which is also used to focus the lens. In Leica M cameras two pictures has to meet and lay 'on top of each other' for the picture to be in focus.
3) An external viewfinder, usually on top of the camera in the flash shoe, so as to show the field of view of lenses vider than what the built-in viewfinder can show (15mm, 21mm, 24mm, 28mm etc viewfinders exist)
4) Very simple "aiming-devices" on top of a camera that is simply a metal frame without any optics. Just a frame, as for example very old cameras (the original Leica), or when using cameras in diving where you can't look through the camera.
5) A Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) that shows what the sensor sees "live".

Zone System -A system of 11 greytones. Ansel Adams worked out the Zone System in the 1940's with Fred Archer. It may look as simply a grey scale (and it is) but it's the use that has troubled many. If you use a normal external light meter, it will give you the exact amount of light and you can expose your photograph based on that and it will be correct. The Zone System by Ansel Adams

What Ansel Adams basically did was that he studied (by measuring with a spot meter), what the exact grey tones were of the sky, the clouds, the sand, the water, the skin and so on at different times of the day.
You could say that he built up a conceptual understanding of how different materials of different colors and reflective surface would look in black and white at different times of day (or different light conditions). He also realized that a tone changes for the human eye depending on it's size and in which context of other tones it is seen. 

In short, you could say that the Zone System is know how something would look in black and white when looking at a scenery. Some who have struggled with the Zone System have done so because they think it is a rule. It is not.

How Ansel Adams made New Mexico look:   How most people see New Mexico:
 
The artistic use of the Zone System.

Ansel Adams developed the Zone System to understand light for himself, but also as a fundament for teaching the light, exposure and making the final photograph. How will it look if you do the usual, and what will it look like if you manipulate it. But most interstingly; how do you work with light, cameras and photographic materials to achieve the look you envision. 

The Zone System is meant as a basis on which to create your own aesthetic style and communication.  Photography is painting with light. The greyscale is our palette. Ideally we should have a conceptual understanding of the tones and be able to use them intuitive. That was his vision for us all.

Thorsten Overgaard in New York, explaining the Zone System in his "Street Photography Masterclass"
Thorsten Overgaard in New York, explaining the Zone System in his "Street Photography Masterclass".

Ø - Diameter. As in Ø49 for example which means that the filter diameter is 49mm for this lens (or if a filter is Ø49, it is 49mm in diameter and fits that Ø49 lens). Leica uses E to express their filters sizes, as in E49 for a 49mm filter size.

   
   


 
 

 

 

   

Thank you
For help, corrections and information to
Erwin Puts
Andre de Winter
Leica Store Miami & David Farkas
Peter Karbe
Justin Scott



   
   

– Thorsten Overgaard
#1256-0117

 

   
   

 

Thorsten von Overgaard   I like simple things

I make things for myself the way I think they should be, and I use them for my travel to more than twentyfive countries a year. Once I am happy with the way stuff works, I make it available for you to buy.

SHOP THE COLLECTION:

 
Ventilated Shades for most Leica lenses. Classic look to the lenses, sturdy protection against bumps and scratches ... and yes, they shade for the light as well.  
Ventilated Shades for most Leica lenses
Classic look to the lenses, sturdy protection against bumps and scratches ... and yes, they shade for the light as well.
  Camera Straps for Leica M and Leica Q
"Simply a leather strap" – My handmade soft calfskin camera strap is the ultimate sophisication in simpliciy and luxury.
 
 
Camera Pouches for Leica M and Leica Q
The soft calfskin pouch you don't need ... but you just can't resist! For camera with lens, or to keep track of loose parts.
  "The Von" Camera Bag Carry-On Travel
Made to travel in style. Handmade by the best artisans in Milano, Venice and Verona to bring the owner a liftetime of happiness.
 
 
24h Travel Bag with lots of Carry-On space
I decided to make a bag with all the space I could ever need to bring onto an airplane.
  The Von Mini Messenger
The Ideal Walkabout Photographers Bag . Tested for three years all over the world by me.
 
 
Camera Backpack
I've made a series of backpacks becuase they are practical for many things.
  Document Carry-On for iPad or Computer
Put a mess of everything in this and you look stylish and organized.
 
 
Desk Blotters and Larger-Than-Life Mousepad
Nothing beats the feelling of soft calfskin leather on your desk ... but this one takes away reflections, damps the keyboards and makes you happy!
  Computer shade for MacBook Pro 15"
Better tonality, accurate colors and concentration for the eyes with my travel shade that snaps onto the MacBook with magnets and folds for travel.
 
 
Workshops & Masterclasses
With Thorsten von Overgaard for Leica enthusiasts and digital photographers in more than 25 countries a year. Pick your favorite city and meet Thorsten Overgaard.
  Photography Extension Courses
Start an extension course with Thorsten Overgaard, work at your own pace and take the time you want. At your own pace, and home
 
 
One-on-one Training anywhere in the world
Train with Thorsten Overgaard personally, tailored for you and private, any place in the world, or online.
  Video Classes: Learn from Thorsten Overgaard
Watch to learn about your camera, how to use light, how to do street photography, or simply to stay inspired.
 
 
eBooks on Photography
The foremost Leica expert and multi award-winning photographer Thorsten Overgard write books that teach and inspire.
 

Signed Prints by Thosten von Overgaard
Select photgoraphs from the archive of Thorsten von Overgaard, signed, sealed and delivered for your collection.

 
 
Adobe Lightroom Presets for Leica
As a Leica and Lightroom user you will love the simplicity and original look of the Presets Thorsten made for his Leica files.
  Used Leica Cameras
Ken Hansen New York Inc updated stock list of second-hand Leica lenses.
     
     

 

 

 

 

   
leica.overgaard.dk
Thorsten Overgaard's Leica Article Index
Leica M cameras:   Small Leica cameras:
Leica M10   Leica Q full-frame mirrorless
Leica M10-P   Leica CL
Leica M Type 240 and M-P Typ240   Leica TL2
Leica M-D Typ 262 and Leica M60   Leica Digilux 2 vintage digital rangefinder
Leica M Monochrom Typ246 digital rangefinder   Leica Digilux 1
Leica M Monochrom MM digital rangefinder   Leica Sofort instant camera
Leica M9 and Leica M-E digital rangefinder   Leica Minilux 35mm film camera
Leica M9-Professional digital rangefinder   Leica CM 35mm film camera
Leica M4 35mm film rangefinder    
     
Leica M lenses:   Leica SLR cameras:
Leica 21mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4   Leica SL 2015 Type 601 mirrorless fullframe
Leica 21mm Leica Super-Elmar-M ASPH f/3.4   Leica R8/R9/DMR film & digital 35mm dSLR cameras
Leica 21mm Super-Angulon-M f/3.4   Leica R10 [cancelled]
Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4   Leica R4 35mm film SLR
Leica 35mm Summilux-M ASPH FLE f/1.4 and f/1.4 AA   Leica R3 electronic 35mm film SLR
Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0   Leicaflex SL/SL mot 35mm film SLR
Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95    
Leica 50mm Noctilux-M f/1.0 and f/1.2   Leica SL and TL lenses:
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f//1.4    
Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0    
Leitz 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 "rigid" Series II   Leica R lenses:
Leica 75mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/1.25   Leica 19mm Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leica 75mm Summilux-M f/1.4   Leica 35mm Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leica 75mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0   Leica 50mm Summicron-R f/2.0
Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0   Leica 60mm Macro-Elmarit f/2.8
Leica 90mm Summarit-M f/2.5   Leica 80mm Summilux-F f/1.4
Leica 90mm Elmarit f/2.8   Leica 90mm Summicron-R f/2.0
Leitz 90mm Thambar f/2.2   Leica 180mm R lenses
    Leica 400mm Telyt-R f/6.8
Leica Cine Lenses:   Leica 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leica Cine lenses from CW Sonderoptic   Leica 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R f/4.0
     
     
History and overview:   Leica S:
Leica History   Leica S1 digital scan camera
Leica Definitions   Leica S2 digital medium format
Leica Lens Compendium   Leica S digital medium format
Leica Camera Compendium    
The Solms factory and Leica Wetzlar Campus   "Magic of Light" Television Channel
    Thorsten von Overgaard YouTube Channel
     
Photography Knowledge   Thorsten Overgaard books and education:
Calibrating computer screen for photographers   Thorsten Overgaard Masterclasses & Workshops
Which Computer for Photographers?   Lightroom Survival Kit (Classic)
What is Copyright? Advice for Photogarphers   Lightroom Presets
Synchronizing Large Photo Archive with iPhone   Capture One Survival Kit
Quality of Light   "Finding the Magic of Light" eBook (English)
Lightmeters   "Die Magie des Lichts Finden" eBook (German)
Color meters for accurate colors (White Balance)   "The Moment of Impact in Photography" eBook
White Balance & WhiBal   "Freedom of Photographic Expression" eBook
Film in Digital Age   "Composition in Photography" eBook
Dodge and Burn   "A Little Book on Photography" eBook
All You Need is Love   "After the Tsunami" Free eBook
How to shoot Rock'n'Roll   The Overgaard New Inspiration Extension Course I
X-Rite   The Overgaard Photography Extension Course
The Origin of Photography    
Hasselblad/Imacon Flextight 35mm and 6x6 scanner   Leica M9 Masterclass (video course)
Leica OSX folder icons   Leica M10 Masterclass (video course)
    Leica M240 Masterclass (video course)
    Leica Q Masterclass (video course)
Bespoke Camera Bags by Thorsten Overgaard:   Leica TL2 Quick Start (video course)
"The Von" travel camera bag   Street Photography Masterclass (video course)
"Messenger" walkabout bag    
"24hr Bag" travel bag   Thorsten von Overgaard oin Amazon:
"The Von Backup" camera backpack   "Finding the Magic of Light"
     
     
Leica Photographers:    
Jan Grarup   Riccis Valladares
Henri Cartier-Bresson   Christopher Tribble
Birgit Krippner   Martin Munkácsi
John Botte   Jose Galhoz
 
Douglas Herr   Milan Swolf
Vivian Maier    
Morten Albek    
Byron Prukston   Richard Avedon
     
The Story Behind That Picture:   Thorsten Overgaard on Instagram
More than 200 articles by Thorsten Overgaard   Join the Thorsten Overgaard Mailing List
Thorsten Overgaard Workshop Schedule   Thorsten Overgaard on Twitter
    Thorsten Overgaard on Facebook
Leica Forums and Blogs:    
Leica M10 / M240 / M246 User Forum on Facebook   Heinz Richter's Leica Barnack Berek Blog
Jono Slack   Leica Camera AG
Steve Huff Photos (reviews)   Leica Fotopark
Erwin Puts (reviews)   The Leica Pool on Flickr
LeicaRumors.com (blog)   Eric Kim (blog)
Luminous Landscape (reviews)   Adam Marelli (blog)
Sean Reid Review (reviews)   The Leica User Forum
Ken Rockwell (reviews)   Shoot Tokyo (blog)
John Thawley (blog)   I-Shot-It photo competition
     
 
 
The Von Overgaard Gallery Store:    
Hardware for Photography   Von Overgaard Ventilated lens shades:
Bespoke Camera Bags and Luxury Travel Bags   Ventilated Shade for Current 35mm Summilux FLE
Software for Photography   Ventilated Shade E46 for old Leica 35mm/1.4 lens
Signed Prints   Ventilated Shade for Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH
Mega Size Signed Prints   Ventilated Shade E43 for older 50mm Summilux
Mega Size Signed Limited Prints   Ventilated Shade for 35mm Summicron-M ASPH
Medium Size Signed Limited Prints   Ventilated Shade for older 35mm/f2 lenses
Small Size Signed Limited Prints   Ventilated Shade E39 for 50mm Summicron lenses
Commisioning Thorsten Overgaard Worldwide   Ventilated Shade for Leica 28mm Summilux
Thorsten Overgaard Archive Licencing   Ventilated Shade for current 28mm Elmarit-M
Video Masterclasses   Ventilated Shade for older 28mm Elmarti-M
Photography Books by Thorsten Overgaard   Ventilated Shade E49 for 75mm Summicron
Home School Photography Extension Courses   ventilated Shade E55 for 90mm Summicron
Overgaard Workshops & Masterclasses   Ventilated Shade for 28mm Summaron
Artists Nights   Ventilated Shade for 24mm Elmarit
Gallery Store Specials   Ventilated Shade E60 for 50mm Noctilux and 75/1.4
 

Above: Beck. Leica M10-P Safari with Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Black Chrome. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Leica reviews by Thorsten Overgaard. LEICA = LEItz CAmera. Founded 1849 in Wetzlar, Germany. Leica logo in photo by Thorsten Overgaard

LEItz CAmera = LEICA
Founded 1849 in Wetzlar, Germany.

 



Black Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. Leica no 11 891



Silver Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. Leica no 11 892.

 

The LHSA edition of the Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH (made in silver and black paint, 2005)
The LHSA edition of the Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH in 1959-design (2005). Leica no 11 628 (silver) and Leica no 11 627 (black).

 



Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 Limited Black Chrome Edition in 1959-design (2015 ). Leica no 11 688.

 

The Lenny Kravitz version that comes with the Kravitz Design set of camera and two lenses. Black paint and brassed (worn) like a pair of jeans (2015).
The Lenny Kravitz version that comes with the Kravitz Design set of camera and two lenses. Black paint and brassed (worn) like a pair of jeans (2015).

 

 

   
  Quick Links:
   
  The Soul of a lens
History of 50/1.4 lenses
Fast lenses and their names
50mm video review

The Summilux design history
Limited editions 50mm/1.4
Peter Karbe Interview

Leica Definitions
   

 

 

 

 

 

Thorsten von Overgaard in London by Damir-Grskovic.

Thorsten von Overgaard is a Danish-American multiple award-winning photographer, known for his writings about photography and Leica cameras. He travels to more than 25 countries a year, photographing and teaching workshops to photographers. Some photos are available as signed editions via galleries or online. For specific photography needs, contact Thorsten Overgaard via email.

You can follow Thorsten Overgaard at his television channel magicoflight.tv.

Feel free to email to thorsten@overgaard.dk for questions, advice and ideas.

Feel free to e-mail to thorsten@overgaard.dk for
advice, ideas or improvements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Also visit:

Overgaard Photography Workshops
Books by Thorsten Overgaard
Street Photography Masterclass Video
Adobe Photoshop Editing Masterclass
Adobe Lightroom Survival Kit
Lightroom Presets by Overgaard
Lightroom Brushes by Overgaard
Capture One Survival Kit

Capture One Styles by Overgaard
Signed Original Prints by Overgaard

Von Overgaard Gallery Store
Ventilated Shades by Overgaaard
Leather Camera Straps
Camea Bags
Leather Writing Pads
Sterling Silver Camera Necklace

Leica Definitions
Leica History
Leica Lens Compendium
Leica Camera Compendium
Leica 21mm Super-Elmar-M ASPH f/3.4
Leica 21mm Super-Angulon f/3.4
Leica 21mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4

Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
Leica 35mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0
Leica 35mm APO-Summicron-M f/2.0

Leica 40mm Summicron-C f/2.0
Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95
Leica 50mm Summicron-SL f/2.0
Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M f/2.0
Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0
ELCAN 50mm f/2.0
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
7artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica 75mm Summilux-M f/1.4
Leica 75mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/1.25
7artisans 75mm f/1.25
Leica 80mm Summilux-R f/1.4
Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M f/2.0
Leica 90mm Summilux-M f/1.5
Leica 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leitz Cine lenses
Leica L lenses

Leica M6

Leica M11-P
Leica M11
Leica M11 Monochrom
Leica M10
Leica M10-P

Leica M10-R
Leica M10-D
Leica M10 Monochrom
Leica M9, M9-P and Leica ME
Leica M9 Monochrom
Leica M 240
Leica M 240 for video
Leica M 262
Leica M-D 262

Leica M 246 Monochrom

Leica SL
Leica SL2
Leica SL2-S

Lecia SL3
Panasonic Lumix S1R
Leica R9 dSLR
Leica / Kodak/ Imacon digital back
Leica Q
Leica Q2
Leica Q2 Monochrom
Leica Q3
Leica CL
Leica TL2
Leica Sofort
Leica S medium format
Leica X
Leica D-Lux

Leica C-Lux

Leica V-Lux

Leica Digilux

Leica Digilux 1

Leica Digilux 2
Leica Digilux Zoom

Leica Digilux 4.3

Leica Digilux 3

Light metering
White Balance for More Beauty
Color Meters

Screen Calibration
Which computer to get
Sync'ing photo archive to iPhone
The Story Behind That Picture
"On The Road With von Overgaard"

Von Overgaard Masterclasses:
M11 / M10 / M9 / M240 / Q / Q2 / Q3 / SL2 / SL3 /TL2 /

 

 

 


 

 

 




 

Thorsten Overgaard photo workshops and masterclasses for Leica photographers and digital photographers

     
     

Join a Thorsten Overgaard
Photography Workshop

I am in constant orbit teaching
Leica and photography workshops.

Most people prefer to explore a
new place when doing my workshop.
30% of my students are women.
35% of my students dotwo or more workshops.
95% are Leica users.
Age range is from 15 to 87 years
with the majority in the 30-55 range.
Skill level ranges from two weeks
to a lifetime of experience.
97% use a digital camera.
100% of my workshop graduates photograph more after a workshop.

I would love to see you in one!
Click to see the calendar.

     
St. Louis   Chicago

Hong Kong

 

New York

Shanghai

 

Boston

Beijing

 

Washington DC

Tokyo

 

Toronto

Kyoto

  Montreal

Taipei

  Québec
Seoul  

Seattle

Jakarta

 

San Francisco

Bali

 

Los Angeles

Manila

 

Las Vegas

Singapore

 

Santa Barbara

Kuala Lumpur

 

Santa Fe

Bangkok

 

Austin

Sydney

 

Clearwater

Perth

 

Miami

Melbourne

 

Cuba

Auckland

 

São Paulo

Napier

 

Rio de Janeiro

Moscow

 

Cape Town

Saint Petersburg

 

Tel Aviv

Oslo

 

Jaffa

Malmö

 

Istanbul

Stockholm

 

Palermo

Aarhus

 

Rome

Copenhagen

  Venice

Amsterdam

  Wetzlar

Frankfurt

  Mallorca

Berlin

  Madrid

Münich

 

Barcelona

Salzburg

 

Amsterdam

Vienna

 

Paris

Cannes  

London

Reykjavik   Portugal
Roadtrip USA   Milano
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     







 

Thorsten Overgaard photo workshops and masterclasses for Leica photographers and digital photographers



 


 

 


 

 

     
Buy eBooks by
Thorsten Overgaard
     
"A Little Book on Photography"   "A Little Book on Photography"
Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     
"The Leica Q Know-All eBook"  
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Finding the Magic of Light"   "Composition in Photography - The Photographer as Storyteller"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"The Freedom of Photographic Expression"   "The Moment of Emptional Impact"
Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     

The Portrait Book
How to Make People Beautifu
    Add to Cart
     

Preorder: The Noctilux Masterclass
    Add to Cart
     
Extension Courses
     
The New Photography Extension Course"   "New Inspiration Extension Course"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     

Lightroom
Survival Kit 11
 


Workflow
Masterclass

Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     
Video Classes
     

eBook
+Video

This is Street Photography

  Street Photo
Masterclass

Add to Cart

  Add to Cart
     


Leica Q2
Masterclass

  "Leica Q Video Masterclass"
Leica Q
Masterclass

Add to Cart

  Add to Cart
     
"Leica TL2 Quick-Start Video Course"
Leica TL2
Quick-Start
Video Course
  "Leica Q Video Masterclass"
Preorder:
Leica M9
Masterclass
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Leica M10 Video Masterclass"   "Leica M 240 Video Masterclass"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Presets
     
Lightroom Presets Leica M10   Lightroom Presets Leica M9
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Presets Leica TL2   Lightroom Presets Leica Q
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Lightroom Dutch Painters Presets by Thorsten Overgaard   Leica Presets for Lightroom by Thorsten Overgaard
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"Hollywood Film Presets"
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Hemingway Presets for Lightroom by Thorsten Overgaard
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201 Lightroom Presets
+ 4 Export Presets
Add to Cart    
     
Capture One Styles:
     
"Capture One Pro Survival Kit"
Capture One
Survival Kit 22
  Leica Styles for Capture One by Thorsten Overgaard
Leica Styles for
Capture One
  Add to Cart
     

17 Capture One Styles
Add to Cart    












 
           
  · © Copyright 1996-2024 · Thorsten von Overgaard


 

© 1996 - 2024 Thorsten Overgaard. All rights reserved.

 

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