What are Leica Summicron lenses?

Leica Summicrons are Leica lenses that sit between the Summilux and Elmarit lenses. Looking at the Leica name meanings, Summi comes from the latin “Summa” (or summit), and cron is for “chroma”. These are Leica’s f/2 maximum aperture line of lenses.

ProsCons
Fast f/2 lensesNot as fast as Summilux
Cheaper than Summilux
Strikes a balance between price/size and speed
Leica Summicron pros & cons

When it comes to fast lenses, the Summilux line takes the cake with the f/1.4 aperture. But there is a downside to this speed: First these are much pricier than the Summicron and also generally heavier and bulkier. If you want the best Leica lenses that strike a balance between price, size and speed, theses are the most popular Leica lenses.

What are Summicron lenses good for?

The Summicrons are as good as Summilux lenses and the f/2 makes them still pretty fast lenses. The large aperture is makes them great Leica lenses for portrait photography. Night photography is possible too and with the wider angles, great Leica lenses for street photography and landscape photography.

With the more moderate focal lengths and usually lighter weight, they make better lenses for travel photography too. Most Leica photographers prefer the Summicron lenses above the Summilix lenses and willingly give up the faster apertures for smaller lenses.

Summilux Comparison table

Information28mm (Info)35mm (Info)50mm (Info)75mm (Info)90mm (Info)
Angle of view (diagonal, horizontal, vertical)74°/65°/46°63°/54°/38°47° / 40° / 27°32° / 27° / 18°27° / 23° / 15°
Number of lenses/groups:9 / 67 / 58 / 57 / 55 / 5
Focal length28mm35mm50mm74.98mm90.9mm
Position of entrance pupil:23.3mm18.4mm24.4mm30.1mm48.6mm
Focusing range0.7m – infinity0.7m – infinity0.7m – infinity0.7m – infinity1m – infinity
ScalesCombined meter/feet incrementsCombined meter/feet incrementsCombined meter/graduationCombined meter/ feet incrementsCombined meter/ feet increments
Smallest object field:526 x 789 mm420 x 630 mm271 x 407 mm169 x 254mm2020 x 330mm
Largest reproduction ratio:1:21.91:17.41:11.31:71:9
Setting/FunctionManual / Click-stops / half stopsManual / Click-stops / half stopsManual / Click-stops / half stopsManual / Click-stops / half stopsManual / Click-stops / half stops
Lowest value1616161616
BayonetMMMMM
FilterE46E39E39E49E55
Lens hoodSeparate, screw-on type, SuppliedSeparate, screw-on type, SuppliedBuilt-in, extend by rotatingBuilt-in, telescopic, lockableBuilt-in, telescopic
Length41.4mm / 54mm (without / with lens hood)35.7/54.4mm (without / with lens hood)47mm66.8mm78mm
Largest diameter61 mm53 mm53 mm58 mm64 mm
Weight440 g252 g300 g430 g500 g

Which Summicron lens should you get?

If you only had one Summicron to get, the Summicron 35mm f/2 is the most desirable as it is a focal length that is perfect for anything that you throw at it from Landscapes to portraits.

Summicron lenses available

Looking for other Summicrons? Check out the Leica lens list database that allows you to see the year and serial numbers since 1933.

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