The Leica summicron 50mm f/2 rigid is the most beautiful lens in the Leica 50mm lens. Leica lenses in the 1950s and 60s are very delicate and beautiful like the Leica m3. There is a clicking sound when turning the aperture ring, crisp and sweet. It’s a pity that this sound can’t be heard in later Leica lenses.
Rigid performance is very good, whether using film or digital.
Later summicron 50mm f/2 DR used the same optical design. DR can shoot at closer distances and is used as a macro lens. But many people prefer rigid because of its simplicity.
If elmar 50mm f/3.5 established the authority of the early Leica, rigid led the new trend of lenses after the 1950s. After decades of rigidity, even today, it is still the top lens. It is the world’s first lens designed using a computer. It is Leica’s first lanthanide glass lens.
Lens glass
In 1949 Leica developed its own lanthanide glass to increase the refractive index and reduce dispersion. This glass is not radioactive. Rigid uses leaded glass, which can increase the refractive index.
Sharpness
The rigid is not sharp, but delicate. Especially the minute details are abundant. And from high light to shadow tone is very natural, which makes many people obsessed.
Digital
Glare when facing the light.
rigid version
Narrow focus ring and wider focus ring.
Some are in feet scale, some are in meters scale, and some are in meters + feet.
There are L39 mouth and M mouth.
In the late 1950s, there were a black paint rigid version and a black paint DR version, which were good collections.
In some versions, the depth of field has a lettering at infinity. 7 or 18 represents the actual focal length of the lens is 51.6mm, 8 or 19 represents the actual 51.9mm, and A represents 52.2mm.
Image Simples
