Sound
I like the sound of turning the aperture ring. It was a small, clean sound, like the snapping of a flower’s stem. It’s a pity that this sound can’t be heard in later Leica lenses.
Beautiful
No other 50mm lens in the world is as beautiful as Leica Rigid. The sad truth is that certain types of things can’t go backwards.
On CMOS and CCD
Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron Rigid is a lens that performs really well on both film and digital. It has a gentler rendition, lower contrast on CMOS and CCD sensors.
Condition
Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron Rigid is not so easy to find in good optical condition. It’s pretty rare for a lens of that age to have no damage.
Price
I have got myself a 50mm f/2 Rigid For a very good price. However, its price has doubled in the past 5 years. You are going to find Summicron-M 50mm V4 if you are on the budget. Rigid is the second choice.
Rigid VS V4
The Rigid is supposed to be sharper than the collapsible ones. I pretty much exclusively use the Summicron-M 50mm V4 now as my 50mm, which has better coatings and may even be sharper.
Rigid DR
The Rigid DR is great, but a little bit heavy. Rigid was best for me on BW, V4 is amazing on color. Personally, I don’t recommend DR, If you get the DR and later get a digital Leica you will need a different lens.
