Leica Summilux M 35mm F 1 4 Review | 54 Data compared

The 2022 edition of the Leica Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH. lens ($5,395 in black, $5,595 in silver) is an excellent, premium manual-focus prime lens optimized for documentary and slice-of-life photography. In terms of performance, the lens delivers outstanding wide-open resolution, registering 5,400 lines of central contrast at f/1.4 on a 60MP sensor, while generating superlative, soft-edged bokeh. A key highlight of this third iteration is its streamlined, 11.9-ounce design featuring a clever integrated retractable metal lens hood that minimizes rangefinder viewfinder blockage and simplifies the use of 46mm filters. Furthermore, it introduces a major usability improvement by focusing down to a close-up macro distance of 0.4 meters, featuring a physical click-detent resistance at the 0.7m mark to signal when a user needs to switch from the optical rangefinder to live view. Despite its stellar optical engineering, the lens has notable drawbacks, primarily its steep, premium price tag that positions it as a luxury item. Optically, it exhibits a curved field of focus that causes softness in the outer edges and corners when wide open, as well as a noticeable vignette...

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Jonathan Slack’s review of the 2022 Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH Close Focus lens outlines major physical upgrades over the 2010 "FLE" model while retaining its predecessor's proven optics. The primary pros highlighted include the newly integrated, twist-out round lens hood, which minimizes bulk while successfully reducing flare. Mechanically, the inclusion of an upgraded 11-blade aperture diaphragm—up from nine—produces a noticeably more relaxed, gentle, and improved bokeh at smaller apertures. Most significantly, the lens introduces a "double cam" focusing mechanism that extends the minimum close-focusing distance from 0.7 meters down to 0.4 meters, supported by a widened 176-degree focus ring throw that offers highly precise handling. However, the review details a few notable cons and user limitations. Because standard optical rangefinders cannot track focus closer than 0.7 meters, photographers must rely on an EVF, Live View, or the Leica FOTOS app to focus precisely in the extended close-up range. This change requires overcoming a physically felt resistance on the focus ring at the 0.7-meter mark. Optically, because the lens shares the exact same core optical formula as the 12-year-old FLE...

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The Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 ASPH FLE (product number 11663) is a highly sought-after, premium M-mount lens praised for its exceptional sharpness at f/1.4 and outstanding overall performance on both film and digital camera bodies. A standout feature is its Floating Element (FLE) system, which successfully eliminates the frustrating focus shift issues that plagued its predecessor, the 11874 model, ensuring extreme focus precision across different apertures. The reviewer notes that the lens delivers excellent contrast and beautiful background separation, making it an excellent all-around performer. Additional benefits include a built-in focusing tab, a robust build constructed with black-anodized aluminum and brass helicoids, and an extra stop of light compared to f/2 lenses, which enables more stable shutter speeds in low-light environments. Despite its high-quality rendering, the lens does have notable design and handling drawbacks. Its iconic square metal hood is a major point of inconvenience because it must be completely unscrewed and removed before a user can attach or change 46mm filters. Mechanically, the aperture ring can feel loose, which poses a risk of accidental setting changes and underexposed shots...

📸 The Ultimate Leica 35mm Summilux Review The Leica 35mm Summilux-M series is a legendary line of f/1.4 wide-angle lenses celebrated for their unmatched low-light performance, exceptional shadow detail separation, and beautiful bokeh. This review spans the history of the optics from the 1961 "Steel Rim" to the 2022 "Close Focus" version VI. In practical testing, the lenses emerge as absolute professional workhorses. They effortlessly balance tack-sharp foreground focus with a dreamlike, creamy background drop-off. The modern inclusion of Floating Element (FLE) technology resolves critical digital focus-shift issues. This ensures flawless edge-to-edge contrast and sharpness at closer distances. However, this elite performance comes with clear drawbacks, most notably the eye-watering price tags. Rare vintage variants like the hand-grinded 1990 Double Aspherical (AA) command up to $25,000 second-hand. Yet, it yields almost no discernible image quality difference over cheaper models. On the physical side, the newer Version V's razor-sharp rendition can sometimes produce slightly harsh, distracting edges in the out-of-focus bokeh areas. Furthermore, early batches of the 2022 Close Focus variant suffered from a specific mechanical defect where the aperture blades...

The Leica 35mm Summilux-M Steel Rim Reissue is a compact, jewel-like "character lens" that brings a nostalgic, 1960s film aesthetic to digital photography. A key advantage of the lens is its striking vintage flare and wild bokeh when shot wide open, which helps take the clinical edge off digital images. Additionally, its dense, compact size makes it highly portable, and it essentially operates as two lenses in one: a heavily stylized artistic tool at f/1.4, and a perfectly sharp, modern 35mm prime from f/1.8 onward. However, its extreme specialized nature ultimately led the reviewer to return it, noting that the dreamy vintage aesthetic disappears completely once stopped down past f/1.4. Furthermore, obtaining a sharp center focus is incredibly difficult at f/1.4, making it hard to anchor a subject even when utilizing a high-quality electronic viewfinder. Finally, achieving the desired flare on a traditional film M-system proves difficult without an ND filter during the day due to shutter speed limitations, yet adding a filter introduces a heavy vignette that kills the flaring effect entirely.

The Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 Version 1 "Steel Rim" remake is a highly compact, 200-gram brass and silver chrome lens that beautifully celebrates Leica's heritage while being optimized for both modern digital bodies like the M11 and classic film cameras. A major pro of this reissue is its accessible price point, costing roughly 10% of a vintage original, while eliminating the risks of sample variance and degradation associated with 60-year-old optics. It features an upgraded design including 6-bit coding, a 46mm filter thread, and a highly smooth tactile focusing tab with an infinity lock. Additionally, it ships with two lens hoods: a replica of the original Ollux—which retains its notorious tendency to fall off—and a much more secure round screw-in hood. In terms of performance, the lens delivers a distinct vintage "look" characterized by unique optical traits that serve as both its charm and its limitation. When shot wide open at f/1.4, the image quality is dreamy, low in contrast, and never fully sharp, often producing a "nervous" bokeh in busy backgrounds and a fun, experimental rainbow flare. Stopping down...

The Leica Summilux-M 1:1.4/35 Classic (Pre-ASPH) is a highly durable, hand-crafted lens that delivers a distinct vintage character, particularly suited for monochrome photography and reportage work. Built like a "brick" with an anodized aluminum barrel and brass helicoids, its incredibly compact size—half that of a standard Canon 35mm f/2—makes it a discrete, non-intimidating tool for street and wedding journalists. Economically, the lens offers a great value proposition for photographers experimenting with the Leica system, as it costs roughly a third of the price of the newer 35mm Summilux ASPH FLE model. Performance-wise, it lacks any geometric distortion, making it competent for landscape or architectural shots, and it yields exceptionally sharp center-frame results when stepped down to f/5.6 or when adapted to a cropped-sensor camera like the Olympus OM-D. However, the lens has notable optical compromises and physical limitations, especially when shot wide open at f/1.4. At its maximum aperture, the lens produces a heavy low-contrast halo effect, distinct comatic aberration, and smearing of bright details that can look awkward in color images. Its corner sharpness remains soft and weak across...

In his review of the Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux Pre-ASPH (Version 2), Dan Kerin outlines the lens as a historical, highly uncommon masterpiece designed by Dr. Walter Mandler with a production run spanning from 1967 to 1995. The review highlights several notable pros, including its exceptionally small, compact form factor and lightweight build at just 245 grams, which provides perfect physical balance on any Leica M camera. Its unique optical formula consisting of 7 elements in 5 groups and 10 aperture blades ensures buttery smooth out-of-focus rendering. Kerin emphasizes that when stopped down to f/2 or further, the lens transforms completely into a stellar performer that is "tack sharp". Conversely, the review presents distinct cons stemming from its vintage, uncorrected character when shot wide open at f/1.4. At maximum aperture, sharpness is significantly reduced, center fall-off toward the edges becomes evident, and severe vignetting occurs. The lens also suffers from a heavy tendency for highlights to bloom, resulting in a dreamy, dream-lens style rendering that can detract from standard imaging needs. Mechanically, the lack of traditional screw-on filter threads forces...

The Leica Summilux M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH is a premium rangefinder lens featuring nine elements in five groups with one aspherical surface and 6-bit coding for digital metadata transfer. A major benefit of this lens is its remarkably lightweight and compact footprint relative to DSLR alternatives, weighing just 320 grams and utilizing 46mm filters. This subtle profile allows professional street photographers and journalists to shoot discreetly without attracting unwanted attention. Optically, the lens delivers exceptional image separation with a pronounced, beautiful bokeh that gives it a distinct advantage over the slower f/2.0 Summicron model when isolating subjects. Its recent design iteration is also highly optimized to combat optical limitations when paired with high-resolution digital M cameras. Despite its stellar status, the lens possesses a few distinct drawbacks. When shooting wide open at f/1.4, users will encounter noticeable vignetting, though distortion remains safely minimal. Furthermore, using the lens at its maximum depth of f/16 causes sharpness to suffer noticeably as optical diffraction sets in, making its peak performance range land closer to f/4 or f/5.6. Price is another prominent barrier, as...

The 2022 edition of the Leica Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH. lens updates a classic documentary prime, receiving an "Excellent" 4.0 rating for its outstanding wide-open resolution, beautiful f/1.4 background bokeh, and a smaller profile than bulkier competitors like the Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm. This third iteration introduces a clever, retractable built-in metal lens hood and a shortened minimum focus distance of 0.4 meters, allowing for closer macro reproduction than standard rangefinder lenses. It retains a fully mechanical aluminum barrel featuring half-stop aperture clicks, depth-of-field scales, and a 6-bit coded mount to communicate with digital Leica bodies. The primary drawback is its premium pricing—costing $5,395 for black or $5,595 for silver—making it a luxury Veblen good with viable, cheaper alternatives on the market from Zeiss or Voigtlander. On the technical side, its rangefinder-coupled focus mechanics stop at 0.7 meters, requiring photographers to switch to a camera's live view mode to handle focus at closer distances. Lab results also highlight slight optical imperfections, including minor barrel distortion under 1%, a noticeable vignette between f/1.4 and f/2, some focus field-curvature softness at the...

The Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux FLE (V1 and V2) is highly praised for its unmatched combination of a fast f/1.4 aperture, compact size, and exceptional overall image quality. The reviewer notes that the lens balances perfectly on Leica M cameras, boasts an all-aluminum rock-solid build, and delivers near-perfect center sharpness even when shot wide-open at f/1.4. The upgraded 2022 V2 version brings massive practical improvements, specifically expanding the minimum focus distance down to 0.4m from the restrictive 0.7m on the V1. Crucially, the V2 also successfully eliminates the noticeable focus shift at f/2.8 and f/4 that previously plagued the V1 model. However, the lens does come with several distinct drawbacks, most notably its astronomical retail price tag of $5,995. Optically, it is not flawless; it produces a moderate amount of green-magenta longitudinal chromatic aberration, exhibits slight barrel distortion, and displays noticeable coma in the corners at f/1.4. Furthermore, its background bokeh has a contrasty "soap-bubble" character with harsh edges that might not appeal to photographers looking for clinically smooth rendering. Despite these optical quirks and the high cost, the reviewer...

In his review of the 2022 Leica Summilux-M 35 f/1.4 ASPH, Jonathan Slack highlights significant physical upgrades, including a new close-focusing mechanism allowing for 0.4-meter focus via Live View and an integrated twist-out lens hood. While the optical formula remains identical to the previous FLE model, the update introduces 11 aperture blades for smoother bokeh and, on the L-Camera-Forum, the lens is noted for maintaining high-level, consistent performance. Conversely, the review notes that the lens still exhibits minor chromatic aberration at maximum aperture, which, as detailed on the L-Camera-Forum, requires standard post-processing correction. Additionally, the extended focus throw may hinder quick, traditional street shooting, and it is considered a non-essential upgrade for current 35mm FLE owners unless the improved close-focusing capability is needed, as explained on the L-Camera-Forum.

The Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH FLE (Model 11 663) is a highly capable lens that delivers exceptional, three-dimensional image quality with high resolution and crisp rendering that surpasses older Leica lenses at every aperture. The addition of floating lens elements dramatically optimizes performance at close focusing distances. Optically, the lens boasts strong corner-to-corner sharpness starting around f/2, rich micro-contrast, minimal chromatic aberration, non-existent visible distortion, and virtually zero coma flare. Mechanically, it features a buttery-smooth manual focusing tab and a perfectly engineered screw-on hood. Furthermore, it is a highly portable option for low-light photography, weighing roughly half as much as equivalent 35mm f/1.4 lenses from competing full-frame brands. Despite its premium optical character, the lens presents a few notable limitations. Its steep price tag of USD $5,895 (SGD $7,840) makes it financially intimidating and out of reach for many photographers. From a handling perspective, it is physically heavier than Leica's 35mm and 50mm Summicron models. Shooting wide open at f/1.4 produces an incredibly thin depth of field that makes manual focus difficult to nail without significant practice. Additionally, its...

The Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 ASPH FLE is a highly regarded, premium lens celebrated for its outstanding three-dimensional rendering, rich colors, and distinctive cinematic bokeh when shot wide-open. The reviewer notes that its micro-contrast is fantastic and lower overall contrast makes retaining highlight and shadow details highly manageable. Additionally, it is praised for its compact size relative to its fast f/1.4 aperture, and unlike many other Leica lenses, the silver anodized version uses aluminum rather than brass, keeping the weight identical to the 315-gram black version. However, the lens has several notable drawbacks, including heavy vignetting at f/1.4 and a minor focus shift between f/2.8 and f/4 due to its floating element (FLE) system. This FLE system also makes the manual focus operation feel heavier and less smooth compared to non-FLE alternatives like the Summicron. Other flaws include a loose aperture dial that is easily bumped accidentally, mild field curvature and 1% distortion at infinity that makes it less ideal for serious landscape work, and occasional busy or "double-sided" background bokeh under certain high-contrast conditions.