On February 20th 2025 Leica announced a new member of their successful 'classic' series where they have resurrected old lens designs and remade them with modern manufacturing and tolerances. So far they have released 4 lenses:
The 28mm Summaron (2016)
The 90mm Thambar (2017)
The 50mm Noctilux f1.2 (2021) (my article here)( )
The 35mm Summilux (steel rim version 1 2022) (article here)
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The fifth is the 50 Summilux, a lens that was the mainstay of many a photographer's kit for many many years. The four previous lenses were faithful reproductions of the original lens, but this time it's a little different.
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I have had a copy of the lens to test since May last year, and just like the 35mm Steel Rim and the f1.2 Noctilux I've fallen very much in love with it.
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First of all I'll have a look at the history of the original lens, then I'll talk about the new lens.
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The Original Leica 50mm Summilux was produced between 1959 and 1961. It was released in two versions, a black lacquered version in brass and aluminium in very small numbers and a chrome plated brass version with a scalloped focusing ring. There were about 19,600 made in what was probably the shortest manufacturing run of any of the M lenses (just over 2 years).
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It was 'designed' by Walter Mandler and Erich Wagner and it was constructed of 7 elements in 5 groups, with elements 2 and 3 cemented together. It was released in both screw and M mounts, the M mount version weighed 360 gms.
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It was very similar in design and performance to the lens it replaced, the 50mm f1.5 Summarit but with updated glass. The Summarit was designed by Otto Zimmermann and manufactured from 1949 to 1960. This lens was based very closely the Xenon and on an original design by Taylor & Hobson from 1936
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In 1961 the version I was replaced with the version II designed by Walter Mandler.

The new lens was still 7 elements in 5 groups, but this time elements 2 and 3 were separate, but elements 6 and 7 are cemented. Once again there were black (11113) and chrome (11114) , but this time it was black anodized on aluminium (275gm) or chrome plated brass (380 gm), both had knurled focus rings.
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Leica didn't acknowledge the new design until 1968, perhaps because they didn't want to upset people who had already bought the inferior version I, or maybe they just didn't update the design in the catalogues.

This basic configuration continued in production until 2004, there were updates in 1969 and more significantly in 1992, when it was changed from a 43mm filter to a 46mm filter, the clip on lens hood was replaced by a telescoping hood and the minimum focusing distance was reduced to 0.7 metres (this is usually known as version III).

However the optical design remained the same, making this lens one of the longest running Leica lenses in production, with about 62,000 being made overall.
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Professor John Cheng from Hong Kong recently posted this picture of his lovely silver and black paint version 1 lenses. The black paint lens is in brass with its reverse scalloped focus ring in aluminium alloy, and with a brass mount. He has kindly given me permission to show them here.
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The lens body of the new lens is very much reminiscent of the version 1, although, with its chrome over brass construction it is now heavier at 417 gm. Unlike some of the original lenses it has a normal (rather than reversed) scallop. It's a beautiful object, and although heavy, it balances very nicely on a modern digital M camera
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My copy is an early prototype; the eagle eyed will notice that the exif information for the lens is not right, because mine had the wrong 6 bit coding (it was a mirror image!).

However, the lens handles beautifully, the aperture click stops are just perfectly weighted, and the focus ring is delightfully smooth and tactile (I just can't bring myself to say "buttery-smooth" . . but it certainly is!).
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The only thing which might be less than perfect for modern users is the rather long focus throw, especially when getting down to 0.7 metres for close up work.
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Sadly I haven't managed to get hold of any of the original lenses to do a comparison, but in the knowledge that this time around, rather than trying to reproduce the quality of the version 1 (as they did so successfully with the steel rim), Leica realised that perhaps it wasn't quite as much of a classic as the version 2 and 3 and have tried to make this lens a synthesis of all the good things about all 3 versions of the pre-Aspherical Summilux.
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So the optical formula of the lens is the same as that of version 2/3 ie with  elements 2 and 3 separate, but elements 6 and 7 are cemented. Then Peter Karbe was called in to help, his concept was to make, in effect, 2 lenses, one which had the lovely gentle bokeh of the version 2 and 3, but which, when stopped down had more of the performance of a modern lens. This was done by using different glass and new coatings that weren't available when the lens was first designed.
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Hopefully the images here and in the attached gallery will give you an idea of the qualities of the new lens. As you stop down it becomes very sharp (in much the same way as many classic lenses), but on the whole I've shot it wide open, because that's what I like to do, and because that is when lenses really show their character.
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I think that the bokeh is lovely - quirky but not agitated, and whilst the lens  characteristics might not be quite the same as the original lens I do think it has a real classic feel about it.
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As you would expect, it isn't quite as sharp in the corners as modern lenses (even when stopped down) and whilst surprisingly resistant to flare, there are some circumstances when flare can happen. The 50 Summilux Aspherical (from 2004 onwards) also has a floating element, which greatly reduces focus shift, something this lens is still subject to.
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It's quite interesting to look at MTF curves for the versions 1 and 2/3 together with the modern Asph lens and the remade non aspherical lens. Leica with Peter Karbe certainly have been doing some magic here, and the figures for the new classic are getting towards being as good as those of the modern Aspherical lens.
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Assessing a classic lens like this is a little difficult - clearly comparing it to modern lenses is badly missing the point, on the other hand it must have a character of it's own, and be capable of taking photographs which are both interesting and technically good. It should also be a satisfying object.

This new classic is much cheaper than the modern 50 Summilux, and as such seems to me like an excellent deal.
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With the classic 50 Summilux Leica have produced a lens which is delicious to use and produces great images which have a lovely bokeh when wide open, and great acuity when stopped down a little. The handling and mechanics of the lens are a joy, and it's just a great experience  to shoot with it.
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In short, another excellent addition to their classic range of lenses, it will be interesting to see what comes next!
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Leica history is not my strongest side, so I have reached out to a number of people during the course of writing this article, and I'd like to thank the following:
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Frank Dabba Smith for his wonderful Leica BIG Pocket book, for his emails and his permission to use the MTF graphs, the poor scanning is entirely my responsibility!
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Ivor Cooper at Red Dot cameras in London for his generous gift of the Leica Big Pocket book.
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Thanks to Stefan Daniel, Christoph Mueller and Jesko von Oeynhausen and Murat Akkas at Leica, who are always really helpful and full of information

Also Bill Rosauer, Marke Gilbert and William Fagan for help and advice, Professor John Cheng from Hong Kong for generous permission to use the photograph of his lovely version 1 lenses.

As always, and especially, to Emma, who puts up with me writing these articles.
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Click on the Leica Society logo below to look at the Leica Society International website where you can find a huge resource of Leica material and join the society to learn more about Leica and photography and to meet up with like minded people.
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