THE LEICA M9 DIGITAL CAMERA REVIEW - PAGE 7
THE LEICA 35 SUMMILUX AND THE M9 - A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN OR HELL?
THE LEICA M9 REAL WORLD REVIEW
PAGE 1 - THE FULL FRAME BEAUTY ARRIVES
PAGE 2 - The goods. What comes in the box and what’s new?
PAGE 3 - Is FULL FRAME really that much better?
PAGE 4 - High ISO low light photography, and the M9
PAGE 5 - Color - M9 packs a PUNCH!
PAGE 6 - Some M9 Black & White conversions
PAGE 7 - The 35 Summilux and the M9 - A match made in heaven or hell?
PAGE 8 - Full Frame = Vignetting? Not on the M9!
PAGE 9 - Untouched Full Size Sample Downloads
PAGE 10 - My favorite images form my time with the M9
PAGE 11 - More M9 from other Leica photographers
PAGE 12 - My final thoughts and conclusion
PAGE 13 - Why I prefer shooting with a rangefinder camera.
NEW! > - My Ongoing Leica M9 Daily Diary - Updated DAILY!
PAGE 7 - The 35 Summilux ASPH and the M9. Focus Shift? next---->
The Leica 35 Summilux ASPH is probably my overall favorite Leica lens. On the M8 and M8.2, many were so frustrated by this lens that they sold them off or sent them to Leica numerous times for adjustment. The bottom line is the lens has a focus shift issue and if you have a 35 Summilux ASPH, it either focuses dead on at 1.4, or focuses dead on at F2-2.8. I have tried 5 copies of the lens now and ALL exhibit some sort of shift.
On the M8, I tested the lens and in my review I spoke about the shift and provided full examples. There are a bunch out there who feel the 35 Lux will no longer have these issues on the M9 due to the full frame sensor. Well, sorry to break the news, but its the same as the M8. My 35 Lux still has the same problem. It’s dead on at 1.4 wide open and from F2-F5.6 it is a bit off. My best apertures with this lens is 1.4 and F8, with both being about equal.
I do not expect everyone to believe me, so of course I have samples. This first sample was taken of an old water pump at F1.4 and then F4. You can see the image looks fine in each, but if you look at the 100% crop it is clear that the focus is no longer accurate at f4. This is due to the dreaded 35 Lux focus shift. THEY ALL HAVE IT. PERIOD! But damn. This lens is so magical at 1.4 I could never part with it.
The 35 Lux at 1.4 - no shift.
At F4 the lens can no longer nail the focus. This is the lens, not the M9.
Here are some more samples showing the shift at each aperture on the M9:
It is pretty easy to see that the shift does indeed still exist on the M9. The reason people never complained about it with film is because A: Nobody pixel peeped their film prints and B: Film prints are never razor sharp like digital files can be and C: It is not that big of a shift to even be noticeable on film. F2.8 is pretty bad, but again, most people shooting film M’s with this lens did not blow their images up to 18MP quality and stare at the crop. In real world images of normal size, you really do not ever see it.
So yes, this lens is actually my favorite lens on the M9 for the way it renders the image, the color, the detail, and mind blowing texture when shot wide open at 1.4. This is where I shoot 98% of the time so yea, I love this lens on the M9. It is even more beautiful than it was on the M8.
Here is one shot at F5.6. I desaturated the image a bit.
“Now, to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravity before going for a walk.” – Edward Weston
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