Summilux

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Optical Diagram of Leica Summilux-R 50mm f/1.4 II lens.

The name Summilux is used by Leica and Panasonic Lumix to designate camera lenses that have a maximum aperture brighter than f/2, typically at f/1.4, but dimmer than f/1.0. The lens has been in production since 1959 and carries on to the present day.

History

The name Summilux is a combination of Summum, which is the Latin word for highest, while Lux is for light.^[1] The first Summilux was the 50 mm of 1959, followed by a new 50 mm Summilux design in 1961, whose optics remained unchanged until replaced by the 50 mm Summilux-M ASPH of 2004. ^[2]

Description

The Summilux lenses have a maximum f-number of f/1.4, f/1.5 or occasionally f/1.7. This one to 1.5 stops lower than Leica's Noctilux lenses, but the Summilux lenses are smaller as a result.^[1] Summilux lenses are designed for low-light photography.

Market position

The Summilux lenses are less expensive than the Noctilux lenses, which has a smaller f-number.^[1] However they are bigger, heavier and more expensive than the Summicron.

List of Summilux lenses

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2019)

For the Leica M mount

Summilux-M 21 mm f/1.4 ASPH.^[3]
Summilux-M 24 mm f/1.4 ASPH.^[4]
Summilux-M 28 mm f/1.4 ASPH.^[5]
Summilux 35 mm f/1.4^[6]
Summilux-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. FLE Version V^[7]
Summilux-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. FLE "Short Focus" Version VI^[8]
Summilux 50 mm f/1.4^[9]
Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH.^[10]
Summilux-M 75 mm f/1.4^[11]
Summilux-M 90 mm f/1.5 ASPH.^[12]

For the Leica R mount

Summilux-R 35 mm f/1.4^[13]
Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4 1st version^[13]
Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4 2nd version^[13]
Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4 3rd version – 1997 (ROM contacts)^[13]
Summilux-R 80mm f/1.4^[13]

For the Leica L Mount

Summilux-TL 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH.^[14]
Summilux-SL 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH.^[15]

For the Four Thirds mount^{[a 1]}

For the Micro Four Thirds mount^{[a 1]}

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25 mm f/1.7 ASPH.^[16]
Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12 mm f/1.4 ASPH.^[17]
Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15 mm f/1.7 ASPH.^[18]
Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25 mm f/1.4^[19]
Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25 mm f/1.4 II ASPH.^[20]

^ ^a ^b manufactured under license by Panasonic

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Taylor, David (2014). Leica M Typ 240 Expanded Guide. United Kingdom: Ammonite Press. ISBN 978-1781450390.
^ Winchester, Simon (2018). "The perfectionists: how precision engineers created the modern world". Science. 360 (6396): 226–229. Bibcode:2018Sci...360.1408.. doi:10.1126/science.aau3874. S2CID 51601931.
^ "Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 ASPH. // M-Lenses // Leica M-System // Photography - Leica Camera AG". us.leica-camera.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Summilux-M 24mm f/1.4 ASPH. // M-Lenses // Leica M-System // Photography - Leica Camera AG". us.leica-camera.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Summilux-M 28mm f/1,4 ASPH. // M-Lenses // Leica M-System // Photography - Leica Camera AG". us.leica-camera.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "LEICA SUMMILUX 35mm f/1.4 (1961-1995)". www.kenrockwell.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. // M-Lenses // Leica M-System // Photography - Leica Camera AG". us.leica-camera.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Leica 35mm Summilux History". overgaard.dk/. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
^ "LEICA SUMMILUX 50mm f/1.4 (1960-2004)". www.kenrockwell.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. // M-Lenses // Leica M-System // Photography - Leica Camera AG". us.leica-camera.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "75mm f/1.4 Summilux-M - Leica Wiki (English)". www.l-camera-forum.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Leica Extends Summilux-M Series with 90mm f/1.5 Lens". B&H Explora. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Puts, Erwin (July 2003). "Leica R-Lenses" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ "Leica Summilux-TL 35mm F1.4 ASPH: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Leica Summilux-SL 50mm F1.4 ASPH: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Summilux 12mm F1.4 ASPH: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm F1.7 ASPH: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Panasonic Leica Summilux DG 25mm F1.4: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
^ "Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm F1.4 II ASPH: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-27.

External links

Summilux.net lens review site www.summilux.net
Overgaard Leica 35mm Summilux article www.overgaard.dk/leica-35mm-Summilux-M-ASPH-f-14.html/
Overgaard Leica lens compendium of all Summilux lenses www.overgaard.dk/leica_lens_compendium.html/

Leica Camera

Leica Geosystems
Leica Microsystems

Rangefinder

Thread-mount	Leica Standard Leica II Leica III Leica 250 Reporter
M mount (film)	M3 M2 M1 M4 M5 CL M6 / M6 TTL M7 MP M-A
M mount (digital)	M8 M9 / M9-P M (Typ 240) / M-P (Typ 240) M-E (Typ 220) M (Typ 262) M-E (Typ 240) M Monochrom M Monochrom (Typ 246) M-D M10 / M10-P / M10-R M10-D M10 Monochrom M11
Four Thirds mount	Digilux 3

Single-lens reflex

R mount	Leicaflex / SL / SL2 Leica R3 Leica R4 / R5 / R6 / R7 Leica R8 / R9
S mount	Leica S1 Leica S2 Leica S (Typ 006) Leica S (Typ 007) Leica S3