Leica Summarit 50mm f/1.5

Leica Summarit 50mm f/1.5

The Leica Summarit 50mm f/1.5, also engraved as Summarit f=5cm 1:1.5, is one of Leica’s important post-war high-speed standard lenses for rangefinder cameras. Introduced in 1949, it replaced the earlier uncoated or early-coated Xenon 5cm f/1.5 lineage and became Leica’s principal fast 50mm lens before the arrival of the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 [1]. Leica Wiki lists the Summarit 5cm f/1.5 as a Leica screw-thread and M-bayonet lens produced from 1949 to 1960, with fewer than 74,643 assigned serial-number entries, a 7 elements in 5 groups optical design, and Otto Zimmermann named as designer.

The Summarit is a rangefinder-coupled manual-focus lens with a fast f/1.5 maximum aperture, a 16-blade diaphragm according to Leica Wiki, and close focusing commonly documented around 1m, with some feet-scale examples marked to 3.5 ft. Its rendering is known for lower contrast, visible flare, spherical aberration effects, and a softer wide-open character compared with later Summicron and Summilux lenses. Stopped down, it becomes more controlled, but it remains a classic vintage Leica lens rather than a modern high-correction optic. Kamerastore describes the 5cm f/1.5 Summarit as a coated version of the older 5cm f/1.5 Xenon, with early and later aperture-index differences and a change from bayonet filters to later E41 screw-in filters [2].

Collectors should distinguish the screw-mount SOOIA version from the M-bayonet SOOIA-M version. The lens exists in Leica LTM / M39 screw mount and in early Leica M mount, and some M examples are encountered with factory-fitted screw-to-bayonet adapters, indicating an LTM chassis adapted for M use. Filter identification is version-dependent, with Leica Wiki listing A43 or E41 filter types and the XOONS 12150 hood. Because filter type, aperture-index style, mount configuration, engraving, and coating condition vary by production period, buyers should research the exact lens before buying and should not rely only on the “Summarit 50mm f/1.5” name.

History

Development and Launch

The Summarit 50mm f/1.5 was launched in 1949 as Leica’s fast normal lens for low-light photography and shallow-depth-of-field use. It followed the earlier Leitz Xenon 5cm f/1.5, a design lineage associated with Taylor, Taylor & Hobson, and is often described as a coated and improved successor to that pre-war fast lens. LSKamera describes the Summarit as introduced in 1949 as the successor to the Xenon 50mm f/1.5 and discontinued in favour of the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 [3].

Production Evolution

Production covered the late screw-mount Leica era and the early Leica M era. Leica Wiki lists the production era as 1949 to 1960 and records both Leica screw-thread and M-bayonet versions. Serial-number data compiled on Leica Wiki shows production blocks from 1949 through the late 1950s, including Wetzlar, ELC, screw-mount, M-bayonet, and Taylor-Hobson-associated entries. Kamerastore notes that early examples have a movable aperture index and fixed aperture scale, while later examples reverse that arrangement, and that early examples used bayonet filters while later examples use E41 screw-in filters.

Special Variants

The main special or collector-relevant variants are not commemorative editions, but production and mount variants. These include SOOIA screw-mount lenses, SOOIA-M M-bayonet lenses, Wetzlar and ELC-marked examples, Taylor-Hobson-related examples noted in collector databases, and lenses with factory-fitted screw-to-bayonet adapters. Leica Wiki also lists A43 and E41 filter compatibility, which is important because early and late accessory matching differs. No major factory commemorative edition is widely documented for the Summarit 50mm f/1.5, but clean original examples with correct hood, caps, case, box, and matching mount accessories are collector-relevant.

Collector Notes

Collectors should verify mount type, serial number, engraving, aperture-index style, filter type, coating condition, and originality before buying. The Summarit is well known for haze, cleaning marks, coating wear, internal fog, and flare, so optical condition has a large effect on both usability and value. Buyers should also confirm whether an M-mount example is a true SOOIA-M lens, an LTM lens with an adapter, or a later conversion. The XOONS 12150 hood, correct caps, E41 or A43 filter compatibility, and original case or box can add collector value. Because many examples have been cleaned, adapted, or repaired, users should do their research before buying and should avoid assuming all Summarit 50mm f/1.5 lenses are equivalent.