Leica Summarit-M 75mm f/2.5

Leica Summarit-M 75mm f/2.5

When Leica introduced the Summarit-M range in 2007, the goal was to offer a lower-cost route into M-system optics using classical spherical designs rather than the more expensive aspherical and apochromatic formulas of the Summicron and Summilux lines. The 75mm f/2.5 was the short telephoto of that family, sitting alongside 35mm, 50mm and 90mm siblings, all sharing a common f/2.5 maximum aperture and a uniform 46mm filter thread [1][2]. It gave newcomers a genuine Leica short tele at a fraction of the price of the 75mm APO-Summicron or the 75mm Summilux.

The optical design uses six elements in four groups, and the lens focuses to 0.9 m with a combined meter and feet scale. The aperture runs from f/2.5 to f/16 with click stops and half values, using an eleven-blade diaphragm, and the barrel is built from anodised aluminium and brass with optical glass. It is a compact lens, roughly 61 mm long, about 55 mm in diameter and around 345 g, which makes it easy to carry all day. The mount is the standard Leica M quick-change bayonet with rangefinder coupling, and on the M8 the field of view corresponds to roughly a 100 mm lens on full frame. Filters thread into a non-rotating internal E46 mount, while the screw-on hood (order number 12460) attaches to an external thread and was sold separately rather than included.

A couple of details set the Summarit-M apart from the pricier M lenses. Reviewers note the engravings appear to use a Leitz-Norm style font recalling 1960s Leitz Wetzlar lenses, and the focusing grip is rubberised rather than the all-metal knurling of higher lines. Build quality is otherwise close to that of its more expensive stablemates, with tight tolerances, a smooth focus action and a secure half-stop aperture click. The 11645 was produced from 2007 to 2014, when it was superseded by the 75mm f/2.4 Summarit-M.

Optical qualities

Rendering The Summarit-M 75mm is a classical spherical design, and reviewers describe its output as contrasty, crisp and naturally rendered, with a strong sense of depth and clarity.

Sharpness The lens is reported to resolve a high level of detail and is regarded by some users as among the sharpest lenses they have used, sharp enough to make it well suited to detailed work and portraiture.

Bokeh and transitions Out-of-focus rendering is generally described as smooth and free of harshness, though at f/2.5 it does not produce the extremely shallow, creamy backgrounds of faster 75mm lenses such as the Summilux.

History

Development and Launch Leica positioned the Summarit-M line as an affordable entry point to the M system, built around traditional spherical optics and a shared f/2.5 aperture across four focal lengths. The 75mm version, order number 11645, was introduced in 2007 as the short telephoto of that group.

Production Evolution The 11645 remained in the catalogue from 2007 to 2014, after which Leica replaced it with the faster 75mm f/2.4 Summarit-M. Leica Wiki records serial numbers beginning in the 2007 to 2008 period and continuing through 2013 to 2014, with total production figures only partly documented.

Special editions No major factory special editions of the 75mm f/2.5 Summarit-M are widely documented; the lens was offered in a black anodised finish.

Collector Notes Genuine examples carry the inscription "LEICA SUMMARIT-M 1:2.5/75 E 46" followed by the serial number. Buyers should confirm the lens is the original f/2.5 (11645) rather than the later f/2.4 successor, and the screw-on E46 hood (12460) and metal cap are worth checking since the hood was a separately purchased accessory. One point of note: Leica's own technical literature describes the mount as carrying a six-bit identification code for digital M bodies, although LeicaLensList records this example as not six-bit coded; buyers should verify coding on the individual lens.