The new LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH with floating element group has slightly better ergonomics and optics, but costs more and no one can get them anyway. This older lens is still absolutly fantastic! Want the most opportune lens for low-light with the LEICA M? This 35mm f/1.4 is it!

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  Journalism, and any place where you absolutely need f/1.4 instead of f/2.

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  The LEICA 35mm f/2 is as good, and usually a better choice unless you absolutely need f/1.4. This 35mm f/1.4 will block part of your finder, while the 35mm f/2 won't.

I have used Leica's 35mm f/2.5 Summarit and 50mm f/2 Summicron for the last three years and have always been happy with them on my M Monochrom, but when I bought the Leica M-E last year, I longed for f/1.4 for available light shooting as the M-E (M9) falls apart above ISO 1250.

Manual Cameras are fun to use. They truly put the fun back into Photography

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  Color Resolution, Optical quality

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  Price

This is for the 35mm Summilux/1.4 ASPH lens. I have mixed feelings for this lens. It is extremely good at mid-apertures, is nice and compact, and sharp as it gets, but has pretty bad light fall-off in the first 2 stops.

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  Fit and finish is outstanding. Compactness is very good for a fast lens like this. When stopped down to about f/4 evenness across the frame is very good, sharpness is outstanding. Never had any flare problems with this lens.

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  I found light fall-off at f/1.4 to be shockingly bad in a lens this expensive--it's not that wide a lens. Its funny that this was not really mentioned in the various reviews I read prior to buying this lens.

Fast, smooth quality normal lens

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  Razor Sharp. Leica Build quality, outstanding low light abilities

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  Pricey

I'd give it 4.5 stars...but could not vote fractions.Wide open it is very doable fpr documentary uses. But closed down 2 to 3 stops and it is excellent. Only complaint is the aperture ring is kind of loose.When street shooting the Leica ring gets moved easily. I much prefer the Zeiss aperture ring.

This lens is good for a variety of shooting situations. Very sharp. It's small and easily carried through crowds or on daylong hikes. It's quite good for landscapes with great depth of field when set at small apertures. Subject's details have contrast and images are suitable for printing.

If you have a Leica rang finder this lens is a must. Of all the lens I have this is the lens that I use the most. It defines words like sharp, and fast. The Bokeh is constant and dream like. Like all Leica products its built like a tank.