![]() ![]() If not, there are several fantastic alternatives. So, should you buy the 35 FLE? The most important question to ask is whether you benefit significantly from having f/1.4. It’s worth it to me because I love shooting 35mm, I love the unique rendering of f/1.4 at this focal length, and I also want a lens that’s sharp and small. For many people, this astronomical price won’t be worth it. Acquiring even a used copy of this lens will set you back >$3000. In fact, the image quality is almost as good as the Zeiss 35/1.4 a little barrel distortion and soft edges/corners under certain conditions are the only flaws. But no other lens offers the same combination of compactness, wide aperture, and image quality. The Leica Summilux 35 FLE is not the sharpest 35mm lens in the world, nor the fastest, nor the smallest. Although this isn’t perfect, it’s a big improvement over the pre-FLE version which was visibly out of focus at f/2.8 - f/4. Fortunately, the shift is too small to make photos visibly out of focus or unsharp. If you look closely at the above sharpness test, the point of focus moves slightly rearward at f/2.8. Nothing too interesting here both the Leica and Zeiss feature floating elements and both are great performers even wide open at minimum focus distance.įocus shift: The 35 FLE is not completely free of focus shift. ![]() *The 35 Summilux ASPH Pre-FLE technically checks these boxes, but it’s frustrating to use due to strong focus shift. In my opinion, it’s the holy grail of 35mm lenses and worth the high price. I only sold it to force myself to shoot with other focal lengths, and I’ll probably buy it again at some point. This is because no other 35mm lens checks all of these boxes: a f/1.4 aperture, good image quality, and compact size.* I ended up keeping this lens for five years, which is by far the longest I’ve ever kept a lens in my kit. ![]() They all left me unsatisfied in some way, and I regret not simply buying the 35mm Summilux FLE sooner. Before I came to own the lens reviewed here, I tried out no less than 7 other 35mm lenses for M mount: What could possibly make this lens worth that much?ģ5mm is my favorite and most-used focal length. $5,395 is a pretty incredible price to pay for a 35mm f/1.4 lens, but that’s the retail cost of the Leica Summilux 35 FLE. ![]()
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