With the goal of creating a lens that fully exploits the opportunities offered by high-resolution camera systems, Leica?s engineers have successfully redefined the limits of what is technically possible. The result is an extremely high-performance lens that sets entirely new standards, and currently represents exceptional talent amongst the standard lenses of the Leica M portfolio. This new reference lens has achieved the best test results ever seen in the Leica M-Lens programme. The MTF curves of the Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH., which describe the contrast of fine details and, in turn, the image sharpness, confirm its outstanding performance.

With the goal of creating a lens that fully exploits the opportunities offered by high-resolution camera systems, Leica?s engineers have successfully redefined the limits of what is technically possible. The result is an extremely high-performance lens that sets entirely new standards, and currently represents exceptional talent amongst the standard lenses of the Leica M portfolio. This new reference lens has achieved the best test results ever seen in the Leica M-Lens programme. The MTF curves of the Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH., which describe the contrast of fine details and, in turn, the image sharpness, confirm its outstanding performance.

The tried and well-proven optical design of this lens provides for a perfection of picture quality extending all the way to the extreme corners of the image field even at full aperture, as well as outstanding contrast throughout, at all apertures, even at close distances. Stopping down to f/2.8 or f/4 brings only a minimal increase in contrast. Distortion is extremely low and practically invisible. Its well-balanced design makes this ideal standard lens an outstanding choice in terms of all criteria, including image quality, speed, size, weight and price. It is also available in combination with the LEICA M7 as part of the entry-level set.

Apochromatic colour correction and an aspherical lens surface are combined for the first time in this lens of this type. Of its five individual elements, two are made of high-refraction glass, while two others feature anomalous partial dispersion. Its brilliance and quality of resolution are exemplary even at full aperture. Light falloff is very low. Its fast aperture, for a 90mm lens, lets you shoot at relatively short exposure times even in dim light, helping to minimise the effects of camera shake, for instance when photographing street scenes from a distance.