Summilux

The name Summilux is used by Leica and Panasonic Lumix to designate camera lenses that have a maximum aperture brighter than f/2, typically at f/1.4, but dimmer than f/1.25. The lens has been in production since 1959 and carries on to the present day.

The name Summilux is a combination of Summum, which is the Latin word for highest, while Lux is for light.¹ The first Summilux was the 50 mm of 1959, followed by a new 50 mm Summilux design in 1961, whose optics remained unchanged until replaced by the 50 mm Summilux-M ASPH of 2004.²

The Summilux lenses have a maximum f-number of f/1.4, f/1.5 or occasionally f/1.7. This means they are 1 to 1.5 f-stops slower than Leica's Noctilux lenses, but the Summilux lenses are smaller as a result.¹ Summilux lenses are designed for low-light photography.

The Summilux lenses are less expensive than the Noctilux lenses, which has a smaller f-number.¹ However they are bigger, heavier and more expensive than the Summicron.

For the Leica Q system (Leica Q, Leica Q2, Leica Q3)

• Summilux-M 28 mm f/1.7 ASPH.³⁴⁵

For the Leica M mount

• Summilux-M 21 mm f/1.4 ASPH.⁶
• Summilux-M 24 mm f/1.4 ASPH.⁷
• Summilux-M 28 mm f/1.4 ASPH.⁸
• Summilux 35 mm f/1.4⁹
• Summilux-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. FLE Version V¹⁰
• Summilux-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. FLE "Short Focus" Version VI¹¹
• Summilux 50 mm f/1.4¹²
• Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH.¹³
• Summilux-M 75 mm f/1.4¹⁴
• Summilux-M 90 mm f/1.5 ASPH.¹⁵

For the Leica R mount

• Summilux-R 35 mm f/1.4¹⁶
• Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4 1st version¹⁶
• Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4 2nd version¹⁶
• Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4 3rd version – 1997 (ROM contacts)¹⁶
• Summilux-R 80mm f/1.4¹⁶

For the Leica L Mount

• Summilux-TL 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH.¹⁷
• Summilux-SL 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH.¹⁸

For the Four Thirds mount^{a 1}

For the Micro Four Thirds mount^{a 1}

• Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10–25 mm f/1.7 ASPH.¹⁹
• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12 mm f/1.4 ASPH.²⁰
• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15 mm f/1.7 ASPH.²¹
• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25 mm f/1.4²²
• Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25 mm f/1.4 II ASPH.²³