The former L-mount version didn't have the rangefinder coupling, but this one does and it's more handy. Also, because of the modest max aperture, it's so compact that you always want to put it in your bag and it will save you when you need it. For example, in Kyoto, you'll be shooting in a narrow alley and you'll feel 35mm is too narrow and 21mm is too wide and too much perspective. In such a case, 24/25/28mm lenses come in handy. This 25mm is so small and you can always carry it in your bag.

Let's talk about the picture quality. The former model was bluish and had a strong vignetting, but this one became much more useful because of its neutral color production and the reduced vignetting. It's sharp wide open, although the corners are just a little loose. This problem is solved by one smaller f-stop. Contrast is very high wide open and distortion is almost nonexistent. This is a highly cost-effective lens. There are other brighter lens from Leica and Zeiss, but this lens is necessary and sufficient because we can always raise ISO with a digital camera (of course, I'd like the lens gourmets to master their way of lenses). This lens is small and the mobility draws more chance for better results - just like a shortstop in the ball field.