Compared to the Summicron-R 1:2/35mm the vario version has an improved definition in the outer zones and a crisper rendition of small details.
A comparison with the Apo-Summicron-R 1:2/90mm ASPH shows that this lens has the same perforamnce at 1:2 as the Vario lens at 1:4.5. Still the vario lens has a slightly higher impact, because of lower internal reflections and a smoother unsharpness gradient.