Luring Leica Summar

I have two Summars one in almost perfect condition, the other not as good.The second one differs by having slight brassing of the mount but also by slight marks on the front element. I have to say that comparing pictures from both the differences are slight but noticeable. This picture is from the better of the two.

Sorry I didn't include the picture.<div></div>

<p>Fine picture, Anthony. Chromogenic film? Any filters used? Print original?</p>

Jean -Marie - yes Ilford XP2 rated at 400asa with a Leica III Yellow fiilter

<p>Black nose summar. nickel summar, chrome summar, rotating summar, rectilinear summar, collapsible summar. rigid summar, tropical summar, enlarger summar... the more you scratch around the more exciting it gets...</p>

<p>My Summar is used rarely, but I will next try using it with a M8 or 9. Maybe it does well with a digital camera.</p>

<p>I prefer using my Summar in open shade. Note the glare starting at the window. This photo was taken with a film camera. Most likely, it was a Leica IIIf.</p><div></div>

<p>Here is a second image made with the Summar. It was during a summer in Florida, so outdoors was very sunny. I took the photos inside a bookstore.</p><div></div>

<p>I wonder why someone would state that the Summar is the best Leica 50mm lens ever made.</p>

<p>Soft colours, nice detail; works for me. Where's the b/w Raid?</p>

<p>Some say you can use the fikus hood; others say the elmar 5cm works just fine; I prefer to get the boxtype hood (which is said by some to be more efficient); here's a less common hood from a third party (seems similar to the 5cm elmar hood).</p><div></div>

<p>And i finally found an image of the famous 'black nose' version, for those interested...</p><div></div>

<p>The B&W photo was not taken with a Summar.</p>

<p>"Soft colours, nice detail; works for me. Where's the b/w Raid?"</p>

 

<p>thanks Raid.</p>

<p>There's nothing wrong with that screw sticking out, it's for the lenticular filter for the Agfa lenticular color process.<br>

That front element looks pretty darned good.<br>

Having haze cleaned from a Summar isn't a biggie. Especially if it's uncoated. (Very difficult to clean haze off of Leica soft-coated lenses.) There is simple access to all the surfaces that need to be cleaned.<br>

The lens may also need the black paint replaced on the edges of the inner elements.<br>

If you have a Summar that is crystal clear when you look through it, with no scratches, and proper black paint, it's a very nice lens. The hood isn't even all that important if the lens is good. I did some night shots with street lights in January, and got only minor flare circles from those lights.<br>

I do agree that the apertures wider than f/4 should be viewed as "emergency". At wide apertures, you'll get the crazy Summar swirly bokeh, contrast will be down, and vignetting serious. But I love it as a travel lens, it's probably the lightest 50mm f/2 lens ever made, certainly the smallest!</p>

Summircron f:2 CL lens is far lighter and smaller, but in M mount. If you 7x focus at F:2 Summar in manual on Sony FF or APS-C , ITS VERY sharp! All old legacy lenses are at their best performance on digital cameras, especially mirror-less. Leica rangefinder collimation was never perfect, unless serviced every ten years. A good copy Summar is a joy to take photos with.

My Summar is optically perfect, and has what may be factory coating. The chrome barrel is unfortunately scraped down to the bare metal from lots of use, and looks terrible.

I can't tell any significant difference between its performance and my Collapsible Summicron, either B&W or color.

I particularly like to use it because 36mm slip-on filters fit, from my other screw mount lenses.

 

Summar, Wide-Open on the Leica M9.

 

I have one perfect-glass Summar. Used with a Hood, and in scenes without extreme backlighting: it is amazingly good. I find it probe to flare in strongly backlit situations. I cleaned haze out from the surfaces, not the problem. The Summar vignettes, which was the reason cited in the Morgan and Lester "Leica Manual" for the Summitar replacing it.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Brian