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leica m4 with summitar 5cm f1.5


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Had one for 43 years...always worked perfectly. IMHO my favorite Leica film body when my eyesight was better. Now using an M2, mostly a Leica iif...occasionally a Canon P with 50mm & longer lenses and a rebadged Nicca 5L. Never used the Summitar though. The prices, it seems to me, are reasonable if the condition is good and a CLA isn't needed.
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Yes, as Richard Willimims say, the summitar is an f/2. FP4 is a fairly forgiving emulsion. I use it a lot. Developed in ID-11 (1:3 with about 20 - 22 mins development) it gives a bit of a grainy image. Holds the high tones and the shadows, though. Best developer with it is Bill Bowes catechol confection. I'd recommend that. Never used the M4 so cant pass judgement there. Enjoy
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The Summitar was good for its time but was surpassed by the Summicron. As Arthur says, it needs a hood more than other lenses do.

Have a safe and joyous Christmas. I've enjoyed your posts this year. Keep safe, and well, mukul_dube. He Ram. It offends my faith, but I think there are many paths to the same heaven. Regards, Arthur (apiarist1).

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Yes, I know. I always took it as a greeting, but would be happily disabused. 'Oh God'. Have a great Christmas. I will look forward to your posts in the new year. Keep safe, I enjoy trying, at my age, to read other languages. I may not have got 'he ram' right. I took it as a greeting. Perhaps to the wheel of life. The coming and the going (one of our rescue dogs died last night - the day has been punctuated with burial duties), So will post this: Ιδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. And a photo of a good friend who visited us in the last few day - Jimbo. A school friend from long past. I've posted this earlier. Its funny how the past catches up to you. Keep safe, and have a good Christmas. Regards, Arthur (apiarist1).

 

jimbo.thumb.jpg.fe800d835cd6a1422589a2884d726084.jpg

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Thank you, Arthur. I have no faith that might be offended. I might tell you, though, that "Hey Ram" is not exactly a greeting. It is what Gandhi said after he was shot.

 

Brian, please see what Richard Williams says. There never was a Summitar f/1.5.

It was a Typo on my part- i meant Summarit. I have both lenses, and the Xenon 5cm F1.5. At least with the latter- no typo's.

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Back in 1970 Hendrick's Photo in Syracuse NY had a going out of business sale where I bought a Summarit lens specific cast aluminum lens hood. It is Leica catalog number 12,500 code name XOONS. Many years later I bought an f1.5 Summarit 50 LTM exhibiting the same issues as yours. After test shooting, even with the dedicated XOONS hood, the resulting images were a waste of film. Fortunately I learned of a lens restorer, John VanStelten of Focal Point Optics, willing to take on restoring Summarit lenses. However, after cleaning and polishing the lens elements, he called and warned me that the lens re-coating process involves heating the lens elements to a high temperature before applying the coating, but if successful the lens could be fully restored. At that time the failure rate on the fronts element was just under 50% so I signed a waiver saying I'll risk it and go ahead as the lens was useless unless restored. John was totally successful and after optical bench work that involved element cementing, edge painting lens and barrel surfaces and centering of the lens elements, I received the lens back fully restored and re-coated. The results are stunning. Although it still flares, the hood helps. It gives a nice soft image for close ups and sharpens up as you stop down. Contrast is lower than current lenses, but still good. John VanStelten retired and closed his business several years back, but hopefully you can find a shop to do the same optical work; a restored Summarit delivers a unique and lovely image, b/w or color.
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The Summarit is optimized for F2.8 used close-up, will front-focus at F1.5. I took (one of) mine apart and changed the spacing between front and rear groups to optimize for F1.5 across the full range :

 

Leica - Tales from the Greasy Side: Leica 5cm F1.5 Summarit, optimize for wide-aperture

 

With my unmodified Summarit- I have two of them.

 

https://cameraderie.org/threads/leica-50mm-f-1-5-summarit.39464/

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