Remote Leica Archive Research for to follow lens design history

Patents? At least US patents for lens designs give radii of each surface, etc.

Hi , I need to do a remote research in Leica archives. I want to learn their

design process when summitar , hektor , summaron and telyt first produced.

I am thinking to convert KDP software for this mission.

Second I need above listed lenses design drawings and dimensions. I think this

is the easiest one.

I need to learn your idea , is it possible to follow a lens design history

with the help of archives for to extract the fingerprinting style from the

calculation papers and correspondance ?

Do you think , Leica gives this information to out ?

And what about the archive research , do they do it with their staff or do I

need to find a individual researcher ?

 

Best ,

 

Mustafa Umut Sarac

 

Istanbul

Laney or Sartorious will have production dates for the lenses in question and the Lens Collector's Vade Mecum will have layout diagrams, Patent records should show dimensions and other details. I quite frankly cannot answer your other questions since I have never had need for such technical information. Good luck in your quest! Dan

You might want to look at Erwin Puts' Leica Lens Compendium - it has X-section optical

diagrams of all the lenses (except those introduced since 2004 - and I think he has a .pdf

version with updates to cover even those), background information on the lens designers

and the history/sequence/relative performance of lenses (e.g 50 f/1.5 Xenon to 50 f/1.5

Summarit to 50 f/1.4 Summilux; 21 Super-Angulons vs. the 21 Elmarit and 21 ASPH;

etc.).

 

He also has his own opinions about "drawing" and "fingerprints" of the various designs,

and discusses these changes over time in some detail.

 

About the only thing it lacks from your list are detailed internal/external dimensions and

specs for the glasses used. But the diagrams are to scale, so one could get some optical

measurements from them.

 

Leica system brochures give the weight and overall external dimensions of the lenses -

you might be able to track down some older brochures to get 1970s/80s stats.

 

I know that Walter Mandler, who designed many lenses for both R and M systems from the

1950s until around 1980, wrote several technical articles on optical design, which likely

discuss actual Leitz/Leica designs as examples.

Probably not. Patented or not, why would Leica give you blueprints? You could probably pick up generic data, such as the compendium but not the exact tolerances, methods, techniques that make a Leica a Leica.

 

"is it possible to follow a lens design history with the help of archives to extract the fingerprinting style from the calculation papers and correspondance ?"

 

Internal memoranda? Unlikely without court order. Good luck.

Try the Leica Historical Society magazine index as what you are trying to do may already have been written or discussed. I've seen pictures of experimental Leitz lens designs that never went into production referred to in the LHSA materials.

I doubt Leica has anyone on staff whose paid time would be devoted to your project, but I'd bet that somewhere near Wetzlar there's a retired optical engineer who misses the old days and would be willing to tell you more than you wish to know. You just have to find him.

It is better to get opinions Before contacting with archives and get refused.

Why there is a archive If Leica wish not supply even a drawing of 50 years old lens ? I think this is not make sense. And I contacted with Ford or Frank Lloyd archives and they are accepting research with or without remote research with individual researcher .

Germans are somehow a little bit nazi and they could want to give the information to '' blue eyed '' blonde man. Let me learn that is there anyone who contacted with Leica archives and get information about history of their mathematics ?

Mustafa, I doubt Leica has enough assets to dedicate someone to locate old documents, which may not even exist anymore.

 

Best - Paul

they fired 9 million jews. i cant forget this reality somehow they are good mechanics or whatever.

Do you want me to forget what they did to women , children and fathers.

yes they are nazi and needs to be punished until eternity.

IF no paper at the archives , they can go to the hell

Hello !

You describe a problem I am trying to solve since a lot of years !

Some really fine guys from those forums helped (and help yet) me, but it is quite impossible to access any information, out of some calculation books, and very well known patents.

If by miracle you obtain something, please, say it to me !

I have begun a site about lenses, and you can have a look on my (free) work. There are some Leitz lenses. Perhaps it will give you some ideas. My optical program is free for non commercial use.

Sorry for my poor English, I am French (it seems to be a sufficient excuse here !)

Good Luck !

Eric Beltrando

 

PS: you will find my site's address on my Photo.net community page.