5cm F2 Summicron with 11 blade Iris

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>I have the good fortune to have my Dad's M 3 Leica equipment, and have recently been using some of the lenses successfully on a Ricoh GXR with an A 12 mount. I had a dust spot on the sensor, and went to my local camera shop to buy a blower, and to see how sensor cleaning should be done. The store's very experienced owner commented that this was the first Summicron he had seen with an 11 blade iris. My recollection is that my Dad bought the camera on a visit to Germany in the early 50's. I was allowed to use the camera kit as a Teen, and have certainly used it since, but know very little Leica history. Is there something of particular interest about this lens? I posted shots with the GXR / lens combo today, and have been very pleased with its performance. Appreciate comment from any Leica experts. Thanks!</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>The Summicron version 2, circa 1964, which includes the dual-range model, has 11 blades. Later models have fewer, but still rounded. Ken Rockwell's site has a good description of Summicron lenses through the ages.</p>

[christopher_junker1]

<p>Your Summicron lens, although manufactured in the early 60's remains highly regarded even today. If you search the net for Leica Lens Serial Numbers you will be able to find a chart with your lens' year of manufacture enabling you to research your lens in greater detail through other sites. As noted above the Ken Rockwell site is a great place to start and gives a great review of all the 50 Summicron lenses. I have 4 Summicron 50 lenses dating from 1952 through 1968 and continue to have wonderful results from all of them. The Summicron 50 series are my favorite lens and I am looking forward to doing exactly what you have done, namely start using my Leica lenses with an A12 mount on a digital body. The current version f2 Summicron 50 ASPH lens is widely regarded as one of, if not the very best 50 lens ever made. Welcome to Photonet and the Leica forum.</p>

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>Christopher, thanks. The GXR kits with the A 12 are out there at reasonable prices. Some of the modules (ex the 28mm) are downright cheap. I am still learning and programming the camera, but it is amazingly capable in some respects, and quite sophisticated. I will check out the Leica lens serial numbers. Again, thanks!</p>

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>Christopher - Apparently I was pretty close -- the camera, the 5cm F2 and 3.5cm 3.5 are dated '54. A 90 was bought in '57, and a 135 in '66. His original M meter died and I gave him an MR for Christmas in the late '60's. All except the 3.5 are clean -- that has fogging.</p>

[james_elwing]

<p>Christopher - Apparently I was pretty close -- the camera, the 5cm F2 and 3.5cm 3.5 are dated '54. A 90 was bought in '57, and a 135 in '66. His original M meter died and I gave him an MR for Christmas in the late '60's. All except the 3.5 are clean -- that has fogging.<br>

So the Summicron is a collapsible one, and the Summaron 35 should be without spectacles ?<br>

Each of these are at their best in the central area, therefore an APS C sensor will really benefit. I find the Summaron very sharp in the centre, better than some lenses I replaced it with & have put it back in my camera bag; so it might be worth your while to have it cleaned. My experience is that the collapsible Summicron is as sharp in the centre (bit dodgy in the corners) as the later rigid one mentioned is all the way into the corners.</p>

 

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>James -- Yes, and yes -- the 35 has an auxiliary finder that fits the flash shoe -- of course that requires that the meter be removed on the Leica, irrelevant on the GXR. I will need to send the 35 off for service. Right now, pretty cloudy. Thanks for your input!</p>

[james_elwing]

<p>Hope it works for you. Just put a film through the M3 once in a while to keep it working.</p>

[christopher_junker1]

<p>James, thanks for the comment on the APS C sensor as I also have an early Summaron 35 LTM I use with the LTM to M adapter. I use it on a rebuilt Leica CL through the 40 frame lines as they are just a bit tighter than the 35 coverage. I'm looking forward to using it on a digital body. The CL/Summaron 35 makes for a very light, compact carry around travel camera. And speaking of meters, Quality Light Metrics in CA recently rebuild my MR meter and they did a wonderful job. The photo cell eventually wore out and there was some internal corrosion that had to be removed but at least the meters can be rebuilt. Sandy, be very careful if you ever have to clean the front element on your Summicron. It is very easy to damage both the lens coating and the very soft glass front lens by incorrect cleaning methods. Look for guidance on this site on how to correctly clean a Summicron lens. </p>

[james_elwing]

<p >Christopher, you are assiduous. when they rebuilt the meter, did they deal with the mercury battery issue, or do you have to use air cells? My technician adjusted one of my MR meters to 1.5 volts, for an alkaline battery, but I forgot which one.</p>

 

<p>My Summaron is a bit lumpy with M3 spectacles. Good lens; awful view, useless for any other camera but M3. On my M9, I get asked if I am using film camera.</p>

<p> </p>

 

[pensacolaphoto]

<p>The 50mm Summicron is one of my favorite rangefinder lenses. In particular, I use the first version Rigid Summicron more than any other 50mm RF lens that I own. It is a high resolution, medium contrast lens that is very well built. It can be used on film cameras and on digital M bodies, unlike the magnificent Summicon Dual Range that cannot easily be used on Leica M digital cameras.</p>

[christopher_junker1]

<p>James, I sent two meters to QLM, a Leica Meter 3 and a MR-4. This is the second time in 20 years I've used their services and I highly recommend their work. The Leica Meter 3 needed a new cell and corrosion cleanup and the MR-4 the same with some work on the pointer system. I asked that the MR-4 be calibrated for 1.35v as I have been using the Thai 1.5 to 1.35 adapters with silver oxide batteries rather than the short life Wein batteries. I had to go this direction with the MR-4 rather than just reset it for 1.5v batteries as I have a Leicaflex ver.1 without the battery switch, a Leica CL and the MR-4 that all use 625 size and I need longer battery life. The rebuilt meters and a Toshiba hand held meter match readings for normal use. Available light B/W ASA 400 is beyond the low light accuracy capability of the Leica Meter 3 but at the low level setting, the MR-4 and the Toshiba have identical readings down to f1.4 @ 1/15. The meter readings through the Leicaflex and the CL also match using the Thai adapter which is remarkably well built and gold plated to resist corrosion problems. Ordered through Amazon, the adapters took three weeks to arrive from Thailand.</p>

[christopher_junker1]

<p>Raid, The 50 Summicrons, collapsible, M version 1 rigid and Leicaflex R ver.1 are the lenses I also use the most. The collapsible 'cron is used only with B/W film as it is an early thorium oxide lens in immaculate condition except for the tea colored gamma ray deterioration. The collapsible 'cron renders a lovely B/W image but there is an overly warm color balance using color film. The other 'crons are all I could wish for. I look forward to using the M rigid on a digital.</p>

[Troll]

<p>One of the beauties of the 35mm lenses with spectacles is that they, alone, give 100% FOV on the M2, M3, M4, and M5.</p>

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>Bill -- the 35mm finder mentioned previously does a pretty good job without the ugly! A tleast on the M 3.</p>