robert_macdonald Posted November 1, 2003 Share Posted November 1, 2003 I got my Leica IIIa today and was very happy with it, but it seems the lens a 50mm f2 Summar has some dirt and and haze on the inside. Does anyone know how much it would cost to have it fixed, or would I be better off just buying a new (well new to me) lens. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_killick9 Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 Shoot some pictures first, then decide whether it needs a service or whether you should get a new lens, say a Summitar. The Summar is an interesting and individual lens, well worth persisting with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 I have had both the coated 50 Elmar and uncoated 50 Summitar before finding a used 50 collapsable Summicron (coated). Its performance was so superior at maximum apertures, that I never used the others again. I don't believe that your Summar was coated unless it was sent back to Wetzlar post WWII. I would suspect that the cost of cleaning the internals would be unjustified compared to upgrading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul hart Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 The Summar has a cult following which it probably doesn't deserve. The glass is soft and most are scratched to death, many are full of haze and gunk. They flare like mad in overcast conditions. So why the following? Some able photographers have posted decent pictures taken with it, and so the process of beatification began. If you want an excellent contemporary lens, go for a 3.5/50 Elmar, which still struts its stuff even today and is wonderfully compact. If you need the speed, the 'cron is the one. Stick the Summar on eBay and someone will pay silly money for it. I made a cool profit on mine, to my pleasant surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry_soletsky1 Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 You now have seem the source of the mystique of the Summar. It's has a lot of flare to begin with made worse by the dirt that 70 years of accumulation has done with also attendant scratches of the soft glass. Actually for its time it was not a bad lens but that time is over. Only you can decide whether it's worth the money to clean it up. It was inferior to the Sonnar of it's day because it had many more air glass interfaces compared to the cemented elements of the Sonnar (precoating). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob F. Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 Funny, everyone gave opinions about the Summar, but the question was how much it would cost to clean it up. I would suggest giving Sherry Krauter a phone call. Her number is (845) 496-8834. If there's nothing more wrong than dirt and haze, the cost should be within reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_mcdonough3 Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 Hi Robert, I just sent my Summar to SherryKrauter. The price of the CLA/haze removal was $75 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karim Ghantous Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 So how much for a contrast injection and flare suppressant? :-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_elwing Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 Definitely worth a clean, even a front element polish if required. Any decent technician will tell you if the lens is beyond reclamation. Anyone who is after new lens performance should buy a new lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morthcam Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 CLA and haze cleaning at www.focalpointlens.com was $75 + $10 return shipping. I've seen some variable feedback re:Focal Point, but I was quite pleased with the job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_macdonald Posted November 4, 2003 Author Share Posted November 4, 2003 Hi, First I would like to thank everyone for their advice and opinions. I have decided to get it fixed, because as of now there is no way I could afford another lens (I only have two LTM lenses, the Summar, and the Industar 61 off my Fed 5b). I will be sending it to a repair shop in Halifax that i've dealt with before. Thanks again. Robert MacDonald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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