Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Marc - Thanks for all your notes on my Summilux. I do notice in photos that softness you mentioned. It actually presents an unusually "glow" at f1.4 unlike any other "softness" I have seen in other lenses. Curious... One other of my lenses just caught my attention. I noticed in this month's Shutterbug (KEH ad, I believe) a 90mm TeleElmarit in chrome for sale at $3995! I have this same lens in chrome (sn2070028) and had no idea that it could be this valuable. Was there a special edition or something. This has been a nice carry-around compact lens I've used for candid portraits at family Christmas parties, etc. Color in skin tones is remarkable. It's still in beautiful condition. Thanks for all your contributions to the LUG. I enjoyed your note on the friendly nature of the group, and always read your well-researched comments. Gary - ---------- > From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net> > To: hmphoto <hmphoto@delphi.com> > Cc: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: Re: Summilux number! > Date: Tuesday, August 05, 1997 10:39 PM > > At 05:23 PM 8/5/97 -0500, Harrison McClary wrote: > > >the # is 1702354. > > > There are two versions of the Summilux. The original Summilux was an > updated Summarit (NOT Summitar, as I wrote you privately) and suffered from > some of the residual softness problems which plagued that lens. It was > then completely redesigned in 1961, with the new design being introduced in > 1962 at serial number 1844001 (though, as with the redesign of the > Summicron when the rigid lens was introduced, Leitz did not advertise this > change for some years thereafter). The new optical formula is still used > on the current lens, though this now has an inbuilt lens hood. > > Almost all of the Summilux production have been bayonet-mount lenses, > though 445 of the old formula were made in LTM and 103 of the new. > > The first version was only available in chrome. The second version was > available in both chrome and black, though, so far, the current lens-mount > (1961 formula with the inbuilt lenshood) has been produced only in black. > > So what you have is a very, very early first-version Summilux. This is a > nice lens and does hold some collector interest as well. > > Hope this helps! > > Marc > > > Marc James Small > Cha Robh Bas Fir, Gun Ghras Fir! > FAX: +540/343-7315