Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 15:01 13.10.1997 -0700, you wrote: >OBTW lens is summitar 50 cm 734504 with a slight haze but few scuffs. I found the Summitar (almost) as good as the eraly coll. Summicron, although your slight haze might have an effect (reduced contrasts in general, and problems with strong light/shwadow contrasts). If you find one, try a Summar between f 3.2 and 4.5. It has a completely different character than all the later lenses, specially than the actual ones (except the Noctilux). At these f-stops the Summar iis very sharp, but the unsharpness in the out-of-focus areas is similar to the "old" 2.8/90 Elmarit at f 2.8 or 4. Sources of bright light (e.g. sun between trees or branches) come as circles. I've a coated one, and it's color correction is rather good (except at low light, e.g. at f 2.0, 1/20, 100 ASA). Here, the Summitar is clearly better (no dark corners, better sharpness). When you look for a Summar, you need to care for the front lens, becaause it's soft glass and scratched from cleaning most of the times. At f 2.0 or f 2.2 the corners are dark, but that's gone at f 3.2. Leitz recommended in 1935 not to go beyond f 6.3 (f 9 or 12.5). By the way: Leitz offers an adapter (DM 119.--, about $ 70) to use screw mount lenses on M Leicas. So, you might even use the Summar on a M6 :) Alf