Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/26

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] 50 Summicron questions
From: "Roy C. Zartarian" <royzart@connix.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 23:50:02 -0500 (EST)

Guess I had a West Coast Summarit since the specimen once in my possession
exhibited the internal "gunk" that precipitated this thread. The external
surfaces did not show a problem.

Even though I did unload the lens (with a full disclosure of its problems) 
without regret, it served me well. Before it turned sour, it produced a
small portfolio of images from the installation several years ago of an
old and dear friend as the Dean of the a theological seminary on Long
Island, New York, in a cathedral where a Leicameter atop the M3 could not
measure the illumination (or absence thereof). A guesstimate of 1/15th sec
at a half click this side of wide open (elbows propped on the pew in front
of me)  got me useable negatives, although some require considerable
manipulation in printing. 

The venerable and cherished dual range 50 mm Summicron is, properly
handled, no mean performer in low light situations. Mine showed its stuff
in the available light (1/8th sec at about f/5.6 or f/8 for depth of field
and again propped on a pew) of a church in Mobile, Alabama and again in
the Cook County office building in Chicago, Illinois where I took some
"from the hip" photographs the day after I had been ejected for
photographing inside without the requisite permits. 

On Fri, 26 Dec 1997, Marc James Small wrote:
[snip]
> Folks on the West Coast claim that Leitz lenses of the '50' are prone in
> general to volatilization of oils causing a misting of internal elements
> but, from earlier discussions on the LUG, this has not been much noted east
> of Denver.  

Written by:	Roy C. Zartarian	| Prophets are not without honor
		25 Stuart Street	| except in their own country
		Newington, CT 06111 USA	| and in their own house.
		http://www.connix.com/~royzart 
Written with the assistance of a labrador retriever whose chin is on the
keyboard.  Any typos are his fault.