Re: [Leica] Leitz Summaron 3.5cm

[Lucien <director@ubi.edu>]

Darren Soh wrote:

> Hi. I know for a fact that early M-mount lenses (late 50s) were actually
> LTM-lenses given a M-adapter. 

Few of them, yes, like the 21/4 and some 35/2,8.
But that's only a minority.

> I came across two specimens of the above
> lens today in a shop...the E39 later version and not the A36 earlier
> version that I intended to get for a friend who wants to start on the
> M-system but is on a severe budget. I noticed that the depth-of-field
> marks of both lenses were on the M-mount itself, at the very edge of the
> lens. However, when I tried mounting the two lenses on an M2, they both
> brought up the 50mm frame lines instead of the 35's. My first thought
> was that the lenses had had the wrong adapter (ie a 50mm one) fitted on,
> but the depth of field scale was clearly that of a 35mm's. Does anyone
> know what the problem might be? My own A-36 Summaron 3.5cm brings up the
> correct frame lines with a 13.5cm adapter.

That lens was made for the M3 + separate 35mm viewfinder,
before the M3 version with goggles. It's only at the end of
production that they were maid for the M2.
There are much more M3 first version than M2 version out there.
 
I don't believe those lenses (35/3,5  E39) were maid with an adapter.
I think they were all real M lenses from the beginning.

Be careful, those lenses are often foggy.

Lucien