[Leica] Leica lens kit bashing

[Jim Nichols]

Hi Howard,

I agree that the X-T2 makes lens experiments well worthwhile.  It takes 
the rangefinder cam out of the picture.  I have a Russian copy of the 
Zeiss Sonnar that I've had for years and could never get it to focus 
properly on my rangefinders.  But, put it on the X-T2 and it's a whole 
new ball game, giving excellent results.

I liked your images with the 40mm.

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA

On 7/18/2018 2:17 PM, Howard Cummer via LUG wrote:
> Hello Luggers,
>
> One thing I like about old Leica lenses (and other makers too) is the ability to modernize them with a little kit bashing:
>
> I bought a 40mm Summicron on EBay a few months ago for less than C$700.00. I sent the flange off to Don Goldberg
> and he had the flange machined with the 6 bit code pits and coded as a 35 Summicron V4. He then machined
> the flange to bring up the 35mm frame lines when the lens is fastened to a Leica M body. I tested it on my old black M
> 4 and the 35 frame lines came up. I couldn’t test it on my M10, of course, because that body is off at the Leica hospital in
> New Jersey. They have had the body for 12 days and not a peep out of them yet.
>
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Summicron40flange.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Summicron40flange.jpg.html>
>
> Here is a close up of Esther’s hydrangea taken with the 40 cron on my Fuji XT2 - a very
> versatile platform, I find, for these old lenses.
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Summicron40hydrangeas.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Summicron40hydrangeas.jpg.html>>
>
> I also purchased a Konica 21 - 35 Dual some time ago and Don milled the bayonet and coded it as the Elmar 3.8/24mm.
> This is the second time I have done this with a Dual. This time when reassembling the flange I put a
> shim of aluminum foil between the flange and the lens body to move the lens 0.63 mils away from the
> focus plane. Last night I put the lens on the XT 2 and focused on the night sky at infinity - the stars were
> pin pricks at infinity focus so moving the lens forward did improve the focus accuracy. Especially at 21mm
> there is (naturally) considerable vignetting wide open on the XT2 but at 35mm it is minimal.
> Two photos - both were treated for vignetting in photoshop.
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Konica-21hutchC.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Konica-21hutchC.jpg.html>>
>
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Konica-35hutch.jpg.html <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/2018+photos/Konica-35hutch.jpg.html>>
>
> These photos can be looked at large. C&C always welcome.
>
> Howard
>
>
>
>
>
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