Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/07/26

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Subject: Re: Collapsible Summicron 50 (M3 D/S)
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 23:31:30 -0400

At 09:29 PM 7/26/97 +0200, Hans Pahlen wrote:
>There is also an early collapsible 50 mm Summicron with this camera, that I
>can get very cheap. There has not been much talk about this lens on the
>LUG. I have checked Lager, and he says that there might be differences
>between the front lenses compared with the rigid Summicron. But he does not
>know for sure, as Leica officially never said there was any differences. 

This has been documented know in Shutterbug and Viewfinder.  Leica never
did admit the differences between the collapsible and rigid Summicrons, but
two things give this difference away:  first, that the rigid lens is
several millimeters longer, and, second, that the two lenses are covered by
distinct patents.

In use, the rigid Summicron is a better performer but the difference is not
one of night and day.  I have both a collapsible TM and rigid DR Summicron
and use them both:  these lenses take pictures of the first quality and any
distinction between their images can only be noticed in extremely critical
applications.

Go for the collapsible.  It is a superb lens and capable of the finest
results.

Marc


Marc James Small
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