RE: [Leica] Focusing Older Sumicron 90

["Khoffberg" <khoffberg@email.msn.com>]

Nigel

Thanks for your helpful response and apologies for my tardy reply - our mail
server has been acting exceedingly cranky.  I've since tested my lens on
three different bodies and low and behold the problem persists.  Could you
tell me how to best get a hold of Jon?  The lens was my grandfathers so it
does have the sentimental value to allude to.

I vaguely recall you've commented in other postings on the virtues of the
90mm elmarit and perhaps even the 75mm sumi.  True?  What's your opinion on
both?  I see in the Tarmarkin listings that it's possible to purchase a used
90mm 2.8 for pretty reasonable dollars.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers
Kevin Hoffberg
(925) 942-2772
Visit our website at www.inseon.com

- -----Original Message-----
From:	owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of N. B. Watson
Sent:	Thursday, October 22, 1998 3:10 PM
To:	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject:	Re: [Leica] Focusing Older Sumicron 90

Kevin, to answer your question, the bayonet adaptors are of the exact
thickness to compensate for the differing flange-to-film-plane distances
between screw-mount and M Leicas.  If the lens acts the same on both of
your M's, it is possible that the focus mount (which on older Leica
lenses at least, was adjustable) is "off" and the lens is out of
collimation. That could be adjusted by a competent Leica-trained lens
repair person.  My recommendation is Jon VanStelten of Focal Point in
Colorado, USA.
You might also want to consider that the Summicron in screw-mount was a
very low-production lens.  If it is the type with a removable rather than
integral lens hood, it is rarer still.  If your lens is in fine condition
and you don't have a sentimental attachment to it, you might be able to
recover sufficient funds from its sale to afford a new(er) lens.  Or do
as I have done and "semi-retire" my older lenses (a euphemism for my
being a sentimental old sot and unable to part with them).

Regards,
Nigel

On Thu, 22 Oct 1998 09:44:34 -0700 "Khoffberg" <khoffberg@email.msn.com>
writes:
>I'm new to LUG and have enjoyed reading your various missives.  Here's
>my
>question.
>
>I have an older screw mount Sumicron 90 which I inherited from my
>grandfather.  I use it on my M3 and M6 with an adapter ring.  I've
>noticed
>that when you try to focus at infinity that the images don't quite
>line up
>in the range finder - you can't get them all the way there even though
>the
>hyperfocal scale says infinity.  Any thoughts? Is it possible that the
>extra
>thickness of the adapter ring is causing the problem?  If so, wouldn't
>the
>same problem hold true at all other distances?
>
>My test slides under a 10x loupe look sharp at various distances but
>I'm not
>sure if that's just a function of being stopped down and depth of
>field (the
>test I just did was at f16.  It didn't occur to me to try other f
>stops).
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Kevin Hoffberg
>(925) 942-2772
>Visit our website at www.inseon.com
>
>
>

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