Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/07/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 21:27:55 -0700 >From: Dave Yoder <leica@home.com> >Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica Users digest V10 #17 > >I'm thinking about buying an R-50mm summicron, but one of the earlier of the new >version--Canadian, built-in hood, serial #287xxxx or something like that. Anybody know >if it'll really work fine on an R8? I've heard there isn't much difference in sharpness >between the early and later numbers of that model. And I forgot to find out if it is >3-cam before I bid on it on ebay (I'm high bidder at the moment). I just need a cheap >50mm and I'm hoping something like that will be fine. Any comments/advice beyond what >you generous luggers have already offered me on this issue? > >Thanks, > >Yoder > ################## I have owned 2 summicron R-50, both of these lenses made in Canada. With the first bought new in '79 ( 28xxxxx, I don't remember exactly)with a R3mot I had a problem which would have been very costly to fix : one day the shade got into the lens destroying one element and disassembling the others. Facing the estimate, I prefered to change for a new 50 (32xxxxx, I don't remember) which curiously was heavier than the first (40g more). I wonder if the plastic inner shell of the first lens has not been changed for a "metallic" one in the second. The Summicron R-50 was the only lens to have that plastic shell in order to lower the production costs (and the street price) at the time of the R3.I also wonder if the problem I had was not due to that damned plastic thing. Dominique Pellissier