Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In a message dated 9/2/00 5:11:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time, william@penbex.com.tw writes: << I only know why Leica use Elmar/Elmax and Hektor. But not knowing why use Angulon, Summicron, Summaron, Summitar, Summarex? >> You forget the first of the"Sum-" lenses, the Summar. It appears that the ones that followed were all derived from or were variations on that name. It has always been my assumption that the Summar name comes from the Latin word summus, meaning "highest", as in the English "summit" or the Latin phrase summum bonum, meaning highest or greatest good. It is implicitly the consummate lens. Summarex would loosely be translated "highest king". Summilux would be "highest light". Summicron would be, probably, "highest crown", as in "crowning achievement", more idiomatically. The Angulon name comes from Schneider, not Leitz. As far as I know, all the Angulons and Super-Angulons are wide angle lenses. No surprise there. Just a set of assumptions. Maybe someone else has a better story. Joe Sobel