Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/05

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Subject: [Leica] Re: 40mm Summicron on other M mount cameras
From: howard cummer <cummer@netvigator.com>
Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 14:28:49 +0800

>Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 19:24:58 -0600
>From: "Jeffery L. Smith" <jsmith45@bellsouth.net>
>Subject: [Leica] Leica CL 40mm Summicron on other M-mount cameras
>There is some speculation that the 40mm f/2 Summicron made for the Leica
>CL will not focus correctly on other camera bodies. Has anyone used this
>lens on a Leica M3 through M6 or on a Bessa-T? Or on a Hexar RF?
>If it only focuses correctly on a CL, I'll leave it on that. I'd rather
>use it on a Bessa-T.
>Jeffery Smith

Hi Jeff,
I have a 40mm Summicron that I have used on my M6, M6HMTTL and my Hexar RF 
without focusing problems. Today it lives on my CLE (with the correct 
frames line). The angle of the focusing cam on the lens for the CL was 
slightly different that on other M's and this is supposed to produce 
focusing errors for the 40 and the 90 F4.0 which were produced especially 
for the CL. I guess that is true at the theoretical limit but in my 
practical experience I haven't had any trouble with the focus of my 40. 
Haven't owned the 90 so can't comment. BTW the 40 Summicron is a very nice 
lens, compact and produces the usual saturated Leica look. Haven't tried it 
on a Bessa T (no suitable finder yet - but it is coming) but I speculate 
that it should focus fine. My suggestion is, to be sure, shoot some frames 
with the lens on the camera body you want to use it on, but I don't believe 
there will be a problem.
About my 40 Summicron, I dropped it one night about 6 feet off a stone wall 
to the pavement below while taking pictures of the bridge across the Danube 
between Buda and Pest. The mounting flange was bent and the next day I took 
it to a camera shop where they used a pair of pliers to bend out the flange 
so that I could still mount the lens. When I got home I had the Leica 
distributor send the lens to Germany - Wetzlar in those days - and they 
milled a new bayonet mount and installed it on my (then about 20 year old 
lens). I was surely impressed by that - it cost, I recall, about US$200 and 
took about 4 months - when I got the lens back it looked new. Still does 
since I haven't dropped it again! :-).
Best Regards,
Howard.



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Replies: Reply from Alastair Firkin <firkin@ncable.net.au> ([Leica] Re: 40mm Summicron on other M mount cameras)