[Leica] Re: The Summaron story

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

I wrote, in an answer to Len's question:

You might try looking for an f3.5 Summaron. As I understand it, the
F2.8 Summaron is identical to the F3.5 model with the diaphragm
adjusted to open half a stop wider.


Seth answered:

Larry, I'm afraid this is just wrong. The only similarities between  
the 2,8
and 3,5 Summarons is that both have six glasses (elements) and both were
produced by Leitz.  :-)   The contrast difference is very  
significant. Put
their images side-by-side and there is no comparison. The degree of
improvement lessens slightly as the lenses are stopped down.


-----

I based my original statement on a dimly remembered story that a well  
known photographer in the 50s asked if Leitz had any 35 mm lens with  
a faster speed than f3.5. The people at Leitz - New York responded by  
adjusting his Summaron so that the diaphragm could open wider,  
gaining half a stop. I know my brain cells are failing but they  
haven't disappeared entirely.

At last I found an authoritative reference. Emil Keller, a long time  
Leitz employee and a manager of Leitz - New York, wrote the  
following, re the Summaron, in his authoritative book "Today's 35 mm  
Photography: The Leica Years 1945 to 1980". (ISBN 09622612-1-1)

"Alfred Eisenstaedt had a problem trying to photograph a world class  
chess tournament for Life Magazine under available light with the  
wide angle Summaron f3.5 lens. Picture a cloth shade cover over a low  
profile desk lamp illuminating the chess board, the player's faces  
lighted by the illumination off the table - that was all the  
illumination allowed. What to do to get more light on the film? After  
a telephone conversation with the factory, we were given permission  
to open the diaphragm of the lens by one stop. We now had a Summaron  
f2.8 and, because Leitz's lens settings were all on the conservative  
side, the suggestion to open the diaphragm resulted in negligible  
fall off at the corners and Eisenstaedt finished his assignment  
without difficulties."

And so the Summaron f2.8 was born. That's not to say that the design  
wasn't eventually altered as newer glasses became available, but I'll  
bet some of the older f2.8s are simply the f3.5s with factory altered  
wider diaphragms.

Larry Z