[Leica] Collapsible 50mm Elmar and Summicron on M8 M9

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

At 1:32 AM -0500 1/17/10, Mark Rabiner wrote:
>>  Rei,
>>
>>  I think it may be a disclaimer in case something goes wrong when
>>  inserting a lens with some sort of fault. As an example look at the
>>  end of your Summitar. There are 3 fingers that have slots bent up to
>>  provide a snug fit to the barrel when the lens is extended. If one of
>>  these fingers get bent up too far it can hit the shutter in the
>>  collapsed condition. Just an idea. Also I believe the old collapsible
>>  90mm Elmar can hit the shutter.
>>
>>  Len
>>
>
>
>I'm dying to know how all  you guys have figured this all out!!!
>Leica says "don't put the retractable lens in your five thousand dollar
>camera or...." so you guys go
>  "I bet that's baloney" and do it anyway and then write about it.
>What if it WASN'T ok?
>One  five thousand dollar camrea off to Solms to have its insides replaced?
>I can't figure this out!?!
>
>Just doing it super slow makes it safe? To me it just seems impossible!
>
>[Rabs]
>Mark William Rabiner
>
>


You don't just take a lens, mount it and collapse it waiting for the 
crunch. You measure things first.

It's quite easy to measure, and once you check what the mounting 
flange to shutter distance is, you know what to stay clear of. You 
then measure, on a removed but collapsed lens what the distance is 
between the lens' mounting flange and the back of the lens. You'll 
find that with all 50's there is plenty of clearance. You can also 
mount the Super Angulons, both f/4 and f/3.4 and even the Hologon 
f/8, although the latter produces some rather remarkable vignetting.

You can also look to see what intrudes into the chamber between the 
mounting flange and the shutter from the top, bottom and sides and 
relate it to the greatest diameter of the collapsing tube, namely the 
three-prong locking claw.

In any case, the only collapsible lens I have any doubts about is the 
old 90/4 Elmar (not the current macro Elmar). I don't have one to 
measure, but all other collapsible lenses, from old Nickel Elmars 
through Hektors, Summars, Summitars and Summicrons and newer Elmars 
clear everything easily. As mentioned before, best to mount the 
lenses in their extended condition, as careless, skewed mount could 
possible catch something (most probably the focussing arm).
-- 

    *            Henning J. Wulff
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