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Fontenelle archives 65 : close-ups the "old" Leica way


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Close-ups have always been a basic requirement for many photographers, and Leitz-Leica has met this requirement from the beginning. Here are photos taken 30 years ago with a "then" inovative and easier system : a Leicaflex SL2 with Macro-Elmarit-R lens.

It all started with a "close-focus Elmar" version of the Leica I : here, nº 25782.

 

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Then came the NOOKY for the Elmar 5 cm lens, here on a Leica III

 

 

The NOOKY-HESUM was very similar, but allowed the use of both the Kektor and Summar "fast" lenses. It is shown here with a Summar on a black Leica II

 

 

When the Summicron came to the market, the SOOKY also appeared. Here on a Leica IIIf

 

 

 

And when Bayonet-mount bodies became available, SOOKY-M or SOMKY - like the one here monted with its Summicron on a Leica M3 - were offered.

 

 

And at the end of the "old" way, the dual range Summicron, here mounted on a Leica M2-R, was at the same time much easier to use and more elegant.

 

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Nice , Pierre... a good overview on a set of accessories which solved in a smart way the issue of short distances;

btw, almost all the pictures of my gear I posted here, were made with the SOMKY device... it still works fine on my M8 and is still a quick way to have a decent close focus.

;) You only forgot to quote that, in the M3+SOMKY picture, the Summicron lens' head is fitted through the intermediate ring UOORF... without itone can mount only the collapsibele Summicron 50.

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Great stuff. These accessories - in particular the SOMKY - are viable. Except that lens units are no longer removable. Most unfortunate. I suppose these items don't make money these days, but I think it is sad that excellent ideas that work well are abandoned.

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Without camera(s)

the ELPRO, ELPIK, ELPET for Elmar 3.5/50

the HEPRO, HEPIK, HEPET for Hektor

the ELCAT, ELCOM, ELCUR for Compur B

are supplementary front lenses,

not illustrated here but some can some be seen on my website.

the NOOKY for Elmar, 1935,

the NOOOKY HESUM for Hektor or Summar, from 1939 for Summitar also,

the SOOKY for the "new" Summicron Collapsible, 1954,

the SOOKY M (1956 (later SOMKY)) for 2.8 Elmar and Summicron collapsibles

+ UOORF adapter (1960) for Summicron rigid head lens

OMIFO (1949) for use with Elmar 4/90.

the ADVOO on the second pict for IIIG and all 50 mm lens with 42 mm front dia.

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Edited by jc_braconi
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  • 5 weeks later...

Jean Claude,

Where are :

the ELPRO, ELPIK, ELPET for Elmar 3.5/50

the HEPRO, HEPIK, HEPET for Hektor

the ELCAT, ELCOM, ELCUR for Compur B

(looks like you put up your SOOKY pictures instead - and I can't find the ELPRO series on your Historica site) - perhaps start a new thread as I came in late to this discussion - the EL . . . and HE . . . are little discussed and something I would like to know more about.

Thanks,

Tim

Edited by tdavis
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Jean Claude,

Where are :

the ELPRO, ELPIK, ELPET for Elmar 3.5/50

the HEPRO, HEPIK, HEPET for Hektor

the ELCAT, ELCOM, ELCUR for Compur B

(looks like you put up your SOMKY pictures instead - and I can't find the ELPRO series on your Historica site)

Tim

 

Well, I am not Jean-Claude and he will probably answer you. But let me say that the front lenses you mention (ELPRO etc..) are not what we call close-up accessories. They are intended to be used with other type of fixed-focus accessories (reproduction devices like BEHOO etc.,..) and do not offer on their own any possibility of focusing,

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the ELPRO, ELPIK, ELPET for Elmar 3.5/50

the HEPRO, HEPIK, HEPET for Hektor

the ELCAT, ELCOM, ELCUR for Compur B

 

are still a mystery to me!

 

Even if Jim Lager lists the Supplementary Front Lenses under "Close-up devices non reflex" in his Volume III - Accessories (page 114), I confirm they are not exactly close-focus accessories "per se", since their use requires at least a ground glass screen or an "auxiliary setting device" (BEVOR, BEOOY etc..) for precise focusing.

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the ELPRO, ELPIK, ELPET for Elmar 3.5/50

the HEPRO, HEPIK, HEPET for Hektor

the ELCAT, ELCOM, ELCUR for Compur B

 

are still a mystery to me!

 

Download the Accessory Pocket Book by Dennis Laney available on Amazon you will fid them on page 40

 

They are supplementary front lens for close up attachments.

they exist with the same name ELPRO for Leicaflex lens.

 

I have to illustrate them alone but you can see them here (bottom)in the EKOOZ case :

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Ron (Netherlands)
Download the Accessory Pocket Book by Dennis Laney available on Amazon you will fid them on page 40

 

They are supplementary front lens for close up attachments.

they exist with the same name ELPRO for Leicaflex lens.

 

I have to illustrate them alone but you can see them here (bottom)in the EKOOZ case :

 

Thanks, a question though (since I only have visoflexes for these tasks), how was the elpic etc, to be used? Are there also special viewfinders involved?

 

best

Ron

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Thanks, a question though (since I only have visoflexes for these tasks), how was the elpic etc, to be used? Are there also special viewfinders involved?

 

best

Ron

 

Of course not, Ron, since these front lenses are to be used with "devices" with fixed distances to the photographed object.

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Of course not, Ron, since these front lenses are to be used with "devices" with fixed distances to the photographed object.

 

...and when I say fixed distances, I mean diatances AND framing !

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Thanks, a question though (since I only have visoflexes for these tasks), how was the elpic etc, to be used? Are there also special viewfinders involved?

 

best

Ron

Here an extract from a 1933 Leitz Catalog (french)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Some Wikiwork for Tim the ELxxx for the Elmar 3.5/50 the HExxx for the Hektor 2.5/50 ( no one for the Elmar Compur to display)

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