Sooky-m

[gvaliquette]

Hello all:

Can you enlighten me on the use of the SOOKY-M close focus accessory, please. Which 50mm lenses does it work with, which 50mm lenses does it NOT work with, and what is the range of reproduction ratios and focussing distances? All this is really not clear from what I can glean from posts on the Internet. Is it worth having, as a light and easily portable accessory for close-up shots, or is it so "clunky" that we should forget about it and pull out the R gear with bellows?

Thank you.

Guy

[Philippe D.]

Hi Guy,

Originally Posted by gvaliquette

Can you enlighten me on the use of the SOOKY-M close focus accessory, please. Which 50mm lenses does it work with

This adapter

SOOKY-M.jpg

works either directly with the collapsible version of the Summicron or Elmar 50mm,
or with the front element of the fixed Summicron, with the use of an adapter called UOORF.

[gvaliquette]

Thank you, Philippe. Does it also work with the new 50mm/f2.8 Elmar, the version that is 6-bit coded for the M8? No, I do not have an M8, but I do have the lens, using it on my M4-2 and M3. Also, what about the reproduction ratios?

Guy

[luigi bertolotti]

The reproduction ratio achievable with the SOOKY-M (personally, I prefer the later code SOMKY... ) goes from 1:15 to 1:7,5 (on 24x36 film, of course) , to say, a minimum field of 7x10", at 19" distance ; this is exactly the same you achieve with the DR Summicron... optically speaking, the "goggle" unit is the same on both items.

I have no direct evidence, but I suppose you cannot mount the last Elmar 2,8 on the SOMKY... to mount an Elmar you have to engage into the SOMKY the "blades" of the lens tube that, normally, engage into the mount of the Elmar itself when is extended for use... do these blades have remained UNCHANGED from the "old" Elmar ? I do not know by sure, but seems uneven to me. Someone else surely can tell this by sure.

Anyway, I found the SOMKY still a very appreciable device if you have a Summicron 50 with removable lenshead : personally, I often use it on M8 (several pictures I posted in the historical section have been taken this way) : given that on M8 the DR Summicron is only "half-usable", SOMKY has became my favorite "light-semi-macro" device : to be precise, I use it with the lenshead of my Summicron 50 DR... to follow the "urban legend" that the glass of DR Crons is "the best" of Summicron 50 breed...

[RichC]

I use mine on my M8 for taking photos of stuff for eBay, mainly!

Using it is pretty straightforward, but it'd be interesting to read the original instructions - I've googled comprehensively but to no avail...

Anyone got a link or scan they could provide (cheers)?

Luigi has answered most of the technical questions, I think. I'd add:

• To mount the lens (or the UOORF (or 1650) lens-head adapter), you push, then twist clockwise; reverse that to unmount.
• After selecting your reproduction factor, you don't focus as usual but instead lean forwards and back until the rangefinder patches align.

Can't answer your question about the Elmar, I'm afraid - I use it with my ratty "beach" lens, a collapsible Summicron...