Back focusing 35mm Summilux ASPH

[patashnik]

Yes, it's another one of those threads

The last couple of years I've had 4 35mm Summilux ASPH's pass through my hands. Three months ago I had three, but sold of two since I got a ridiculous good price for them, due to the fact that they had no focus issues on the M8. I kept the last one, kind of an ugly duckling, and time has come to figure out what to do.

Like the tread title suggests, it back focuses, quite badly too. One 1,5m it is visible from f/2 and all the way up to f/8. I've learned to work around it, setting the focus slightly in front of the motive, but at one point I would like to have it fixed. And I mean "fixed" in a Bob the Builder way. It should just work.

My options seems to be Solms or DAG. Does anyone have experience with who does a good job? I would rather not send in my M8, since it is working 100% on the rest of my lenses. All I need is an adjustment to bring the Summilux into the digital world.

As for price, does anyone have an idea of what cost I'm looking at?

And, yes, I know - I shouldn't have sold the "working" Summilux's, but decided to do that since I got more for them than they cost new...

[ho_co]

I can only relate my experience; use at your own risk.

I bought a Canada 75/1.4 with built-in hood new, what, 30 years ago? I had been happy with it on film.

When I got an M8, I discovered that the lens backfocused horridly.

I sent it to Leica New Jersey for the backfocus and to have it coded. They sent it to Germany for the backfocus matter, then did the zebra striping on its return.

I was concerned about the bill, but I was charged only for the coding.

So from my experience, I'd send it to Leica.

But haven't you made enough money from the lenses you've sold that you don't need to sweat this?

[marknorton]

Key to know is that the lens focus shifts as you stop down, though there's some evidence that chrome lenses are better behaved than black ones. Explanations for this difference are difficult to come by.

The lens is the oldest of the current Leica ASPH lenses and is in need of a makeover. As I've said before, if Leica were able to fix the lens with, say, a new barrel and lens element, I'd do it.

[lars_bergquist]

All lenses of any appreciable speed do exhibit focus shift due to spherical aberration. Is it enough to get excited about? I propose a reality test.

Put some bottles or boxes on a table, in a tight but three-dimensional array. Put your camera on a tripod at a distance of 2 to 3 meters and focus the lens carefully, as you would normally do. Note the point of focus, and DO NOT CHANGE IT. Now make a series of exposures at all apertures from fully open, down to f:8 or even 11.

Do no post-processing. Just print out the pictures on A4 paper, or view them on your standard size monitor, at normal viewing distance—not with a magnifier. This is how you normally judge pictures; larger pictures are viewed at progressively larger distances, so that they subtend the same angle of view. Do you find the focus shift disturbing? Is absolute maximum sharpness the most important of all criteria for judging your pictures, to the exclusion of all others?

Neither manual focusing systems (matte screens, rangefinders) nor autofocus systems can consistently place the plane of maximum sharpness exactly in a predetermined place. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I did the reality test, and my backfocus Angst is over. I do now trust my Summilux completely. It is not more inaccurate than I am, or the rangefinder!

The old man from the Age of Scale Focusing

[patashnik]

Thank you for your replies. I am well aware of the fact that some lenses tend to shift focus when stopped down. However, if I wanted such a lens I would opt for the new Voigtländer 35mm/1.4 and save $2000 while I'm at it.

And yes, the focus shift shows up in prints. Hell, it shows up on the display of the M8.

I will give Leica a call, and see what my options are.

[patashnik]

Just to inform any other interested party, I've received answers from both DAG and Solms. DAG quoted a price of $100 and return shipping, three weeks turnaround. Solms couldn't give any specifics, but asked that I send the lens in for "repair".

We'll see. I might end up ditching the idea all together and just offloading it on eBay since I'm not really into this international shipping/repair thing.

[lars_bergquist]

Originally Posted by patashnik

Thank you for your replies. I am well aware of the fact that some lenses tend to shift focus when stopped down. However, if I wanted such a lens I would opt for the new Voigtländer 35mm/1.4 and save $2000 while I'm at it.

And yes, the focus shift shows up in prints. Hell, it shows up on the display of the M8.

I will give Leica a call, and see what my options are.

If it does not show up anywhere else, it shows up there—if you dial the magnification up enough. And yes, you can often see it on paper too. The question is, must we go paranoical about it? There are other things in life, even in photography, than absolute maximum definition, which will in any case vary from lens to lens.

The old man from the Age of the Elmar

[patashnik]

[quote=lars_bergquist;600523The question is, must we go paranoical about it? There are other things in life, even in photography, than absolute maximum definition, which will in any case vary from lens to lens.

The old man from the Age of the Elmar[/QUOTE]

Paranoical? All I want is a lens that I can rely on, also from f/2 to f/8, and also from 1m to 5m. Nothing more. If it ain't this one, I'lll find another one - no big deal. As it is now, this lens renders out of focus images on 90% of my shots, if used "properly".

The Young Man With Healthy Eyes From The Age Of MTF Graphs And High Technical Quality

[Englander]

To specifically answer you question, I copy DAG's letter to me which also indicates HOW he fixes it:

Yes, I can adjust the focus on your 35mm lens so that the lens will very
slightly front focus at f-1.4 so that at f-2.0 you'll have perfect focus.
And at f-4.0 you'll start to have a slight back focus. All in all you'll get
the best possible focus acuracy. Cost is $90.00 plus return shipping
($18.00). Turnaround time- please indicate the date that you'd like the lens
back if you send it in.

Regards,

Don
DAG Camera Repair
2128 Vintage Dr
Oregon, Wi 53575


The results: On film, it seems perfect at all apertures on enlargements to 11x14 darkroom prints but on digital at 100% on the computer it is as he described; however, 13x19 inkjet prints seem to be less revealing than the computer screen and basically look fine at all apertures.

My results from DAG did not involve any need to return for further service as so many of my interactions with NJ have nor was the turn around time excessive.

Good luck,
Joe

[Pointcolville]

I have two Summilux lenses (50 and 75) undergoing this exact repair in Solms. The estimate is $150 each to bring the focus mechanism in the mount up to spec. Certain lenses can be repaired in NJ. My happen not to be on that list.