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M9 and Dual Range 50mm f2 Summicron?


dspeltz

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Good question. Page 110 of the M9 manual says that the "Summicron 50mm f/2 with close up setting" cannot be used on the M9. Are they referring to the DR Summicron? I've got a DR - I've been saving it for a full frame M - I may have to have the close focus cam (the part that interferes with the M8.2 mount) ground off of it after all. My M9 comes next week - I'll try it.

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Good question. Page 110 of the M9 manual says that the "Summicron 50mm f/2 with close up setting" cannot be used on the M9. Are they referring to the DR Summicron? I've got a DR - I've been saving it for a full frame M - I may have to have the close focus cam (the part that interferes with the M8.2 mount) ground off of it after all. My M9 comes next week - I'll try it.

 

This is so unfortunate! But can we use it in the normal setting?

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Samir: Probably not. The issue is that the close-focus part of the lens' rangefinder cam sticks out farther than the normal range part, and it bumps into something inside the camera. This was true of the M8 also. I almost never used the DR's close-focus range, and I love the rendition of the lens, so I had the close-focus portion of the cam ground off by DAG (a good Leica repairman in the U.S.) It was worth it.

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Samir: Probably not. The issue is that the close-focus part of the lens' rangefinder cam sticks out farther than the normal range part, and it bumps into something inside the camera. This was true of the M8 also. I almost never used the DR's close-focus range, and I love the rendition of the lens, so I had the close-focus portion of the cam ground off by DAG (a good Leica repairman in the U.S.) It was worth it.

 

Interestingly, I can only use the close-focus range of the DR on the Panasonic G1 with the M-adapter. There is no way to mount the DR on this setup when in the normal-range set-up. Only when in the close-focus range...and once mounted, there is no way to swith to the normal range.

 

Now why would the M9 not accept it? Is it the internal light meter?

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Actually, the DR was usable on the M8 in the close-up range, just like you describe on the G1. I tried it that way--had to press the little ball and move it to the close-up range before mounting.

 

I don't know exactly what the close-focus cam hits, but I wasn't interested in scraping up the light chamber of a very expensive camera to find out. If you look at how the close-focus half of the cam sticks out, you should be able to look inside the place where it would go on an M8 or M9, and probably figure it out. Evidently no other Leica lens needs this space, and Leica didn't accomodate for it when designing the digital Ms.

 

The solutions are to get a "Rigid" Summicron for the M8 or M9 (same optics as the DR). Or send the lens in for an "operation."

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  • 3 weeks later...

my lens has the serial # 2228xxx....

 

what is the leica part numer please, for this lens, and in using it, modified (under a rabbi's supervision) on the M9...

 

in manual lens settings, what setting should be selected ?

 

many thanks,

 

Steve

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Steve:

 

The M9 doesn't appear to have a menu item for the "Rigid" Summicron, which was identical optically to the DR. Your best bet, then, would probably be the next version of the 50 Summicron, 11817 (1969-79). My advice would be to take a picture of a white wall, and a couple of familiar subjects. Use this code (11817), the current Summicron (11819), and no lens detection at all. Pick the one you like best and use it.

 

--Peter

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