Is it SAFE to collapse lenses on the M10

[UliWer]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Depth and width of the "throat" which has to take the collapsed tube are the same for the M10 as for M9 and M8 (I do not know the "M (240)-Family" though I think it's the same as well). 

 

So the general advise is still true:

• Do not attach or release a lens other it is uncollapsed.
• Don't apply any pressure when you feel a slight resistance pushing the tube into the cam.
• Look at the tube's end whether it has any irregularities.
• Better avoid collapsing a 1:2.5/5cm Hector (longest protrusion of the tube of all Leitz lenses).
• You cannot collapse the old 1:4/90mm Elmar - as its rear end is much too broad for a digital body.  

[tobey bilek]

The last 50 & 90 do not extend into the camera or I should say past the mechanics of the permanent non moveable portions of the lens.  Therefore no problem.  

 

Older lenses,  use the tape solution or do not collapse.   

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[UliWer]

True for the 1:4/90 Macro-Elmar.

 

The last collapsable 50mm was the 1:2.8/50 Elmar-M - and its tube extends deep into the body when you collapse it. It even has a plastic ring at its rear end which makes the tube broader and enhances the risk that it hits the little wheel which activates the rangefinder. Leica CC used to take this little plastic ring off, so that you could collapse it without this risk.

Edited March 22, 2017 by UliWer

[Cliff S]

I don't get it. The tube is narrow, sits about 1/2" from the shutter curtain and doesn't come close to the wheel. I'm using it in an M10 with no issues.

[jaapv]

True for the 1:4/90 Macro-Elmar.

 

The last collapsable 50mm was the 1:2.8/50 Elmar-M - and its tube extends deep into the body when you collapse it. It even has a plastic ring at its rear end which makes the tube broader and enhances the risk that it hits the little wheel which activates the rangefinder. Leica CC used to take this little plastic ring off, so that you could collapse it without this risk.

No plastic on mine...

[Cliff S]

Mine has a black plastic bezel

 

Correction- more like 1/4" from the curtain. I has the focus turned further out than the minimum.

[edmond_terakopian]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi Folks,

 

I too needed an answer to this as I really like my Elmar-M. I emailed Jesko at Leica a little earlier and received the response that yes, it works just fine.

To clarify, my question was very specific. It was only about the latest (modern) 50mm Elmar-M f2.8 lens. As has been mentioned, when mounting the lens or taking it off, it must be in the extended and locked position. Once mounted, it can be collapsed for carrying.

I'm currently reviewing the M10 for Amateur Photographer magazine (in the U.K.), so after having heard back from Jesko, I mounted my 50mm Elmar-M to the M10 and gently collapsed it. It collapses absolutely fine. My lens is unmodified

Again, I hasten to add this is for this specific and particular lens. Can't speak for any other models.

Take care when collapsing yours and realise you do so at your own risk! I only say this in case you might have some sort of modification or an older version etc.

 

Cheers,

 

Edmond

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[SiOnara]

I've now collapsed my 50mm Elmar-M, 50mm Summitar, 50mm Elmar red scale and my 50mm Summar. All seemed to be fine. Again you just need to be cautious collapsing these lenses and I always mount them on the body extended.

[Prof Peter Thomas]

It is perfectly safe to collapse an Elmar-M 1:2.8/50 E39 (3692832) into an M10.

 

The Elmar was my favourite travel lens with the M6; very compact and a lovely lens.

 

When fully retracted, the Elmar projects back 20.5mm from the surface of the mounting ring when set at infinity (less when focussed closer).

 

In the M6 the distance from the mounting ring to the metal frame in front of the shutter is 22mm. In the M10 it is 21.5mm.

 

This leaves 1mm of clearance in the M10 with the lens fully retracted and set on infinity.

 

The clearance of 1.5mm can be checked in the M6 with back open and the shutter open on B.

 

The barrel on the Elmar clears the little wheel in both. With the back open on the M6 you can see that it passed very close to the wheel. To avoid touching the wheel it was always best to put the lens on the M6 in the extended position and then retract it once mounted.

 

The same applies to the M10.

 

You cannot manually select this lens in the menu, presumably because Leica recommend not to use any retractable lens on the M10.

 

When enough of us find it works, we should persuade them to add it to the list. Then perhaps they would even agree to update it with the coded mount, as they will for other older lenses.

 

1mm of clearance is plenty in devices built to such fine tolerances. Relax and enjoy!

 

Professor Peter Thomas

[a.noctilux]

It is perfectly safe to collapse an Elmar-M 1:2.8/50 E39 (3692832) into an M10.

 

You cannot manually select this lens in the menu, presumably because Leica recommend not to use any retractable lens on the M10.

 

When enough of us find it works, we should persuade them to add it to the list. Then perhaps they would even agree to update it with the coded mount, as they will for other older lenses.

 

1mm of clearance is plenty in devices built to such fine tolerances. Relax and enjoy!

 

Professor Peter Thomas

 

Professor, in my M10 Menu I see a line with "50 f/2.8 11831/11823/11824".

Not your M10 ? 11831 is black Elmar-M 11823 chrome .

 

Can be coded also as "100010"

 

From the FAQ here https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/185433-m-lens-codes/

Edited May 13, 2017 by a.noctilux

[jaapv]

It is perfectly safe to collapse an Elmar-M 1:2.8/50 E39 (3692832) into an M10.

 

The Elmar was my favourite travel lens with the M6; very compact and a lovely lens.

 

When fully retracted, the Elmar projects back 20.5mm from the surface of the mounting ring when set at infinity (less when focussed closer).

 

In the M6 the distance from the mounting ring to the metal frame in front of the shutter is 22mm. In the M10 it is 21.5mm.

 

This leaves 1mm of clearance in the M10 with the lens fully retracted and set on infinity.

 

The clearance of 1.5mm can be checked in the M6 with back open and the shutter open on B.

 

The barrel on the Elmar clears the little wheel in both. With the back open on the M6 you can see that it passed very close to the wheel. To avoid touching the wheel it was always best to put the lens on the M6 in the extended position and then retract it once mounted.

 

The same applies to the M10.

 

You cannot manually select this lens in the menu, presumably because Leica recommend not to use any retractable lens on the M10.

 

When enough of us find it works, we should persuade them to add it to the list. Then perhaps they would even agree to update it with the coded mount, as they will for other older lenses.

 

1mm of clearance is plenty in devices built to such fine tolerances. Relax and enjoy!

 

Professor Peter Thomas

It is obvious that any lens built not to touch the shutter of a film camera won't do so on a digital one either; the register distance is the same. The risk, however, is that it will damage the inside of the camera mouth and the structures therein.

 

So the real question is whether the diameter of the lens tube is not too large relative to the depth that it is collapsed to. The old Elmar 90/4.0 is such a lens, as it collapses so deep that the edge of the barrel comes dangerously close to the baffles in front of the shutter, and some older Elmar 50 lenses have a wide ring at the end that is hazardous as well.

 

I think Uli has explained this quite extensively in this thread.

[Yuhau]

I  may have repeat what some of you had said before ..Can I safely say if I  put a 1-2 mm O ring on the tube to prohibits  the tube from fully retracted. I can freely mount and dismount the Elmar "fully ( less the 1-2 mm) retracted" on my  M10 ?  

Being very absent minded at my old age , I like to fool proof my Elmar  on that .

 

Thanks 

[luigi bertolotti]

I  may have repeat what some of you had said before ..Can I safely say if I  put a 1-2 mm O ring on the tube to prohibits  the tube from fully retracted. I can freely mount and dismount the Elmar "fully ( less the 1-2 mm) retracted" on my  M10 ?  

Being very absent minded at my old age , I like to fool proof my Elmar  on that .

 

Thanks

"Retractable Elmar" is more than ONE.. so :

 

IF the ELMAR you speak of is a 50, answer is definitely YES , if is a 90 answer is NO (being, for it, not a problem of LENGTH, but of WIDTH)

Edited July 19, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[jaapv]

I  may have repeat what some of you had said before ..Can I safely say if I  put a 1-2 mm O ring on the tube to prohibits  the tube from fully retracted. I can freely mount and dismount the Elmar "fully ( less the 1-2 mm) retracted" on my  M10 ?  

Being very absent minded at my old age , I like to fool proof my Elmar  on that .

 

Thanks 

I collapse all my Elmar 50 lenses on the digital M cameras without any problem. An O-ring seems to be superfluous.

[jaapv]

"Retractable Elmar" is more than ONE.. so :

 

IF the ELMAR you speak of is a 50, answer is definitely YES , if is a 90 answer is NO (being, for it, not a problem of LENGTH, but of WIDTH)

Of length too, Luigi; it is dangerously close to the light baffles in front of the shutter. (Not the macro-Elmar 90!)

[Yuhau]

Thanks Jaapv and Luigi ,

 

Yes I was referring to Elmar 50 ...it's very classy when retracted in the M .

 

 

Yuhau

[Frase]

I do the O ring thing on my elmar 5cm f3.5 just to give a little extra space I have used it without. I tried it first on my M2 with the back off and shutter on B to see how far it goes in, its an amazing piece of engineering as it only misses the shutter by only just over 1mm. I reckon without the O ring if the lens was bumped and was pushed at an angle it could touch the shutter.

[probert]

I like to use old collapsible lenses on my monochrom and also on my Fuji X-T2. I have no idea what will happen if i retract any of them into the body of the Fuji, so I looked for ways to block them, to avoid accidents. In the end I decided to stop them from retracting by covering the tubes with leather. Since both of these (a summar and a 1950s elmar 90) have perfect glass, but showed clear traces of use on the tubes, the leather was an improvement. I think they both look great. The leather was applied using rubber cement, so I can remove it if I ever want. 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Ronazle]

I have repeatedly with no ill effect collapsed my modern 50mm Heliar on my m9. Previously, I used a collapsible 50mm Summicron and Summitar on my M-8. Regards, Ron

Edited August 25, 2017 by Ronazle

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[LCL999]

This is a trifle off-topic, but I have made extensive use of my collapsible 90/4 on my M9. The 90/4 stops down to f/32 which is right on the diffraction limit, but at f/22 or f/32 it is excellent for documentary photography of 3D objects. Maximum DoF at those apertures, plus minimal perspective distortion that wider angles give. I haven't seen any other lenses that stop down to f/32, but I guess there must be some. Usually f/16 is the limit.

 

Naturally I only use my 90/4 fully extended.