1956 Summicron 50 collapsible

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After years of picking up lenses opportunistically, I ended up with 3 examples of this lens - M mounts.

 

On the 9 only one of them is acceptable and even that one only at 2.8 or above. Too soft at 2.0.

 

I don't recall having issues with any of them in film - maybe our expectations for IQ are also evolving.

 

That you can use it with a Sooky for macro is a big added bonus to me.

[bocaburger]

Mine is screw mount, 1278xxx 1955 production (per my Hove book), glass is clear as a bell, and it's very sharp on my M9 even at minimum focus and f/2. In fact it was sharper than my late-model Summicron, so that one went away for adjustment!

[C_R]

This lens is 35 mm, but VERY compact, collapsible on M9:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=94672

[UliWer]

Yes I saw that thank you.

It's a pity Leica does not sell a new version of a collapsible 50 summicron.

I would imagine there is a market for a small lens, that is still fast enough not to be just for daylight.

 

...

 

The first collapsible Summicrons seems to have been produced in 1951, though they only came to the market in 1953.

 

So maybe next year or in 2013 Leica will have an opportunity to offer a "60 years Summicron" version. If their lens production will be stabile enough to fulfill demand for the "normal" lenses then, I see a good chance that they will offer some limited numbers of special editions.

 

(And I am sure we'll have many threads then over here about he wrong and backwards orientated Leica policy....)