Summicron collapsible 50mm

[Ecar]

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No - unless you are a collector of rare items.

[Keith (M)]

No complaints with my 1955 5cm Summicron Collapsible.

Colour/M9

 

B&W film (Tri-X) / IIIg

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[luigi bertolotti]

There is a listing on eBay for this lens with as quoted: SN#921667 Early Preproduction Lens"

Any idea if rather  a higher price owner requested $770 (as opposed to other listing $400 - $550) somewhat reasonable with respect to the first production batch?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-M-Summicron-5cm-1-2-1952-SN-921667-Early-Preproduction-Lens-Prototype/272831249283?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D47507%26meid%3D0fc82a2d6af349c4b9f9dca801c6938b%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D253132936072&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Bah... to define this as "preproduction" is nonsense imho...  REAL preproductions were the Summitar*.. or some "0000xxx" : it's a normal lens, hopefully good, belonging to a batch which (at least originally, by Leitz) included only 10.000 items...   

(strange that the seller, searching for "rarity",  doesn't speak of the famous "radioactivity"... Always an appealing detail, hard to veirify...   )

Edited September 24, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[Keith (M)]

Ref Post #42, the lens in all its glory:-

(Bought from LeicaShop Wien in Jan 2013).

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[phototrope]

On 9/1/2017 at 1:50 PM, a.noctilux said:

Resistance is futile .

 

One never has enough Summicron.

One more is only waiting for another one.

Life is beautiful, when one more Summicron arrives .

Wow. Just reviving this thread because the post above rings so very true

I have just purchased a 1954 50mm summicron collapsible in mint condition and it's on my way to me. 

Edited November 24, 2019 by phototrope

[sblutter]

I just got mine back from a thorough CLA from DAG - looks brand new.  I've had it for decades.  Went out to do some test shots...

The results remind me a film / vintage look, which is what I'll use for in the future.

It is doesn't have the crispness of other the 50's I've been shooting for a long time, Summi 50 v4, Elmar-M or Voigtlander f:1.5

I was hoping to have an everyday f:2.0 collapsible but the softness and 1.0 meter restriction means I wont be using it for my 'real' work.  However, the M240's sensor is plenty good enough to crop it's captures with no visible loss of integrity in Photoshop

The other 3 are great performers each with characteristics I usefor different reasons:

Summi v4 results are simply gorgeous - @ f:2.8, still lovely bokah but more importantly can handle most lighting situations well

The Elmar-M is a great all day travel shooter due to weight and size (when collapsed)

The Voight's f1.5 gets used when I want more extreme bokah

About 1/2 my shots are with 50's...

I hope the above will be of interest for some of you.  Happy shooting!

PS:  I like light & compact lenses - the Summi-C 40mm f:2.0 is another mid-range I highly recommend, either the Leitz or Minolta version.  They're optically identical

 

[tommonego@gmail.com]

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I was looking for a lens to go with my "new" M3 but wasn't that simple also had to fit an M8, and a CL, my first choice a DR Summicron was out, not compatible with an M8. So I picked up a collapsible from KEH, I like the images I am getting after having it for 3 weeks. Film image from the M3, Tmax 400.

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[Fefes]

I recently acquired a collapsible Summicron. I thought about collecting it, but then I saw the images. It makes me happy to see that some disregard it as an outdated lens for just collecting. I happily picked one of those, and can't stop thinking how beautifully it renders. It is competing for attention with 30 other 50mm lenses, but so far only its rear cap keeps regularly accompanies them. So much so, that I purchased a second copy if only to avoid a revolution in my lens cabinet, being able to leave the Summicron stored next to them, an unbeknown to them take with me its "double" that secretly accompanies me everywhere.

I wonder who was the designer. I understand it was not designed by Mandler, and have not been able to learn who's the designer.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Fefes

[Guest]

Designed by Gustav Kleinberg & Otto Zimmermann

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Gustav_Kleinberg

 

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by Guest

[Erato]

On 9/25/2017 at 1:12 AM, Keith (M) said:

No complaints with my 1955 5cm Summicron Collapsible.

Colour/M9

 

B&W film (Tri-X) / IIIg

Hi Keith,

I'd need you a favor to check it for me.

Have you ever mounted this lens on the M10M or M10-P?

Does it 100% safe and worry-free which might hits the curtain or even CMOS sensor while it collapsed?

Your confirmation would be very grateful.

Cheers

Edited March 4, 2021 by Erato

[Keith (M)]

Yes, M10M  (and M240).  Not a problem & the lens performs very well on 41Mp.

 

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[Erato]

39 minutes ago, Keith (M) said:

Yes, M10M  (and M240).  Not a problem & the lens performs very well on 41Mp.

 

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Thank you so much for your reply promptly.

Should I worry about CMOS sensor get hit while it collapsed? "Not a problem." I'll take that as a positive confirmation.

Thank you again, Keith.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Erato

[Keith (M)]

22 minutes ago, Erato said:

 

Should I worry about CMOS sensor get hit while it collapsed?

That question has been asked and answered in a number of threads on the forum over the years and AFAIR, there is no danger of collision.  If you have concerns, you can always do what I do - mount and unmount the lens in the extended position.  

[a.noctilux]

Yes, the key word is mount/unmount in extended position to clear the inside elements hitting somewhere.

No chance that this collapsed lens hit the sensor or shutter mechanism in any Leica M.

I've used since M8 after using it on film Leica.

Have a look here, collapsed in M10

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by a.noctilux

[Erato]

7 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Yes, the key word is mount/unmount in extended position to clear the inside elements hitting somewhere.

No chance that this collapsed lens hit the sensor or shutter mechanism in any Leica M.

I've used since M8 after using it on film Leica.

Have a look here, collapsed in M10

 

I am very grateful for all of the pals who help me clarify those concerns mentioned above.

Alright then, I'll be happy to accept an offer from a friend of mine.

What is the reasonable price for this Top-MINT radioactive lens?

I hope this lens might be able to kill the COVID-19 virus and it won't hurt my balls, lol.

Very beautiful condition.
- No haze.
- No fungus.
- No scratch.
- No marking.
- No balsam separation.
- Almost no dusts, only few visible dusts on the first element.

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Edited March 5, 2021 by Erato

[luigi bertolotti]

1.043.xxx ... and a bit of yellow hue... it can be one of the items made with the new LaK9 Leiz glass, but with tools still "contaminated" by the Thorium of the previous batches... 😉

(see this excellent article, where 1.044.590 is displayed : http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/50mm_Leica_a_telemetro/00_pag.htm )

 

[Erato]

4 hours ago, luigi bertolotti said:

1.043.xxx ... and a bit of yellow hue... it can be one of the items made with the new LaK9 Leiz glass, but with tools still "contaminated" by the Thorium of the previous batches... 😉

(see this excellent article, where 1.044.590 is displayed : http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/50mm_Leica_a_telemetro/00_pag.htm )

 

Thank you very much for sharing such a piece of valuable information. I read this document over three times long before today.

I've cross-checked this informative review and the serial number as well. This batch is a radio-active lenses.

Further than that, the engraving on the aperture ring is "2,8", not "2.8".

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Edited March 5, 2021 by Erato

[wizard]

Am 24.11.2019 um 22:04 schrieb sblutter:

I was hoping to have an everyday f:2.0 collapsible but the softness ...

I own and use two mint examples of the collapsible LTM Summicron 50mm, and they are not soft at all, at least not from f4 onwards. I have made large prints (60cm x 40cm) and was surprised by the level of fine detail resolution. At f2, however, the lens does render somewhat soft, so if full aperture performance is of prime importance, later Summicron 50mm variants are preferable.

Cheers, Andy

[luigi bertolotti]

7 hours ago, Erato said:

Thank you very much for sharing such a piece of valuable information. I read this document over three times long before today.

I've cross-checked this informative review and the serial number as well. This batch is a radio-active lenses.

Further than that, the engraving on the aperture ring is "2,8", not "2.8".

 

Wow... little detail I never put my eye onto... my old one (920.xxx) of course has the comma... my rigid 1.7xx.xxx the dot... some of the collapsibles in the 1.3xx.xxx here depicted have the dot...  now in the Forum one of our typical/funny/subtle investigations could arise... 😉 "When did Leitz changed comma to dot on the f/stops of the Summicron ?" and "when in general ?" 😎

Edited March 5, 2021 by luigi bertolotti

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[Lelmer]

16 hours ago, Erato said:

I am very grateful for all of the pals who help me clarify those concerns mentioned above.

Alright then, I'll be happy to accept an offer from a friend of mine.

What is the reasonable price for this Top-MINT radioactive lens?

....

 

Got mine for peanuts, offered with M4...