50mm Summilux Focussing Ring Problem

[marknorton]

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I'm wondering whether anyone here has had this problem with the 50mm Summilux ASPH. Compared to the black version of the lens, you can see the focussing ring on the chrome lens has come loose from whatever is meant to hold it in position.

 

This lens has already been back to Solms to have the front ring replaced due to irrational exuberance on the part of the person with the paint brush and now this. I'm sure Leica Bruton Place will be pleased to see me and I shall tell them that if the lens needs a third warranty repair (it's 7 months old), I'll consider the lens to be not of merchandable quality and will require a replacement. I will of course take the black lens (which has already been back to them twice because it does not focus accurately - and still doesn't) in at the same time in case they take the line that "they all do that, sir".

 

The day when we can use Leica M glass without relying on the clunky rangefinder cannot come soon enough, IMHO.

 

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[gyoung]

You should have a word with lct who seems to think theres no other way of focussing :-)

 

Gerry

[JPizzzle]

Eh, that's quite an unfortunate situation. Mine has never had this problem I would likely ask for a replacement unless solms can guarantee a speedy (say 1 week) turn around. Best of luck,

 

JP

[Jeff S]

Oh my. That's the opposite of most complaints regarding the 50 Summilux asph, which is that the focus action in some samples is somewhat tight and not quite as smooth as some other lenses, possibly because of tight tolerances involving the floating element.

 

I have this issue with a black one and NJ said they can't do anything, stating that it might loosen over time. The impact is greatest in fine focus adjustments, which I've learned to accommodate by using the ring rather than the tab. A friend has a silver one that has no issues.

 

But, I love the lens in all other respects.

 

Good luck.

 

Jeff

[lct]

You should have a word with lct who seems to think theres no other way of focussing...

Jealous? With 30+ lenses working like a charm on 4 Leica Ms and 2 R-D1s i feel pretty comfortable that nothing can beat a good rangefinder as far as focussing so far.

[gyoung]

I can't compete on quantity or variety, and within its limitations I agree that rangefinder is my favourite too, but the 'problem' is the limitations, long lenses and macro being the obvious physical ones. But rangefinder perfection requires a quality of manufacture which is expensive even leaving aside marketing strategies, and I am sure that its VERY frustrating to find evidence that Leica is quite clearly not taking either quality control or customer service seriously enough.

I discovered this personally more than 20 years ago and is why I would not contemplate lightly any electronic leica product, but it is even more sad to discover such problems continue or perhaps are even worse, with basic mechanical issues on flagship products and with someone who is obviously a very good customer, much more so than I was all those years ago, nor ever will be.

 

Gerry

[lct]

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...its VERY frustrating to find evidence that Leica is quite clearly not taking either quality control or customer service seriously enough...

What is sure is Leica's QC is not any more what it used to be. To the point that i fixed myself a stiff 50/1.4 asph with a drop of WD 40 for fear of getting even worst results after a (loooong) trip to Solms. Works fine BTW but don't follow my example or i decline all responsibility.

[Guest]

Always meant to ask:

what is the 14 representing, turned 90 degrees after the m on the distance scale?

Same number on my 1.4/50A chrome btw. It's on no other lens I have.

 

(Hmm, time to update = reduce my M gear list in the profile. M9&2.8/15 are gone. A friend insisted on that combination for months, until he had my nod.)

[gyoung]

Should mean actual focal length is 51.4 mm

 

Gerry

[Rick]

Hi Mark,

 

I've had my black 50mm Summilux for 6 years and it has not seen light duty. After our last 3 week trip last summer it probably got shaken up traveling even a little more. Once home I was shooting it and found that the mount was loose and the focusing was off.

 

For example, I set up a meter stick on the kitchen island and carefully focused on the center of the stick but, the focus was found to be on the stove, 3m behind the center of the stick! And people complain about a little back focus. It also wouldn't focus to ∞.

 

I'm not sure where the loose part was. When mounted I could grab the barrel of the lens and rock it back and forth against the M9 and feel that something, somewhere in the lens barrel was loose. Couldn't tell if it was in the barrel or at the base of the mount.

 

Leica did the repair out of warrantee for free. They stated:

 

REPAIR FOCUS MOUNT

REPAIR AND ADJUST FOCUS

CLEAN OPTICS

CLEAN, LUBRICATE, ADJUST FUNCTIONS

SEE LETTER FOR SPECIFIC REQUESTS

****************

CHECK FOR LOOSE ELEMENTS - NONE**ALL COMPONENTS SECURED; MOUNT; MTR; TEST SHOTS; INFO DOES NOT REACH INF.,CORRECTED

 

I think the above notes on the invoice is broken into two parts. The technician that repaired it and then the lab bench person or QA person that checked the repair. What do you think?

 

 

(I sent it on 2/6 and got it back 3/23...6 1/2 weeks - not bad. I was sent repair estimates at week three (I sent two other lenses) and then they emailed me the UPS tracking at week 5. They also replaced the red threads on my out-of-warrantee WATE(I marred them with the old after-market M8 filter holder, hated that poorly designed piece). And, the coating on my 35 cron had gotten marred (in-warrantee). They charged me $218 for the red thread replacement as they called it cosmetic - which it obviously was. All of this and back to me in 6-weeks. I've always received good service. Only used NJ and N=3, only.)

 

Anyway, I hope this gives you some bit of information to add to your extensive knowledge about M and lenses. It appears that you may be right and the mount is problematic. Complex thing that mount it is.

[Guest]

Should mean actual focal length is 51.4 mm

 

Gerry

Only pre-asph lens here is a collapsible 50mm Summicron and it does not give this exact info about the real focal length. Since I don't see it on my asph lenses, it might be a tradition to mention this, that has been given up. I think I remember reading this real focal length info in the papers Zeiss sent with their 24X36 lenses, but this, as far as I can recall, was before the Contax-Kyocera days.

 

I presume this information was useful for film stereo-photography, in order to buy a pair of lenses of the same focal length with minimal tolerances.

___________

 

Imo there will be different second hand prices for lenses built until 2009 and those manufactured afterwards during a couple of years. There was a boost of productivity in Solms starting 2010 and it's no secret, that there were reduced working hours occasionally before that date. But doubling the monthly lens output in such a short period of time is as much of an achievement as the feats of the marketing department.

Let's see on May 10 what R&Ds have been up to !

[tobey bilek]

Products are getting to complex in an attempt to reach perfection. Every last little bit increases the cost expodentially also.

[pico]

[...] The day when we can use Leica M glass without relying on the clunky rangefinder cannot come soon enough, IMHO.

 

That remark surprised me, given that you are clearly a veteran Leica photographer. May I ask if over time, due to age that you find the RF 'clunky' now? I will admit to that myself. Now with older hands, injuries, tri-focals and uncorrectable IQ of the eyes, the RF has become a greater challenge.

 

In fact, today I will use an EVIL Panasonic G1 for some low-stakes snapshots, but I will use a Leica lens on it.

[lct]

Only pre-asph lens here is a collapsible 50mm Summicron and it does not give this exact info about the real focal length. Since I don't see it on my asph lenses, it might be a tradition to mention this, that has been given up...

Many Mandler lenses have those numbers, including 35mm contrary to what Andrew Nemeth wrote here, but some current lenses have them as well like the Summilux 50/1.4 asph and the Macro-Elmar 90/4.

[marknorton]

I have 23 Leica lenses and would say that only half of them focus accurately. That's why I bought a second 50mm Summilux ASPH which, before it started falling apart, focussed much more accurately than the black copy. I also have 4 M bodies (2 M8U's, 1 M9, 1 M9-P, the M8 I took apart I'm afraid gave up the struggle after I worked on a hardware solution for the delayed shutter wind when Leica initially refused to provide it on the M8, only the M8.2, but that's another story).

 

Truth is, I've lost track of what works with what and stick instead to a small handful of my lenses on the M9-P. I should really move the rest of it along.

 

I've argued for a long time that the Leica rangefinder has a focal length "sweet-spot" of, maybe, 28 - 50mm. Go wider, and you need an aux finder, go longer and you need a magnifier. Leica has failed over many years to materially improve the rangefinder and reduce the extreme dependence on precise alignment. That's why I am hoping for a new camera which takes M lenses and provides live-view for accurate focussing. I tried the Panasonic G a few years ago and liked the ability to focus using live view - my shots with the old Noctilux were consistently better focussed than on an M camera - but we know the IQ with wide-angles is not the best and of course it is not full frame.

 

I'm so disenchanted with the existing focussing arrangement that I think that less is more. One camera, one lens. An M9-P and the 35mm Summilux ASPH is all you need. Beyond that, I'll reach for my Nikons with a D4 and D800E on order.

[lct]

...I've argued for a long time that the Leica rangefinder has a focal length "sweet-spot" of, maybe, 28 - 50mm. Go wider, and you need an aux finder, go longer and you need a magnifier...

I have to disagree here. I don't use auxiliary finders and in so many years i have had no problem focusing 75, 90mm and even 135mm lenses within the accuracy range of my rangefinders. I just don't ask more than what the latters can do.

[Double Negative]

I must be one lucky dude. My cameras, lenses - all work without issue. Even my eight brand new (at the time with earlier firmware) SanDisk Extreme SDs worked.

 

Don't polish your cameras so much at night guys. You'll rub off that magic pixie dust!

[Rick]

Hey Mark, did you actually want feedback on your question or are you just here to bitch and moan again? What's your deal? 23 lenses and only half focus, really? What do you do to them, take a screwdriver to them too? I don't understand you, sorry.

[marknorton]

No, I don't do lenses. I am interested to know though whether anyone else has had this problem of the focussing ring coming loose.

 

The lenses which have focussing issues are almost all pre-M8, later lenses are mostly fine though the 18mm isn't good. The black Summilux here is an early one from May 2006 and has proved difficult.

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[Rick]

I commented above that I had a mount problem and I read elsewhere that you stated the mount on the 50slux is complex. Mine felt like the barrel of the lens was the loose part but, I really can't be sure if I was feeling the mount inside the lens at the bottom that was loose.

 

Hope you have better luck with your lenses. I seem to have had a good bunch of lenses, eight in total and all new designs except my 75slux. I'm pretty critical too but, probably not as much as you.