Old Leica lenses and 6 bit coding

[neila452]

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This is my first post on the Leica User Forum. So, I ask you bear with me. I am trying to catch up after a 30 year hiatus with Leica.

 

I have three old Leica lenses and a Leica M3 (double stroke)--all of it in good shape. The lenses are clear and free from fungus or other contaminents. My father bought this equipment in the early 1960's slightly used from a business associate and friend. When my father died suddenly in 1965, I inherited the Leica equipment. I was just 13. I taught myself to use it and have been an avid photography hobbyist since then, though most of my interest has resided in Nikon digital equipment--since I occasionally travel overseas on tours.

 

I would like to make use of my Leica equipment again. The M3 works, but I would much rather use them on a Leica M series digital camera. I am seriously considering the new Leica M-E, though I would consider a used Leica M9.

 

I am writing to learn whether these lenses can be used on the new Leica M-E and whether it is necessary to have them encoded in order to use them. I list the lenses as follows with serial nrs. just in case:

 

• Summaron f/3.5 35mm Nr. 1258500
  
• Summicron (Canada) f/2 90mm Nr. 1681364
  
• Summicron f/2 50mm collapsible Nr. 1348431
  

Can these lenses be used on the Leica M-E and/or M9; and, is it necessary to have them encoded? (I understand that this may be expensive.) If I cannot use these on a Leica M series digital camera, it is unlikely I will purchase one. I am a private university professor (PhD) for many years and am not compensated well enough to play ball in this league apart from catching up, so to speak.

 

 

I sincerely appreciate any information and advice members care to provide me. Thank you so much.

 

 

Neil Anderson

Lexington, Kentucky

[Fgcm]

HI Neil, welcome to the forum.

 

All your three lenses can be used on M9 and ME.

Summaron shoud be used without googles (the auxiliary optic you use on M3).

I don't know the Summicron can be collapsed in M9, but, if not collapsed, it works.

It's a very fine lens.

We have to wait for a friend who collapsed this lens into his M9 to answer this question.

My bet is that it can be collapsed as my Elmar M can.

 

When using not coded lenses, you can type the code in the menu of the camera.

If you forget to type, you can correct later in Apple aperture or Adobe Lightroom.

So, save your money and do not code your lenses.

 

This is a minor problem.

 

I hope you buy an M9 soon

You should be able to find good used samples.

 

Ciao

Franco

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[earleygallery]

If your Summaron is a goggled version (likely if it was used with an M3) then you MUST use the goggles on an M9 or ME, otherwise you won't see the correct framelines and you will find that your focus will be off.

[Fgcm]

James, I think you are right about Summaron. My Fault.

 

Franco

[tobey bilek]

You really need to code and filter them for an M8. The M9 is improved and you can use the lenses as is. There is a manual selection possible in the menu from which the camera can make the required corrections. I do not know if the manual selection option will continue in the new models, M E and M.

 

You should examine the lenses with a pen light from the reverse side and be sure they are not fogged. Smut tends to collect in the older lenses on the inner glass surfaces. The 35 is most prone to it, the 50 less. 90, not so much. It generally can be cleaned professionally.

 

The external coatings are soft on the older lenses and many have scratches from poor cleaning practices. The scratches tend to make the pictures low contrast and flairy.

Examine them closely before investing in a camera.

 

None of these lenses are up to modern contrast standards, but this can be mitigated somewhat with photoshop or Lightroom which ships with the camera and you are given access upon registration. Then again, some may like the way the older lenses image.

 

The 50 will work fine. Damage could result if you attempt to collapse it. A strip of Dymo Label tape around the tube was the suggested fix in years past.

[TomB_tx]

All of the Leica lenses I use on my M9 are similar vintage (early 50s to 1969), and work very well on the M9.

[Ecar]

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These lenses work perfectly with the M9.

I'd set the codes manually, although bear in mind that there are no codes for the 35 and the 50 and you can only set a proxy available for more recent lenses (eg, respectively 11310/11 and 11817 - but you may want to experiment with others).

My Summicron v1 collapses safely - although I always mount/dismount collapsible lenses in their extended position, to be on the safe side.

[tobey bilek]

We have compared a 50 collapsible and new 50 Summicron and there is a world of difference. The old is clean and clear inside.

 

The big jump in contrast was from collapsible to rigid/dual range . There is a positive change from each generation from then on, but the steps are smaller. The contrast difference from the 1969/79 to current formula is very small . The Rigid to 1969 is more substantial.

[lars_bergquist]

The only lens that really does need in-camera corrections for vignetting and colour shifts is the 35mm. Both the 5cm and the 90mm can be used with lens recognition set to 'auto', unless you want the correct focal length recorded in the exif data.

 

The old man from the Kodachrome Age