eddyteddy Posted August 26, 2013 Share #1 Posted August 26, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I just bought my first Leica, an M6 Classic. I hope I'm not asking a stupid question... I have a Summaron 35mm f/3.5 serial number 1179705, I think it might be from 1954? On my M6 the 35mm frame lines does not automatically show; I get the 50mm + 75mm. I have to turn the frame lever to get the 35mm + 135mm frame lines. I understand there is an issue with the goggles made for the M2. But reading about it, I get all confused. How do I know if my Summaron was designed to be used with goggles? If I so; shouldn't the M6 display the 35mm frames without the goggles? I understand some have filed down a detail on the lens to make it work without the goggles; could this be my problem? I would greatly appreciate any help from you good people of this forum :-) PS: Also; the focus lock knob touches the frame lever, making close focusing a bit hard - is this "normal"? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 26, 2013 Posted August 26, 2013 Hi eddyteddy, Take a look here Summaron 35mm f/3.5 - M6 issues. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
01af Posted August 26, 2013 Share #2 Posted August 26, 2013 If the lens brings up the 50/75 pair of framelines then it's the version meant for use with goggles ... on any M camera. It cannot be used without goggles. The goggles can be separated from the lens for making transport easier—with the goggles attached, the lens is rather bulky. If the goggles are missing entirely then you've bought an incomplete, hence useless, lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 26, 2013 Share #3 Posted August 26, 2013 If the barrel has a flat top with a little chrome ball in the middle it is the goggled version. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted August 26, 2013 Flat top and barrel - hm... It's this: View image: summ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share #5 Posted August 26, 2013 Hm, I think I was not allowed to send a picture link. Not sure... I can't see anything I would think the goggles could have been attached to. There is no chrome ball, just the focus lock for infinity... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted August 26, 2013 Share #6 Posted August 26, 2013 Hello eddyteddy, Welcome to the Forum. The Serial # you have is from a batch of 3500 screw mount lenses made in 1954. It is possible that what you have is a 35mm screw mount lens to which someone fitted a 50mm frame line activating screw mount to bayonet mount adapter. With some M cameras produced after the M3: This adapter will also bring up the 75mm frame @ the same time. If you want to change to an adapter that will bring up both the 35mm & the 135mm frames: These adapters are removable & can be replaced with an equivalent adapter designed to bring up both the 35mm & the 135mm frame lines @ the same time. If this is what your lens has: It is possible that the person who fitted it had an M3 & was using this adapter with this lens with the appropriate add-on 35mm viewfinder. The standard M3 viewfinder does not show the 35mm frame lines without accessory goggles. Best Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted August 26, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) I found this on a post at different forum: "Not all Summarons are goggled--some like yours (and I had a lens in the 114 block that was not) were meant for use with external finders for framing. As far as I know they were less expensive than the goggled variety, and were subsequently easier to use with the M2 &etc. (when they came around)." So - could I have a lens not designed for goggles but for use with an external finder? Isn't there a list of serial numbers and corresponding models anywhere? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share #8 Posted August 26, 2013 Michael - thanks! Lord, the Leica universe is full of mysteries :-) How can I tell if I have such an adapter? I can not post pictures here -but I can not see any signs of an adapter? Would it be visible in any way? Thanks for helping me - very much appreciated :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share #9 Posted August 26, 2013 How do I fix the glitch also mentioned by others: "if you try it on an M4-P or similar the infinity focus lock lever seems to catch the cameras frame-line selector lever and bind a bit." This goes for my M6 as well... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted August 26, 2013 And I really like to keep the lens... The mechanics are a piece of beauty - they don't make stuff like this anymore! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 26, 2013 Share #11 Posted August 26, 2013 ... As you write correctly, the Summaron 35mm f/3.5 with serial number 1179705 was produced in 1954. The first M2 were built from 1957 / 58. If Laney / Puts are right, there have been about 17,000 early 35 mm Summaron M-lenses without goggles built from 1953 till 1957, which were used on the M3 with a separate viewfinder and therefore mirroring the widest frame on the M3 50mm viewfinder. Perhaps a modification for M2 or other later M might be possible? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 26, 2013 Share #12 Posted August 26, 2013 Hm, I think I was not allowed to send a picture link. Not sure... I can't see anything I would think the goggles could have been attached to. There is no chrome ball, just the focus lock for infinity... Low post count with link gets caught in the anti spam software. I've approved your post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted August 26, 2013 Share #13 Posted August 26, 2013 Eddy, I think is a standard (very early) Summaron 35 for M3 : it brings up the 50mm frame and was intended for use with the external VF SBLOO. It's possible to modify it for activating the 35mm frame... but is a pity to modify an old venerable (though common) Leitz lens. Can you post a pic of the lens in which the DOF scale is visible ? The first Summaron had two slightly different variants... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share #14 Posted August 27, 2013 http://s10.postimg.org/5ohbzzde1/summ2.jpg Nor sure if the picture will help, but it's what I got - Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted August 27, 2013 Share #15 Posted August 27, 2013 http://s10.postimg.org/5ohbzzde1/summ2.jpg Nor sure if the picture will help, but it's what I got - Thanks... the detail I whished to look at is evident (the DOF index for 3,5 is straight... in later items of the same version it is angled) 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/211491-summaron-35mm-f35-m6-issues/?do=findComment&comment=2406606'>More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share #16 Posted August 27, 2013 So this one should NOT have goggles? Is it a screw mount with (a wrong) adapter? Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted August 27, 2013 Share #17 Posted August 27, 2013 So this one should NOT have goggles? Is it a screw mount with (a wrong) adapter? Thanks! No, it's clearly a version which never had goggles... the goggled version is very different : you can remove the goggles but I doubt you can obtain such a "clean" item (and, btw, it couldn't focus properly after the surgery); it is a lens that left the factory with a M mount to be coupled to a M3 (at those times, the only Leica M) : the goggled version arrived later: M3 had 50 as widest frame and, initially, Leitz simply advised to use an external viewfinder . It is POSSIBLE that it indeed has a M adapter... but a factory fit one, secured to the screw mount by a tiny radial screw which could be visible along the bottom part of the diameter... many first generation "M" lenses are made like this (Summaron 2,8, Summicron 35 and 90) , but I am not sure it is so also for the Summaron 3,5. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted August 27, 2013 Share #18 Posted August 27, 2013 Not the best product image... but it looks like one of the three claws of mount is bent out of shape, rear of the mount should be perfectly flat. A couple of images of better quality would make the identification a little less guesswork... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddyteddy Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share #19 Posted August 27, 2013 I can't see anything out of shape, but I'm no expert. I guess a CLA might give me en answer. Anyway; the 35 mm frame lines might not be that important, I guess: I wear glasses, and my view through the finder is almost 35 mm; I can barely see the frames if I push my eyes/glasses very close to the finder. Would a 0.58 finder be best for people wearing glasses? I can live with all of this, but if this problem was caused by some damage to the camera or lens, it would be nice to know. Off topic; what kind of neck strap did these come with when released? A rather thin model, I would guess. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted August 27, 2013 Share #20 Posted August 27, 2013 If you put the lens on a flat surface does the whole rear part of the mount touch the surface or only the claws? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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