Weird Lens: Need Explanation

[sanyasi]

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I recently was given a Leica lens that I don't understand. It is a Leitz (Canada) 35mm sum micron. What I don't get is the attachment: A rectangular bar with a square "view" finder on one side and a circular one on the other side. I've thought this was for macro lenses. Briefly, what do I do with this? Why isn't the camera rangefinder sufficient?

 

Thanks

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[TomB_tx]

The Leica M3 camera did not have a viewfinder with wide enough view for 35mm lenses, so Leitz made lenses for it with a reducing vf so that the 50mm frame lines showed the 35mm FOV. This lens is usable on any M model, where it bring up the 50mm frame to work with the optics.

Do not remove the "goggles" as it will not focus correctly without them.

[sanyasi]

Thanks.

 

Followup. So since this isn't six-bit coded, I should select 50mm rather than 35mm?

 

Second, I will experiment after cleaning it--it hasn't been used since 1966--but in general, what sort of look am I going to get?

 

Thanks again?

 

Jack Siegel

[JohnJWhite]

Thanks.

 

Followup. So since this isn't six-bit coded, I should select 50mm rather than 35mm?

 

Select 35mm, as that's what it is. The rangefinder frame will be the 50mm frame, but it will show you the correct field of view of that lens. Basically, the goggles reduce the magnification of the viewfinder so that the wider field of view of the 35mm focal length lens fits within the 50mm frames in the viewfinder. But if you want the EXIF data in a digital file to show the correct lens focal length, enter 35mm.

 

Second, I will experiment after cleaning it--it hasn't been used since 1966--but in general, what sort of look am I going to get?

 

Thanks again?

 

Jack Siegel

 

The images should be just fine.

[Jean-Michel]

Hi,

Your lens is a Version 1 , 8-elements 35 mm lens. As noted by John White it works perfectly on any M body; it brings up the 50 mm frame.

Code it as 35 f/2 11310/11311.

At f/2, the lens has a soft glow and lower contrast; close it to f/2.8 and contrast increases substantially.

The lens may focus right on, mine back-focuses a bit. You can check that by photographing a focus target (see my comment under the "I don't fully understand "Back Focusing" (50mm Summilux)" just below on this page.

There are no spare parts available for this lens at Leica, so they cannot make any adjustments to it.

As for the Made in Canada: these lenses, and many more were designed in Midland, Ontario Canada by Walter Mandler, some production was outsourced to Germany

Jean-Michel