50 mm summicron 1987

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Years ago I had an adaptor that let me take the unscrewed head of my 50 Summicron and attach it to my enlarger [...] This was in the early 70s [...]

Yes the v3 (11817) had a detachable head, but not the v4 (11819). I suspected that the head of the 50/2 v4 can be unscrewed like that of my 35/2 v4 but it is the first time in 30+ years that i hear of a 50/2 v4's head sold separately. Cannot be anything else than a spare part to me.

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[tobey bilek]

The current design from 1979 may have a head that comes off, but it is not supposed to be user removable. The rigid, dual range, and V3 (1968 to 79 ) have removable optical cells to be used on focoslides and enlargers and other devices. They make very fine large prints if you can find the adapter, specially the last. Dual range is as good. None make good small prints. Use an enlarging lens.

 

The 35 mm V4 optical cell is not supposed to be removed either. There were some problems way back when with the cell being glued in place rather than threaded, to make the bean counters happy I presume. Problem is people mounted the lens by holding the front and it would frequently break. Also the shade would sometimes be crooked.

 

The one pictured perhaps does have threads, I may be before or after the glue in version of that series. We really do not have enough information to determine what was done when. All I know is grab my lens by the rear, not the front.

[luigi bertolotti]

The current design from 1979 may have a head that comes off, but it is not supposed to be user removable. The rigid, dual range, and V3 (1968 to 79 ) have removable optical cells to be used on focoslides and enlargers and other devices. They make very fine large prints if you can find the adapter, specially the last. Dual range is as good. None make good small prints. Use an enlarging lens.

 

The 35 mm V4 optical cell is not supposed to be removed either. There were some problems way back when with the cell being glued in place rather than threaded, to make the bean counters happy I presume. Problem is people mounted the lens by holding the front and it would frequently break. Also the shade would sometimes be crooked.

 

The one pictured perhaps does have threads, I may be before or after the glue in version of that series. We really do not have enough information to determine what was done when. All I know is grab my lens by the rear, not the front.

 

My item does have the thread (as you say, not for accessories like the previous ones) : are you sure that "glued" Summicron 50 do exist ? I thought it was an exclusive of a series of Summicron 35 v4....

[bocaburger]

The current design from 1979 may have a head that comes off, but it is not supposed to be user removable. The rigid, dual range, and V3 (1968 to 79 ) have removable optical cells to be used on focoslides and enlargers and other devices. They make very fine large prints if you can find the adapter, specially the last. Dual range is as good. None make good small prints. Use an enlarging lens.

 

The 35 mm V4 optical cell is not supposed to be removed either. There were some problems way back when with the cell being glued in place rather than threaded, to make the bean counters happy I presume. Problem is people mounted the lens by holding the front and it would frequently break. Also the shade would sometimes be crooked.

 

The one pictured perhaps does have threads, I may be before or after the glue in version of that series. We really do not have enough information to determine what was done when. All I know is grab my lens by the rear, not the front.

 

All those lenses have threaded heads. What is meant by glued, is that Leica used a thread locking compound to secure those threaded heads in position. Since the lenses need to be repairable, they had to use a compound which could be dislodged without excessive heat or force. With age and various insults such as temperature, small knocks/bumps and force applied mounting/dismounting, that compound can let go. Older generation lenses use tiny grub screws running perpendicular to the head threads to secure them in place.