Aperture ring on 50 APO - how loose is normal?

[Jon Warwick]

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So I was in a store today and was looking at a used 50mm APO Summi with the aim of purchasing one. All seemed fine, but the aperture ring seemed a lot looser than any Leica lens I've owned in the past. I know the 50mm APO aperture ring is often seen as fairly loose in the sense of "rotation" (eg, one can inadvertently go from f4 to 5.6 when focusing) ..... but this aperture ring seemed to be able to do a small clicking movement in a direction from the front of the lens towards the back of lens. Just a small fraction of movement, but obvious nonetheless.

 

Is this normal?

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[BBHewee]

Mine has a tiny tiny amount of play, but nothing that seems abnormal. 

[Exodies]

It needs to be repaired, it's not normal.

[Jon Warwick]

Thanks for your comments, they're very helpful.

 

My gut feel was probably right about the used lens I looked at, and your comments support that. Also, I went straight away into another dealer and tried a new APO afterwards, and there was indeed only a tiny, tiny amount of give on the aperture ring - nothing like as much as the used one.

 

Given the 50 APO lens is so future proof as the M series develops (with potentially higher pixels etc), I'm now thinking after this experience that it might be best to "invest" in a new one so that I properly know its history ......

[Jollicoe]

They all seem to be loose. My copy has the same play

[Joshua Lowe]

Mine is pretty loose and so was the one I used at the store.

 

It's very weird how this is one of their most highly engineered lenses but it feels like a collection of loose parts flying in close formation where the other Leica glass I've used feels very solid and coherent.

 

doesn't stop it from being an incredible lens though.  still blows me away.

[dugby]

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I was at our local Leica Boutique and touched a 2016 brand new ( unboxed for me    ), APO-Summicron-M 50mm ASPH, S/N 464xxxx

 

1) The force to rotate the APO aperature ring feels much less than half required to do the same on my newish Summilux-M 35mm FLE.

 

2) With regards to fore-aft movement of the aperature rings. My FLE is rock solid with no movement. Whereas the APO did have the tiniest fore-aft movement.

[padam]

Here is one showing it in movement, maybe that helps to compare