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Considering a 3.5cm Summaron f/3.5. Should I look for the Rarest Version?


Chubkins

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Thank you for the wealth of information. Interesting to see too, that the retaining ring in front of the front element maintains an identical serial number as the lens info ring, Seems like that was a carry-over from the older lenses.

AHA !!! THANKS A LOT, Chubkins !  I hadn't noticed that "gray" detail in the Leicashop item !!

 

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So, after all, it is NOT identical to my standard item, which, as normal, has the s/n only on the front ring !  the s/n on the retaining ring is typical/unique of the A36 (with opposite orientation in the older items, like my 750.361)... and you can find A36 items even in the 1.3xx.xxx range (white painted, but exactly with that style) .  So... ok, it has a very distinguishing/rare feature...I could even consider to buy it... ;)... it is clearly a lens cell made for the A36 fitted on the new M3 Mount...

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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AHA !!! THANKS A LOT, Chubkins !  I hadn't noticed that "gray" detail in the Leicashop item !!

 

attachicon.gifSummaron_3,5_E39_BM_preseries_detail.jpg

 

So, after all, it is NOT identical to my standard item, which, as normal, has the s/n only on the front ring !  the s/n on the retaining ring is typical/unique of the A36 (with opposite orientation in the older items, like my 750.361)... and you can find A36 items even in the 1.3xx.xxx range (white painted, but exactly with that style) .  So... ok, it has a very distinguishing/rare feature...I could even consider to buy it... ;)... it is clearly a lens cell made for the A36 fitted on the new M3 Mount...

 

Glad to have introduced something new it seems. Just curious, but what do you mean by A36? The filter size?

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Yes... A36 is the denomination of the "historical" filter type (36mm with clamp screw) that was used on most of the prewar Leitz Lenses (Elmars 3,5/5/9, Hektor 2,8/5/13,5 , Summar etc...) : the Summaron 3,5 Screw Mount was one of the last lenses with this kind of filter size (the very last designed for A36 was indeed the Summaron 2,8cm f 5,6)

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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Hi Guys,

 

I recently bought, at auction, a Summaron f=3.5cm 1:3.5, A36 front, scaled in feet only, with the serial number on the front lens retaining ring painted white. S/n starts1226xxx, which puts it in the 1954 .region.

 

I've a way to go to get to Luigi's tally; I'm up to four - all different, and like him, it was my second Leica lens from 30 years ago (the first was a Summitar on my 111f). Three are screw mount (two A36 and one E39) and one a goggled bayonet.  I do feel that once the lenses began to aquire the E39 front they lost their pocket-able jewel-like attraction.

 

Susie

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I've a way to go to get to Luigi's tally; I'm up to four - all different...

Good task, Susie :)  (and me too had a Summaron as 2nd Leitz lens... but more than 30 years ago... :rolleyes: ... and the first was an Elmar 5...)

 

... but a long task... and given that Chubkins likes to see White numbers... ;)

 

they appear on lenses both with or without "Gmbh"..

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... which happens also to items with black numbers...

 

... but not in the "old" items with the number in reversed writing... which are always black/numbered  and not of the times of "Gmbh"...

 

.. so 5 different... and we are ONLY on the A36 version  B)  (and keeping apart feet/meters, of course, which isn't a "variation" but a standard option)

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 years later...
On 11/27/2017 at 7:20 AM, luigi bertolotti said:

 

Because I like collecting...

 and the Summaron 3,5 is a lens for which is not impossible (in practical and economical terms) to think to put together all the variations that the lens had during its life (*) ; moreover... the Summaron 35 was my 2nd Leitz lens (after the Elmar 50) and the first 35mm I used in my life. My 6 items (3 LTM, 3 BM) are all different... but of course there are stll some "missing variations"... which I'm looking for... with no hurry...  it took 34 years to reach 6...

 

(*) This is a not impossible task also for Elmar 90... while, as an example,  for Summicron 35 is very difficult and costly a lot

I`m about to get one, do you recommend the M-mount version over the LTM ? Found a LTM with lens hood and filters (1954) and a couple of M-mount (1956 and 1957), if they were in the same good conditions, what would you go for? Thanks

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@balzani_shots

I give my opinion,

I took LTM version to use with LTM, but in most of time the LTM to M adapter is attached as I use with my film/sensor M mostly.

M version would not allow, and it's bigger (E39 filter size, A36 on my Summaron 3.5/3.5cm which I added SOOGZ for E39 filters)

seen so many times, here is my prefered light 'kit' LTM lenses 35/50/90 on Monochrom

( I use them also on LTM Leica 😉)

 

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7 hours ago, balzani_shots said:

I`m about to get one, do you recommend the M-mount version over the LTM ? Found a LTM with lens hood and filters (1954) and a couple of M-mount (1956 and 1957), if they were in the same good conditions, what would you go for? Thanks

Matter of taste and, in case, usage... 😉 for me, if one wants to use it on a LTM body, the A36 version is the most "timely" look, with a Barnack... by converse, the A36 (which is LTM only) can be a little problematic on a digital M body with adapter, beacause the oldstyle focus knob needs a M adapter with cutout... which can make problematic the 6 bit coding with standard adapters (see the picture in the above post)

 As for my taste... I personally like a lot the goggled version... 😎(easy to find in the standard version, rarer the variant with goggles in black paint... I still don't have it.. 😁)

. Of course, the goggled MUST be complete with its proper leather case...  😉

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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10 minutes ago, luigi bertolotti said:

Matter of taste and, in case, usage... 😉 for me, if one wants to use it on a LTM body, the A36 version is the most "timely" look, with a Barnack... by converse, the A36 (which is LTM only) can be a little problematic on a digital M body with adapter, beacause the oldstyle focus knob needs a M adapter with cutout... which can make problematic the 6 bit coding with standard adapters (see the picture in the above post)

 As for my taste... I personally like a lot the goggled version... 😎(easy to find in the standard version, rarer the variant with goggles in black paint... I still don't have it.. 😁)

. Of course, the goggled MUST be complete with its proper leather case...  😉

Thanks, I should have clarified that I`d like to use it with my digital CL witl M39 to M-mount and M to L-mount adapters. So, no googles...

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9 minutes ago, luigi bertolotti said:

Digital CL ? So, no problem of 6 bit coding... you simply have to get the right adapter with cutout.

But CL has a very "modern" design ... maybe an M  version is a better look, and one  adapter less (iirc, CL does provide only a M adapter, not an LTM adapter) 

 

Thanks again, would this adapter work?

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On 10/23/2021 at 10:45 AM, a.noctilux said:

@balzani_shots

I give my opinion,

I took LTM version to use with LTM, but in most of time the LTM to M adapter is attached as I use with my film/sensor M mostly.

M version would not allow, and it's bigger (E39 filter size, A36 on my Summaron 3.5/3.5cm which I added SOOGZ for E39 filters)

seen so many times, here is my prefered light 'kit' LTM lenses 35/50/90 on Monochrom

( I use them also on LTM Leica 😉)

 

Thanks for the contribution, I have been considering this one too, but considering the age and low speed... don`t know if will work for me cause I don`t have any high ISO camera body

 

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6 minutes ago, balzani_shots said:

Thanks for the contribution, I have been considering this one too, but considering the age and low speed... don`t know if will work for me cause I don`t have any high ISO camera body

 

For film use 1/2 stop can count.

The unit I use of Summaron LTM 3.5/3.5cm MUST be closed down to f/5.6 for better performance (as good as 2.8 Summaron).

As I wrote, at f/3.5 it has some 'glow" absent from the f/2.8 Summaron wide open.

This 'glow' can be pleasing for some subjects but maybe not universal use.

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