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second woe with the 35mm Summilux FLE


Eastgreenlander

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I am a amateur photographer from Greenland and I have bought the 35mm summilux FLE for the second time and for the second time I have experience the same problem with this lens. I cannot take the UV filter off the lens without screwing the last glass element off too; when I turn the lenshood, the front glass element turns too. The first time i encountered this problem it was under warranty but this time it is not. Does anybody know if Leica will fix this for free or at a cost?

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As you said this already happened twice with two different lenses. It could be 1:1,000,000 chance that there was something wrong with both lenses but I am inclined to think you may be doing something wrong or your description may be something else.

 

I checked my Summilux 35mm FLE, code 11663 and can’t see how this can be possible. First you unscrew lenshood, filter thread appears to share same metal barrel as hood thread. First or front lens element is behind engraved ring which sits inside the front barrel with filter and hood threads.

 

Would you be able to provide photo illustration of the offending lens parts?

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Since your lens is out of warranty and you got it second hand i see no legal way for you i'm afraid but Leica may agree to fix it for free if there is a defect in the lens. Little chance i suspect but there is no harm in asking Leica.

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As you said this already happened twice with two different lenses. It could be 1:1,000,000 chance that there was something wrong with both lenses but I am inclined to think you may be doing something wrong or your description may be something else.

 

I checked my Summilux 35mm FLE, code 11663 and can’t see how this can be possible. First you unscrew lenshood, filter thread appears to share same metal barrel as hood thread. First or front lens element is behind engraved ring which sits inside the front barrel with filter and hood threads.

 

Would you be able to provide photo illustration of the offending lens parts?

 

Hi Mladen, 

 

Thank you for your remarks. I am now providing a video of the issue:

 

 

I shall play the lottery as I seem to be very (un)lucky although I do not know where you find the numbers to calculate the odds. I do not appreciate your comment as you just set odds against me when I clearly have a real issue here.

 

As seen in the video, I cannot simply unscrew the UV filter as the metal hood is too narrow to do this. One needs to unscrew the lenshood first and then the UV filter. I cannot continue to turn the lenshood, it is too tight to continue to unscrew. 

 

I bought this lens about one year ago. I received the lens with the UV filter mounted. I unscrewed it when I received it to check the front element for scratches which it did not have. I screwed back the UV filter of the brand BW, and it has been mounted ever since. I wanted to clean out the dust when I noticed that I could not do this. I am not doing anything "wrong". I never screw filters on tightly and I have owned a lot of Leica M lenses, including the 0.95 noct, I feel l have experience of handling Leica M lenses properly. 

Edited by Eastgreenlander
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I do not appreciate your comment as you just set odds against me when I clearly have a real issue here.

 

 

It seemed a reasonable comment to me. Maybe you misunderstood the tone which I believe was meaning to be helpful.

 

As far as I can tell from the video it looks like your hood doesn't clear the filter. You should be able to screw off the hood easily with the filter in place. I remember when this lens came out in 2011 that the hood didn't work properly with many filters like the B+W ones and Leica changed the internal size of the hood slightly with later (roughly 2012 onwards) editions of this lens. Maybe you have (unluckily) acquired a 2011 version of this lens hood?

Edited by wattsy
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[...] As seen in the video, I cannot simply unscrew the UV filter as the metal hood is too narrow to do this. [...]

 

Or your filter is too thick for the hood. You may wish to look at the code number engraved on the hood. Do you read 12464 or 12465 there? 

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This is my guess too. The diameter of the filter is too large. Use a filter with a slimmer mount.

Or your filter is too thick for the hood. You may wish to look at the code number engraved on the hood. Do you read 12464 or 12465 there? 

 

 

The hood that comes with the 35 "FLE" should clear all standard (not slim) B+W filters without any problem. There is 1-2mm of clearance so it isn't even a tight fit. However, the hood that originally shipped with this lens when it was first released didn't clear standard (non-slim) filters and was quickly replaced by Leica with one that did. There was discussion about this here back in 2011 (I seem to recall MarkP might have had such a hood?). The issue was resolved very quickly so only affected a small number of customers.

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I asked about the hood's code number because the lens had a 12464 hood in 2011, instead of 12465 currently. Never noticed a difference between them and the 12464 hood is still used on the 24/3.8 lens IINW but fact is that Leica changed the hood after 2011 so i wonder if the latter can be the culprit together with the so-called protective filter. 

Edited by lct
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I can not recall in what book or even on this forum but I did read that on this lens you should use the Leica thread filters only? I purchased this lens in January this year, to attach the filter you first remove the lens hood and then screw the hood on. In the video it looks like the filter as been attached without removing the lens hood first?

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I can not recall in what book or even on this forum but I did read that on this lens you should use the Leica thread filters only?

 

 

No, that is not correct. I have owned this lens since late 2011 and can fit all kinds of standard filters from B+W and Heliopan. It does not require Leica filters nor those of the slim variety. Noting LCT's post above, I have the 12465 hood.

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This is my guess too. The diameter of the filter is too large. Use a filter with a slimmer mount.

 

Yes, the width of filter thread is wider then it needs to be. But it is important to point out that the filter turns, or tighten and loosens as it should. The only issue with this filter is that it cannot be unscrewed without removing the metal lenshood.

 

 

 

 

Or your filter is too thick for the hood. You may wish to look at the code number engraved on the hood. Do you read 12464 or 12465 there? 

 

12465 is the engraved on the hood. 

 

 

As I said on the Tube: Unscrew, refit the front of the lens and screw down tightly, use a properly fitting "slim" filter and that should be the end of the problem.

 

Jaapv. are you saying that I should forcefully continue to unscrew the lenshood, pressing down on the lens? 

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Great! I would put a MINUSCULE amount of Silicone grease on the threads and wipe them down completely before remounting. Just enough to prevent it binding again. Don't get it on the lens.

Make sure the filter does not lock everything up.

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Great! I would put a MINUSCULE amount of Silicone grease on the threads and wipe them down completely before remounting. Just enough to prevent it binding again. Don't get it on the lens.

Make sure the filter does not lock everything up.

 

Thanks for the help. I will do this

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Yes, the width of filter thread is wider then it needs to be. But it is important to point out that the filter turns, or tighten and loosens as it should. The only issue with this filter is that it cannot be unscrewed without removing the metal lenshood.

 

 

Just to clarify things because it is difficult to know exactly what is happening with your lens, it is normal for this lens to have to remove the hood before unscrewing or adding a filter. It is far too fiddly to try and remove a filter with the hood still in place.

Edited by wattsy
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I posted on this years ago.

 

The early 35 Summilux FLE lenses did indeed not allow B+W (and some other third-party) filters to fit under the hood. There is a barely perceptible overhang of almost all third-party filters over the edge of the lens barrel.

 

There was an unannounced change in the design of the hood by Leica  later on which improved clearance for third-party filters. Leica Australia replaced mine out of warranty for no cost once I demonstrated the problem - they didn't initially believe me.  The hood part number did NOT change.  I suspect your filter was jammed into the hood so the lens barrel gave way first.

 

You will need to buy a new lens hood (same part number) if you want to use non-Leica filters.

Edited by MarkP
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