50mm Summicron DR without goggles

[Mark Taylor]

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Hi all,

 

New to the forum. Found what I think is a pretty good deal on an M3 + 50mm Summicron DR--only hitch is it doesn't come with goggles. Can this lens be used without goggles if not shooting near-range work? If not, are replacement goggles hard to find?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[adan]

Yes - With no goggles, the lens focuses from infinity to 40"/1m like any other lens.

 

(Note, however, that with or without goggles, the 50 DR may be difficult/impossible to mount, or focus to infinity, on digital M cameras. I won't bore you with details unless you need to know more.)

 

Goggles for sale alone will be luck of the draw, but rare - useless without the lens, so dealers won't tend to buy them alone. None of my "usual suspect" used Leica sources have any at the moment.

 

EDIT - and, welcome!

Edited August 7, 2018 by adan

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[a.noctilux]

Mark,

Summicron DR is nice lens to use with or without close range optical device.

 

- goggles alone may be hard to obtain and when available very expensive

- my first DR came without goggles, it took me six months to have one and not conventional way:

 I bought another one "complete DR but with scratches on lens" (some decades ago ! )

 

Side note not applied for M3:

"some DR" can be used with M10 and most can focus to 10m : https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/269876-m10-can-be-used-with-somni-50mm-dr-full-range/

 

If you find one goggles only, beware...

Two types of goggles exist, two sizes of "semi-ball" (on DR) that is pushing to go to DR range, depending on production date of DR

- large hole goggles type can be used on all DR

- small hole goggles usable only on small "semi-ball" DR

[andybarton]

I have a 50 DR lens - it wouldn't mount properly on my M7 I used to have, and definitely can't be used on my M240, unless I have the mount fiddled with, which I am not going to do.

 

However, it works beautifully on my M2, which was made at around the same time. It will be the same on the M3 you are considering.

 

It's pretty rare that an M lens won't fit on ALL M cameras, but this happens to be one example.

[adan]

The deal with the 50 DR is not the mount exactly. It is the extra-deep "stepped" focusing cam needed to "shift gears" into the close-up range. It can jam against the housing for the metering cell in the floor of the camera chamber. And unfortunately, unlike the detachable goggles, it is built into the lens and cannot be removed even for general-purpose pictures (except by machining it off and permanently destroying the close-up RF capability)

 

I used one for a while on my M10, and the M10's pushed-forward lens mount gave me just enough extra clearance for it to work (it just barely started to rub and bind as I reached infinity focus) - others have reported it still prevents infinity focus with their M10s, which shows just how tight the tolerance is.

 

The goggles have their own issue. There is a stabilizing "nubbin" on the back of the goggles. On the M3-M6 "classic" that nubbin rests over the top edge of the body in front of the shutter dial. On taller bodies (lncluding the film M6ttl/M7) it jams into the front of the camera, preventing mounting and/or causing the goggles to lean forward, messing with the apparent vertical RF alignment and viewing parallax. The one that worked on my M10 had had that nubbin ground down by some previous owner, so that the goggles would mount (again, just barely) but still leaned a bit.

[TomB_tx]

The intent of the “nubbin” on the goggles was to prevent the user from trying to unmount the lens with the goggles in place, which is why it went over the top of the film bodies when mounted, to keep the lens from turning if the user tried. It is just held in place with a screw through the front of the goggles, so if you have a camera where it interferes, just unscrew the nubbin and store it, rather than butcher it needlessly.

[a.noctilux]

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In his #9 post, Chris_Tribble showed a picture that SOMNI + goggles can keep it's "nibbin"

when mounted on M10

that can be done for first time on digital Leica M

 

photo chris_tribble

 

from this thread:

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/269876-m10-can-be-used-with-somni-50mm-dr-full-range/

[Guest Nowhereman]

"Nubbin" must be a highly technical term. I call it a "black spacer."

_______________

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

Nowhereman Instagram

 

[Mark Taylor]

Thanks all, much appreciated!

 

Mark

[schattenundlicht]

"Nubbin" must be a highly technical term. I call it a "black spacer."

_______________

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

Nowhereman Instagram

Actually, I would tend to prefer „nubbin“, because it is somehow miraculously descriptive of the item at hand

[luigi bertolotti]

In case you don't find the goggles, there is an elegant way to enjoy your Dr at close distances, with an accessory that is much easier to find: the SOMKY+UOORF combination, on which you mount the lens head of the Summicron. Not difficult to find and performs exactly like the goggled DR. BTW, perfectly usable also on digital Ms.

[Mark Taylor]

Hi again all,

 

What do you think is a fair price for a 50mm Summicron DR without goggles? Have the opportunity to get one on an M3 for $1800 Canadian dollars.

[sblutter]

Hi again all,

 

What do you think is a fair price for a 50mm Summicron DR without goggles? Have the opportunity to get one on an M3 for $1800 Canadian dollars.

That seems a bit high - check Ebay

[sblutter]

As to the lenses' performance;  I have 2, both a bit soft & back focusing on an M240.  I'll sell them off one of these days - never use them

 

For 50mm, both the later Summi V4 & collapsible Elmar-M are unbeatable & focus to .7M vs 1.0M - which to me is a great portrait distance & many applications

 

To the macro aspect with M240 I prefer the OUFRO & LV or much more conveniently, Canon 50 2.5 which is amazing.  Tho I dislike DSLR's, that lens is well worth it.  Here's a series mostly with the 2.5 - if you're interesting in macro:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sblutter/38217897756/in/album-72157687139294452/

[luigi bertolotti]

Yes... From the intro of EVF on digital Ms, the scenario about "how macro with M" has changed dramatically... Frankly, I think to have never used DR head with SOMKY/UOORF on my M240... while was the perfect light set for M8. Personally, I still appreciate (also right in these days on mountains) the Macro Elmar 90 with  adapter... Works fine and is really quick to mount and operate…

 

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Edited August 20, 2018 by luigi bertolotti