Modifying SA 21 f3.4 to meter with M8

[Jack_Flesher]

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Has anybody tried this modification of a 21 Super Angulon f3.4 to see if it will meter on the M8?

 

Modifying the Super Angulon

 

I *love* the look from the SA 21, but would as equally love to have it meter...

 

Thanks,

 

Jack

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[heninden]

Jack, I've shot an unmodified 21/3.4 SA on the M8 and used the M8 as the meter. I make an educated guess at exposure, manually set; look at the results (histogram) and make adjustments. It's a bit cumbersome but manageable.

[Jack_Flesher]

Jack, I've shot an unmodified 21/3.4 SA on the M8 and used the M8 as the meter. I make an educated guess at exposure, manually set; look at the results (histogram) and make adjustments. It's a bit cumbersome but manageable.

 

Thanks Henry -- Yes, that is the current work-around, and not really that horrible if lighting isn't changing rapidly. But it would be nice if these beauties metered directly/automatically more easily...

 

Cheers,

[russell]

No need to modify the lens. It could be solved with firmware. How? If Leica let you dial in up to a -5 expsure correction with would work. I have a SA f4 and I take the meter reading and dial down roughly 4 stops and the exposure is fine. Problem is the firmware only lets you put in a -3 for now so you have to do everything by hand.

[MP3]

I like the SA3.4 as well. Tried a couple on M8, agree on what Russell said on -3 to -5 EV. And now how about the cyan corner on color work? Sharpie or JLM milled mount ring? Any body here solved it here?

[lars_bergquist]

Fascinating. The 3.4 Super-Angulon had a reputation in its day as one of the very best lenses in the Leica line-up.

 

One solution would be an 'auto bracketing' feature, controlled by the top lever but set by the meny, in the increments of your choice – combined with a handy hand meter. That was after all how 'Angie' was used with everything from the M2 to the M4-P. (And I have agitated for auto bracketing elsewhere too.)

 

But if it is the 'pre-ASPH' look you're after, then one option is the Elmarit-M. It is very good on the M8, but more mellow than the current 21.

 

The old man from the Age of the Super-Angulon 4.0

[luigi bertolotti]

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The hard work on the precious SA 21, as described in the link, is not, in my mind, a good idea for using it on the M8: first of all, as author points, is a hard-metal-cutting biz: I wouldn't like to carry on such workings on a complex well aligned lens assembly. Second, if the work can be good for M6 meter, I am not so sure it works the same way on M8 meter, which is completely different in shape, owing also to the different construction of the shutter.

I tested my SA 3,4 on M8 (posted the pics time ago) : about metering, a 3-4 stop adjustment is waht one needs, without touching the hardware of this beautiful lens.

[stunsworth]

No need to modify the lens. It could be solved with firmware. How? If Leica let you dial in up to a -5 expsure correction with would work. I have a SA f4 and I take the meter reading and dial down roughly 4 stops and the exposure is fine.

 

Couldn't you shoot manually rather than AE and them make the adjustment?

[EricC]

I used to have one that Malcolm Taylor modified for me, here in the UK.

 

It was modified as per here : Modifying the Super Angulon

 

but no quite so drastically.

 

After the modification, which was done with the lens disassembled, the metering was still half a stop out on the M6 that i was using it on. I sold it in the end and bought a 21mm asph, but it was a cracking lens, like a little heavy jewel.

 

All the Best

Eric

[russell]

Malcolm would be the man if you wanted a hardware solution. But I think the easier solution will be Leica adding an exposure adjustment down to -5 instead of the -3 in the current version of firmware.