Dual Range Summicron for M10 ?

[MikeMyers]

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Is a dual range Summicron a useful lens on an M10, to take photos of something closer to the camera than a standard lens?  I assume the Visoflex or Live View would be used for focusing.

Ken Rockwell wrote wonderful things about this lens - is it as good as he implies?  I assume the Goggles are for older M cameras like the M3?

 

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[Guest Nowhereman]

The goggles are for the close-up range, and also work on the M10. Actually, the DR Summicron will work on most M10s, but on a few a cam needs to be filed down a bit. There is a LUF thread on this with pictures of what needs to be done to fit some M10s correctly. I don't recall the title of the thread but you can find it with a search. If I recall correctly, the thread was started by @a.noctilux. Perhaps he might chime in here.

The DR Summicron is my favorite 50 mm lens, both for my M3/M6 and my M10. Below are two images taken with this lens and in the close-up range, with the goggles. The first one is with the M6 on Neopan 1600 and the second one with the M10.

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_______________________________________
Frog Leaping photobook and Instagram

Edited August 25, 2021 by Nowhereman

[adan]

I had one of these in the early days of the M10.

The possible mechanicals difficulties on a digital Leica are:

1) as the name suggests, with dual ranges, the DR has two separate focusing cam surfaces (on one cylindrical cam). Using the long-distance range (1m > infinity) the closeup cam, now in the bottom of the lens, can jam or rub against the meter housing on the floor of the M10 shutter chamber as one focuses close to infinity.

In my case, this happened only in the last fraction of a mm before reaching infinity, and it did not completely jam; the focusing just got a bit stiffer (and the lens left a little rub-mark inside the M10).

2) The close-up goggles won't always clip completely into place, unless the little black rubber "bumper" on the back of the goggles is trimmed to fit (see your picture, black bumper is just peeking over the top, above and behind the words "Leitz Wetzlar."

To focus closer than 1 meter, the goggles MUST be mounted on the lens (they unlock the close-focus action by pressing on the "ball bearing" on top of the lens mount - see your photo). The whole point of the DR lens and goggles is to focus close using the regular rangefinder and no other accessories. But it can be used with live-view or EVF - still needs the goggles mounted, though, to unlock the closeup range.

It is also a bit heavier than most M 50mm f/2s, due to the 1950s build-quality, and the extra metal for extended focusing.

At normal focusing distances (1m > infinity) I found the DR to be at least as good, and often better, than more modern 50mm Summicrons - at f/2.0. Stopped down, the differences decrease. Certainly for a 1950s design, it holds up extremely well with age. I.E. I mostly agree with Rockwell's evaluation.

In the close range, as with most lenses designed for longer distances, it is a bit soft at f/2.0, but very sharp stopped down.

I used mine in the studio and for other close-range work for a couple of months - and still sell prints from some of its images. But I'm not excited by "old stuff" just for its own sake, and ultimately a 75mm Summarit f/2.4 gave me tighter cropping and equal resolution with less fiddling around with goggles and "gear changes" on the lens.

But I'm glad I got a chance to try it out.

50 DR on M10 at abou 0.85m

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Edited August 25, 2021 by adan

[a.noctilux]

As @Nowhereman wrote, I'm longtime fan of Summicron 50mm DR or not.

I was happy to be able to use the DR on M10,

not even having to do anything on one unit and a very slight filing on other one

the correction lens for close range + DR was always be used with my digital M8/M9/Monochrom

With M10, the complete goggle (no need to remove the plastic bit ) can even be used as the lens sits far from the body,

just take care to set the DR to about 1.5m before mounting it on the M10, then happy use it full range.

 

 

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M10 and M(typ 262) plus DR and max distance settable

 

See also Chis Tribble post #9 for the goggle 'plactic' !

Edited August 25, 2021 by a.noctilux

[MikeMyers]

5 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

just take care to set the DR to about 1.5m before mounting it on the M10, then happy use it full range.

Why would we want to do this?  I'm confused.

[a.noctilux]

2 hours ago, MikeMyers said:

Why would we want to do this?  I'm confused.

We NEED to do this not to break something inside the M10.

The protruding second ramp of coupling close range is always there.

Why Leica wrote that this lens is NOT compatible with M10.

Without some precaution, the mounting/unmounting can break inside M10 or the lens.

 

Out of curiosity, I just mounted the DR on my M10 ... this can be done when the DR's focus ring set from infinity to 1.5m (a bit less).

When I turn the DR to 1m, and tried to unmount it, I can NOT turn the lens unreleased full to unmount.

 

I invite you experiment these things carefully when you mount/unmount the DR on M10.

So my warning to set the focus to 1.5m as safe (for me since I learned with M8/M9, I used DR on them at close range since start).

The alternative is mount and unmount with the DR set to close range 😇 at 0.9m the other safe distance (locked to 0.9m without the goggle SDPOO pushed in).

[MikeMyers]

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Thanks - maybe I don't really need to spend a thousand dollars on this lens.  I didn't read that Leica says this lens is not compatible with the M10 until just now.  Again, thank you.