Using Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm on Film cameras

[AZPenviceroy]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi! Ive enjoyed this forum for a long time, but never really posted. Thanks to everyone for all the great content!

So I have this lens and it works great on my M10R, but when I try to use it on an MP it doesn't work. When I turn the to focus it starts to turn the range finder, then just stops moving it. It does it before it gets to the "close focus" ranges. It wont even do the normal ranges before it stops working. 

None of my other lenses have any issues on the MP from vintage ones Ive bought to new Summilux and other newly made lenses

Does anyone else have this lens and/or experience with this? .  Thanks! 

[Capuccino-Muffin]

I don’t own the lens.

But here’s what to do: Open the door and try doing this in Bulb mode. Watch the roller action from the open back/door. You will see all there is to be seen

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[AZPenviceroy]

Thanks, I did that, its not moving the part that needs to moved. It only does a small movement unlike all the other lenses. But it works perfectly on my M10. 

[overexposed]

the 35mm apo is the first lens that can focus closer than the standard 70cm, so closer than 70cm the RF mechanism stops working.

perfectly normal, i would expect that this is also mentioned in the manual

[AZPenviceroy]

Thanks for your answer, so I just got word from someone who has one and he says it works all the way through the full focus even the close up. So I guess my lens is bad and Ill have to send it in. Thanks!

[harmen]

Do you see any differences in the positioning of the roller wheel between your M10R and MP?  Just wondering if it’s somehow the combination of where the lens is supposed to push against the range-finder coupling mechanism on the camera.  If the lens has a slightly thinner part that pushes against the wheel and at the same time the wheel is positioned slightly higher it could mean they don’t interact well.  Maybe adjusting the MP could then also fix the issue.  

Edited April 13, 2022 by harmen

[AZPenviceroy]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

16 minutes ago, harmen said:

Do you see any differences in the positioning of the roller wheel between your M10R and MP?  Just wondering if it’s somehow the combination of where the lens is supposed to push against the range-finder coupling mechanism on the camera.  If the lens has a slightly thinner part that pushes against the wheel and at the same time the wheel is positioned slightly higher it could mean they don’t interact well.  Maybe adjusting the MP could then also fix the issue.  

No, I dont see a difference, but I cant see the wheel move like on the MP. But it doesnt work on either M10 or MP. I honestly thought it did work on the M10, but for with a number of lenses in use, coupled with the Visoflex. I dont know if I ever used the lens only with the range on the M10. 

[ejk87]

I am having the same issue with my M6 and the 35 APO. Did you ever get this resolved?

[AZPenviceroy]

27 minutes ago, ejk87 said:

I am having the same issue with my M6 and the 35 APO. Did you ever get this resolved?

Well, yes and no... The 35 APO just doesnt work with on film cameras. It only works with an EVF. I was told it would, but it doesn't. There are  So if you use only range finder you wont be able to get the close up benefits of this lens sadly. Mine works perfectly well with an EVF... But thats it. Some sites state this. Leica Store Miami "With a beautifully engineered detent at 0.7m on the focus ring, the user can feel when the lens steps into the close-focus range and therefore know when they must switch to Live View on the screen or EVF on an M."

[Huss]

1 hour ago, AZPenviceroy said:

Well, yes and no... The 35 APO just doesnt work with on film cameras. It only works with an EVF. I was told it would, but it doesn't. There are  So if you use only range finder you wont be able to get the close up benefits of this lens sadly. Mine works perfectly well with an EVF... But thats it. Some sites state this. Leica Store Miami "With a beautifully engineered detent at 0.7m on the focus ring, the user can feel when the lens steps into the close-focus range and therefore know when they must switch to Live View on the screen or EVF on an M."

But that quote means it should still work with the optical rangefinder, just not closer than .7m.  On your M10 or MP it does not work at all at any distance w the optical rangefinder? Then there is something wrong with the lens.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Huss

[AZPenviceroy]

Yeah, possibly. I sent it in just in case to Leica. But it works perfectly with EVF. 

[Huss]

5 hours ago, AZPenviceroy said:

Yeah, possibly. I sent it in just in case to Leica. But it works perfectly with EVF. 

That is because the EVF reads off the sensor and has nothing to do w the rangefinder.  Any adapted lens would work perfectly w the EVF.

[luigi bertolotti]

Any longtime Leica user does know well that with rangefinder you can get focus (with standard rangefinder coupled lenses) to :

- 1 meter (Leica screw mount - Leica M3 (*) )

- 0,7 m (Leica M2 and later models - film and digital)

And the Leica brochure of the Apo Summicron 35 states clearly :

Focus range  : 0.3 m to infinity (LiveView), 0.7 m to infinity (Rangefinder)

To say that it "doesn't work on film cameras"  is not correct.

 

(*) to be precise. for M3 Leitz specifically made the so called "goggled lenses" (btw, a Summicron 35 between them) with rangefinder coupled focus to 0,65 - 0,7 meters.

[wizard]

Am 13.4.2022 um 06:22 schrieb AZPenviceroy:

... so I just got word from someone who has one and he says it works all the way through the full focus even the close up.

If that person is referring to a film M camera, then what he/she says is crap. No film M camera's rangefinder is designed to work below 0,7m. Of course, the lens may be used in close up range, too, even on a film M camera, but you won't get any rangefinder information below 0,7m. With digital M cameras it is just the same, but you may of course use an EVF or the built-in screen to achieve correct focus in the close up range.

So the behaviour you describe is not a bug, it's a feature.

[jakontil]

On 4/13/2022 at 5:43 AM, AZPenviceroy said:

Thanks, I did that, its not moving the part that needs to moved. It only does a small movement unlike all the other lenses. But it works perfectly on my M10. 

So when you said it works perfectly on your M10, did you use the evf instead of the rangefinder? 

[MarkTodd]

On 4/12/2022 at 12:51 PM, AZPenviceroy said:

Hi! Ive enjoyed this forum for a long time, but never really posted. Thanks to everyone for all the great content!

So I have this lens and it works great on my M10R, but when I try to use it on an MP it doesn't work. When I turn the to focus it starts to turn the range finder, then just stops moving it. It does it before it gets to the "close focus" ranges. It wont even do the normal ranges before it stops working. 

None of my other lenses have any issues on the MP from vintage ones Ive bought to new Summilux and other newly made lenses

Does anyone else have this lens and/or experience with this? .  Thanks! 

Did you ever get a resolve from Leica?

I just received my new M6 and with the APO Simmicron 35mm f/2 lens attached the viewfinder focus won't focus closer than 1.5 meters on the M6 body. Viewfinder focus works only from 1.5m to infinity. Viewfinder focus on the M6 works fine with the following lens:

APO Summicron 50mm f/2, APO Summicron 90mm f/2, and Summilux 21mm f/1.4.

Also, the  APO Summicron 35mm f/2 work correctly on my M11, and my Monochrome.

I haven't spoken to Leica yet, just seeing you had found a fix?

Thanks!

[MarkTodd]

I spoke with Leica today, and they think there is something that needs to be adjusted.  They ask me to send both the APO 35mm lens and the M6 back to Leica. 

I'll post the results of their investigation.

[dsetiono01]

I just got my lens too, and I experienced the same problem. Works perfectly with Digital M bodies ( even the screenless M60), but failed to move the rangefinder mechanism on my Black Paint mp Film (2022 production).

Upon some experimentation, i found a temporary workaround (dangerous one though), which is to mount the lens, but not turn it all the way to lock it in place. If you unlock the mount and turn it by a fee millimeters, I found that the rangefinder mechanism works, though not sure if the focus is accurate ( dont want to waste precious film).

Anyway, definitely returning the lens to Leica. this is strike 3 for problems found in brand new Leica items (black paint m10r shutter issue, broken apperture on the recent close focus fle 35 and now this!)

Again, it seems to work on all my digital m bodies, so i believe it should be fixable!

 

 

[Wyck]

I use the 35 APO on my MP without any problems.  My MP is approximately 6 years old and I just looked at the 35 APO box and it was manufactured at the end of September this year.

Obviously the close focus doesn't work on the MP but it moves the rangefinder patch as you would expect it to from  .7 to infinity.  I also use the 35 APO on my M10M.

Saying that I still use the lens at close focus on my MP, I just need to work on my distance guess work!

Perhaps I just got lucky. 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Wyck
Typo

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[fil-m]

It works on my M7. However, worthy to note that the first time I tried to mount the lens there was a problem: I noticed that the rangefinder mechanism was not moving at all with the focus ring. I removed the lens and mounted it again, it worked. I could not reproduce the initial problem.

I "feel" that the APO 35 does not fit as smoothly as my other lens on the M7. Maybe there is a tolerance issue with the film Ms, that the digital Ms mechanism do not have