Leica Summilux-M 35 f/1.4 ASPH FLE Ver II reissue can't use with M4, or leica film camera?

[dusuacangmong]

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Yesterday when i borrowed an M4 from my brother and wanna try my new lens with M4, but supprising it can't attach into M4, i asked my leica seller and he said new leica lens with 0.4m focus can't attach to film camera ( all film camera, but he doesn't try with New M6 yet).

 

Is anyone confirm?

[otto.f]

He only meant that you can’t use the close focus option between 0.70 and 0.40. 

[williamj]

The OP says it can't attach. Does this mean that it won't attach in any way or, like the DR 50 Summicron, you have to set the lens to infinity before mounting it on the camera?

[otto.f]

No, nonsense. The macro function goes forward, not into the body. There’s practically nothing different from the FLE 1 in that sense. 

3 hours ago, williamj said:

The OP says it can't attach. Does this mean that it won't attach in any way or, like the DR 50 Summicron, you have to set the lens to infinity before mounting it on the camera?

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by otto.f

[williamj]

42 minutes ago, otto.f said:

No, nonsense. The macro function goes forward, not into the body. There’s practically nothing different from the FLE 1 in that sense. 

 

Thanks. That’s what I would assume, in general that if it mounts on a digital M it will fit on a film M, apart from close focussing in this case due to the minimum focussing distance of the rangefinder. 

[pedaes]

2 hours ago, williamj said:

apart from close focussing

You could use a tape measure from the film plane. Many film cameras carried a mark for this (circle with a line through it) but Leica M's don't have this, so would need to be a sensible guess.

[dusuacangmong]

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The new lens have new mount that can't use with M4. 

So any one have this lens can confirm it work work with film camera?

[pedaes]

5 minutes ago, dusuacangmong said:

The new lens have new mount that can't use with M4. 

The M4 mount is same as M2 through M11 mount. Try setting lens at 'closest' focus before mounting, as this will stop lens engaging rangefinder cam as you mount it. If that doesn't work, maybe an issue with the M4 you are trying.

[Gregm61]

Wow, LOL…

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Gregm61

[a.noctilux]

I'm curious.

Is this incompatibility confirmed by other users ?

As side note, with some lenses I have many, with same M body, to turn the lens to lock needs much more power.

The tolerance may exceed in opposite directions between lens and M.

[adan]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:02 AM, pedaes said:

The M4 mount is same as M2 through M11 mount.

The core geometry is the same (distance from lens mounting surface to imaging surface, number and shape of the bayonet flanges)

But there have been multiple changes outside of that core geometry.

With film Ms, the mounting ring on the camera front is flush with the rest of the front (leatherette, etc.). With digital Ms, at least since the M10, the mounting ring (and thus the lens) sticks out in front of the leatherette by about 2mm. That provides extra lens clearance the M4 (and 7 and 6 and 5 and 3 and 2) don't have - don't know about MA and "new" M6, or MP).

All Ms have hardware on the front in close proximity to the lens mount. Always a lens release button (sometimes with a surrounding C-shaped protective ring/ridge/ferrule that is even deeper than the button), and often a frameline selection lever). The design of those external parts - including just how close they come to the lens mount, and how far our they stick from the camera - has also changed from time to time. Their design and precise specs were not "mission-critical" until Leica began making lenses that are fatter at the base and overhang the mounting ring.

Seems to me there was a new lens (Summaron 28?) that had issues with its focusing tab running into the base of the frameline lever on some older cameras, when focused close.

Anyway, it is perfectly possible the new 35 FLE hits one of those "bits" near the mounting flange of an M4 when being mounted, and cannot seat fully (and thus cannot be twisted into place).

Or that a specific M4 (now at least 45 years old) either left the factory with one of those parts 0.5mm longer or forward than normal. Or had them shifted a bit since production, during servicing or replacement - again, this was not a mission-critical specification for much of the Ms existence. **

I leave it as an exercise for the readers to search the web for images of 'Leica M "lens release" ' for various M types, to see all the variations that Leica has used over the decades.

________________

** I had an M4-2 around 1982 on which the rewind release lever (R) on the front "stuck out" from the camera enough to cause a light leak around the lever and right though the camera onto the film.

Edited August 7, 2023 by adan

[pedaes]

1 hour ago, adan said:

at least since the M10,

This was introduced to compensate for the thiner body of M10 (compared to M8, M9 and Type 240 families)  but , to use your words, the 'core geometry is the same',  which is the key point here. No?

[Jeremy Bunting]

This is false. My 35 FLE II mounts perfectly fine and performs great on my M2, my M6TTL, and my M11. Something is either up with your M4, or you weren't catching the mounting ring right.

[Darrell]

It mounts on my M3 and seems to couple correctly with the rangefinder.

[a.noctilux]

👍

post #13 and 14 confirmations are great.

What I'd expect from Leica.

Accident on M mount can occur.