Summicron-M 28mm ASPH close focusing material n. 11618 and resitance past 0.7m

[gettons]

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Hello everyone,

 

I did not have a chance to test this lens in any Leica store, but would love to know if there is any resistance when going past 0.7m to 0.4m with the focusing ring.

The 35mm APO Summicron material n. 11699 does indeed introduce some resistance, which is good when looking through the rangefinder, this way it makes the photographer aware he has gone past the rangefinder coupling mechanism. This is based on me trying the lens for a few days.

But the 35mm Summilux close focus material n. 11726 does not give resistance when going past 0.7m to 0.4m with the focusing ring. Or at least the copy I tested in the Leica store was like that.

 

So, I am not sure if the Summicron-M 28mm ASPH material n. 11618 actually introduces resistance like the 35mm APO or not.


Thanks in advance

Edited February 27, 2024 by gettons

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[Jewl]

It has a resistance when you enter the close focus range beyond 0.7m 

[RobW0]

My 35 Summilux CF and 35 APO both have about the same resistance at the 0.7m point. I can tell on both when I reach that point.   

[chris7273]

There is definitely a resistance on the Summilux 35mm FLE v2. 

[gettons]

57 minutes ago, chris7273 said:

There is definitely a resistance on the Summilux 35mm FLE v2. 

Oh that's curious, and I am saying that because when I tested the Summilux 35mm FLE v2 at the Lieca Store I could not feel any resistance. Whereas on the 35 APO the resistance was pretty obvious.

Maybe something wrong with the copy of the Summilux 35mm FLE v2 at the Lieca Store?

[gettons]

3 hours ago, Jewl said:

It has a resistance when you enter the close focus range beyond 0.7m 

Did you actually try it yourself and felt the resistance if I may ask?

[RMF]

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@gettons I have both of them and they both have a “bump’ when moving between normal/close focus, in my copies the 35 APO has the most obvious, and the 35 FLE v2 less so.  If you look at the rear of the lenses as well you see a different implementation on how the focus works… rotating focus on the FLE v2 and sort of an in/out mechanism on the APO (someone else could describe this in clearer terms I’m sure) 🙂

One item to note, my 35 FLE v2 out of the box was quite stiff and required a bit of breaking it to get it all smoothed out; the ‘bump’ remained the same throughout the smoothing out period.

Hope this helps!


 

 

 

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Edited February 28, 2024 by RMF

[chris7273]

8 hours ago, gettons said:

 

Maybe something wrong with the copy of the Summilux 35mm FLE v2 at the Lieca Store?

Maybe. My own summilux 35 v2, bought in January 2023 at the a Leica store in Paris, was smooth out of the box with a noticeable resistance at 0.7m. 

one year later, I don’t notice a change in the focus ring “friction”. It’s smooth with a slight (but impossible to miss) “bump” at 0,7m

 

Edited February 28, 2024 by chris7273

[gettons]

Thank you so very much everyone 

[tappan]

I tried the new CF in the Leica Store Boston. They were very knowledgable in the description of the lens. I believe they said that there is a small ball bearing that causes that resistance when entering the CF area.
Mark