35mm f/2.8 Summaron - Need Example Images Please!

[wizard]

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vor 4 Stunden schrieb nxko:

Can I choose this lens from the menu on the M11?

No need to choose the goggled version of that lens, as it is optically identical to the non-goggled version. I do seem to recall, however, that either Summaron lens is not included in the M11 menu (as well as some older 50mm lenses). If I remember correctly, the Summcron 2/35mm v4 is the oldest 35mm lens included in the M11 menu, but others may know better.

 

vor 4 Stunden schrieb nxko:

What about framelines on the M11 with the goggles?

"on any M the goggles will bring up the 50 mm frame lines." Correct, and the goggles serve to adapt the 35mm frame lines to the 35mm field of view. In other words, the goggles transform the 50mm frame lines into 35mm frame lines.

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[pegelli]

I will go on a landscape photo walk the coming weekend and was planning to bring my Summaron 35/2.8, which is also an original M2 version (w/o goggles).

I'll test it at f2.8 with some trees far away to see how it looks when focussing at (close to) infinity.

I just looked in my catalog and I've used it very seldom at f2.8 on an M-camera (usually at f4 or f5.6) so can't help you right away.

You can't set it in the M240/M246M menu either, so I always set it as Summicron 35/2 (11310) and since I don't have such a lens that's no problem for me.

 

Edited July 3, 2024 by pegelli

[nxko]

3 hours ago, wizard said:

No need to choose the goggled version of that lens, as it is optically identical to the non-goggled version. I do seem to recall, however, that either Summaron lens is not included in the M11 menu (as well as some older 50mm lenses). If I remember correctly, the Summcron 2/35mm v4 is the oldest 35mm lens included in the M11 menu, but others may know better.

 

"on any M the goggles will bring up the 50 mm frame lines." Correct, and the goggles serve to adapt the 35mm frame lines to the 35mm field of view. In other words, the goggles transform the 50mm frame lines into 35mm frame lines.

I’m considering them primarily for my Leica M3, but also use them on my M11

Edited July 3, 2024 by nxko
Correct mistyped word

[pegelli]

14 hours ago, pegelli said:

I'll test it at f2.8 with some trees far away to see how it looks when focussing at (close to) infinity.

I decided to do the test sooner, in my backyard.

The tree I focussed on is ~140 meter from here, I focussed very, very slightly closer than infinity to get the branches overlap perfectly in the rangefinder, I could see no difference between this example and one where the infinity lock was engaged.

Aperture is f2.8 and camera used is the M240. Imported the file with the default setting in lightroom and exported a 1470 pixel wide 100% crop from the center.

You can see the tree branches are sharp while the house in front (~60 meter away) and the shrubs below (~40 meter away) are not sharp.

So the problem that started this thread is probably related to that specific copy of the Summaron and not an inherent fault of that lens (as expected)

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I hope this helps

Edited July 4, 2024 by pegelli

[yossi]

On 6/13/2024 at 5:42 PM, Hoody said:

It does line up on my M2, but I want to use it primarily on my SL with the M adapter. All my other lenses, including screw mount with adapters work fine. 

It could have been opened before I sent it in. Apparently the front elements were loose in their housings. Even after a CLA and shims added the problem persists. Sharp focus at infinity appears to be around 20m. I've been given the option of different shims to improve focus at infinity, but it may then lose close focus ability, so I'm not sure what to do. 

What appears damaged on it? I've uploaded a current photo of it (post CLA). 

Unfortunately Van Manen appears to no longer accept work from the UK. 

 

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Hello @Hoody

I have 3 Summaron's over the years and I can share some of my personal experience about them.

First of all, there is nothing so unusual about your Summaron rear mount.  It is obviously an old lens - oil on lens blades, dirt, etc,  common.  The lens oviously had been opened up before (for lens cleaning presumably), as evident from the marks shown on the rear group retaining ring:

The Summaron 35mm f2.8 is quite a simple lens to disassemble.  Unscrew the retaining ring (1), the rear element (2) can be easily unscrewed and removed, as shown below:

Next is a cemented lens group (3).  This part is crucial.  It is supposedly a free drop-in/out part, no screw involved. But over years, sometimes this part just gets stuck in there, refusing to drop out.  Some people use tool to dig it out, some reverse the lens and knock it in the hope that it would drop off (so this lens group can be damaged, it is common and now you know why.)  Assuming that this part does drop out without damage, then there should be a golden spring spacer beneath the cemented lens group.  If the spacer appears to be deformed, the lens would rattle.

 

 

Ok, so usually one would take out all these parts carefully, use Q tip with lens cleaning fluid to clean out any haze or fungus and then re-assemble every part in the reverse order.  IF everything is done correctly, the lens should be clean and clear, works as it should.  I said "IF".  What could go wrong?  The golden spring could be deformed (rarely), and more likely, the cemented group is not perfectly flat, and the rear element is not screwed in completely (long travel, easy to stuck around 90%).  When any of these happen, the Summaron lens is going to be unsharp edge-to-edge, and/or having focusing issue (mostly front-focusing).

The lens element arrangement from the front is rather similar to what I have described above so I will skip.

I don't know what is the history of your Summaron, but I strongly suspect it is correlated to what I mentioned above.  If no physical damage to any lens element/parts within it, a good repairman should be able to do a CLA and the lens would spring back to life.  Don't give up on it just yet.  Good luck.

 

yossi

 

 

 

 

[yossi]

Oh ya, one more thing -  the perceived damage of the flange at 6 o’clock is normal.  See mine:

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[yossi]

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Self-correction for my post #25 above.  

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[rcusick]

M4

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[rcusick]

M10

 

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[Keith (M)]

1967 Summaron f2.8 @ f2.8 on M11.

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