steka Posted April 20 Share #1 Posted April 20 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, got a problem with my new (to me) Summicron. Bought it in a Leica Boutique just a week ago. I can't reach infinity focus with it. Here are two shots, infinity focus, one with Voigtländer APO Lanthar (#1) and the other with the Cron. Checked my rangefinder adjustment in camera, and indeed I could get it to show a proper coincidence for the cron, but the lens still wouldn't physically focus on infinity. Also my close range shots, I need to focus slightly towards infinity to get what I want to focus sharp. Meaning, for my understanding, the lens has a problem. Any DIY suggestions? Already reached out to Leica Store but obviously it's the easter period right now. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/420630-summicron-50-f2-cant-reach-infinity-focus/?do=findComment&comment=5789354'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 20 Posted April 20 Hi steka, Take a look here Summicron 50 F2 - can't reach infinity focus. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
lct Posted April 20 Share #2 Posted April 20 Were you shooting at f/2? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steka Posted April 20 Author Share #3 Posted April 20 Yes, both cases. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 20 Share #4 Posted April 20 Looks about normal to me unless your Summicron is an apo model. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steka Posted April 20 Author Share #5 Posted April 20 Not quite sure, because the Voigtländer focusing works perfectly fine, but the Cron focusing behaves like mentioned above. Even close range I need to focus further away to get a sharp image. im not criticizing the sharpness itself and am clear about a different level of sharpness compared to the APO, but rather the focusing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 20 Share #6 Posted April 20 I can only comment the picture you showed above. Do you have other ones? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinjun Posted April 21 Share #7 Posted April 21 Advertisement (gone after registration) The front focus you also experience at shorter distances strongly suggests to me that there is a problem with rangefinder coupling. This is normally quite easy to check especially with an EVF. I focus on an object which has a straight edge and good contrast, e.g. a window frame, with EVF then check the split image in the rangefinder. If you confirm the problem I would return it to Leica Boutique. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steka Posted April 21 Author Share #8 Posted April 21 (edited) vor 55 Minuten schrieb sinjun: The front focus you also experience at shorter distances strongly suggests to me that there is a problem with rangefinder coupling. This is normally quite easy to check especially with an EVF. I focus on an object which has a straight edge and good contrast, e.g. a window frame, with EVF then check the split image in the rangefinder. If you confirm the problem I would return it to Leica Boutique. I can confirm this. However, now doubting myself. Because at close range focusing (±2m) f/2 is definitely front focusing. I need to ever so slightly focus further out. F/2.8 and above no issue at all. It seems to be a really minimal issue and especially at f/2 ... f/2.8. I can definitely get around this by confirming my focus through focus peaking. Voigtländer APO Lanthar is sharp as suggested by the RF all the way through. I also disassembled the mount part of the lens this morning to see if there's anything wrong. Nothing. *edit* I can obviously get the lens to focus correctly in the short/intermediate distances by adjusting the RF with the hex screw. But then the RF coincidence goes even further misaligned on infinity focus, while I'm able to focus perfectly on short/intermediate distances. Edited April 21 by steka Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 21 Share #9 Posted April 21 I see no focus issue on your pic above. Beware that Summicron v4 & v5 suffer from a bit of focus shift at around f/4. Nothing to worry about if you have an EVF. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steka Posted April 21 Author Share #10 Posted April 21 vor 5 Minuten schrieb lct: I see no focus issue on your pic above. Beware that Summicron v4 & v5 suffer from a bit of focus shift at around f/4. Nothing to worry about if you have an EVF. I could deal with that, but still - can’t focus to infinity at all on f2. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 21 Share #11 Posted April 21 1 minute ago, steka said: I could deal with that, but still - can’t focus to infinity at all on f2. Strange. At what distance were you focusing on your pic above? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberti Posted April 21 Share #12 Posted April 21 Hi, you haven't said which camera. It looks from my experience like M10R. That is, the slightest deviation in mid-field loss of resolution can be seen. It annoyed me a lot. Great lenses on the M240 are now on my M10r showing defects like this (waving plane of focus becoming visible). Another example: a 50/3.5 lens that now shows differences in handling of horizontal and vertical lines in brick walls. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steka Posted April 21 Author Share #13 Posted April 21 vor 10 Minuten schrieb lct: Strange. At what distance were you focusing on your pic above? Infinity! That church is at least 400 meters from my home. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steka Posted April 21 Author Share #14 Posted April 21 vor 4 Minuten schrieb Alberti: Hi, you haven't said which camera. It looks from my experience like M10R. That is, the slightest deviation in mid-field loss of resolution can be seen. It annoyed me a lot. Great lenses on the M240 are now on my M10r showing defects like this (waving plane of focus becoming visible). Another example: a 50/3.5 lens that now shows differences in handling of horizontal and vertical lines in brick walls. It’s an M11. Thanks for reminding me I didn’t mention! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 21 Share #15 Posted April 21 (edited) • Edited April 21 by lct Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Warwick Posted April 21 Share #16 Posted April 21 On 4/20/2025 at 11:53 AM, steka said: I can't reach infinity focus with it. i have a very similar thing occurring with a 75mm Summarit, currently in Germany again to see if they can correct it. ie, doesn't focus sharp at infinity, even though infinity is set on the lens barrel and even rangefinder lines appear correctly aligned; with the lens barrel rotated all the way to infinity, what is perfectly sharp is only approx 30 metres away! perhaps similar to your 2nd photo, where the spire is out of focus but the near tree is in focus Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Brown Posted April 21 Share #17 Posted April 21 Apart from returning the lens in case you awnt to keep it you'd need to send the lens to Leica for readjustment. Sometimes even they cannot do it. There is NO DIY minute solution I am afraid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinjun Posted April 21 Share #18 Posted April 21 If your Voigtlaender APO Lanthar is focussing fine I'd leave the camera rangefinder adjustments well alone. Given that you have front focus at f2 at around 2 m with your recently-bought Summicron I'd simply return it unless you got a particularly good deal and can live with it or pay to have it adjusted. I have various old lenses with focussing quirks which I'm prepared to put up with by manually compensating but I wouldn't put up with it on an expensive lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steka Posted April 21 Author Share #19 Posted April 21 vor 2 Minuten schrieb sinjun: If your Voigtlaender APO Lanthar is focussing fine I'd leave the camera rangefinder adjustments well alone. Given that you have front focus at f2 at around 2 m with your recently-bought Summicron I'd simply return it unless you got a particularly good deal and can live with it or pay to have it adjusted. I have various old lenses with focussing quirks which I'm prepared to put up with by manually compensating but I wouldn't put up with it on an expensive lens. Certainly a mint Summicron bought on a weekend trip in a leica boutique in Germany was never going to be a good deal so yeah… I’ll try to force them to accept a return on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesphoto99 Posted April 21 Share #20 Posted April 21 The lens is out of calibration. It happens, even with brand new ones. Some are culprits more than others (like the 75 Summicron). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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