First results with a Summitar

[wlewisiii]

I recieved a very nice 1946 Summitar from Brian Sweeney the other day. I had a roll of Ektar 100 in the IIIf that I finished up yesterday. Here's a small selection of images from that roll. I have a suspicion that I am going to be quite fond of this lens. 😉

Focus is on the flag.

Flowers

One of my favorite barns on the edge of town.

If you are so inclined, more can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/wlewisiii/SummitarSept09?feat=directlink

Thanks,

William

 

[former member]

This Summitar is really good, coated and has the more desirable circular aperture.

And better for color than Hot-Glass Summicrons.

 

[former member]

The Summitars have a very nice switly Bokeh, not quite as pronounced as the Summarit.

This one has a very nice Bokeh used close-up and wide-open.

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

I love my summitar..It has swirly bokeh. another alternative is serenar f1.9. see below:

serenar

summitar

 

[wlewisiii]

I'm hoping to try and discover more about it's bokeh with this current roll. 🙂

William

 

[LeicaTom]

Yeah, pre 1947 ones are the best performers......

Tom

 

[marke]

Congrats on the Summitar, William! Looks like it's working out quite well for you. I have a 1946 myself. Here it sits on my IIIf RD. Is your serial no. anywhere near mine?

I'm happy with the results too.

Wide open...

Or closed down...

 

[marke]

Yeah, pre 1947 ones are the best performers......

Tom

Tom, why is that?

 

[former member]

The later Summitars went to the older Summar aperture scheme. More of a Hexagon pattern rather than a circle.

 

[wlewisiii]

Thanks, Mark. Mine is 7877xx. I think Tom's comment is in reference to the hexagonal aperture used in later Summitars.

Where in Wisconsin are you located?

William

 

[Pickett Wilson]

What are Summitar's going for these days. I've got a nice 1951 model I've been meaning to put in the classifieds.

 

[Bingley]

Nice photos, William. I particularly like the colors in the second one. My 1949 summitar, purchased from a member here, has so far only been used for b&w:

 

[marke]

Thanks, Mark. Mine is 7877xx. I think Tom's comment is in reference to the hexagonal aperture used in later Summitars.

Oh, yes. I've often wondered why Leica changed that, or why they never brought them back. Isn't this one of the things that affects bokeh?

Where in Wisconsin are you located?

William

Milwaukee. Do you ever shoot the farmers market or art shows around the square? I was out there this past spring. I might get out there once more this fall.

 

[wlewisiii]

I've worked the farmer's market a bit in the past, but I'm much more into landscapes - urban, rural & industrial - than in the classic "street shooting" of people. For me, it's a much better time wandering around an old ruined factory than making pics of people wandering around.

Now, if I could only sell a few hundred prints of said factory at the art fair... :bang: 😉

PM me if you wander this way.

William

 

[marke]

I've worked the farmer's market a bit in the past, but I'm much more into landscapes - urban, rural & industrial - than in the classic "street shooting" of people. For me, it's a much better time wandering around an old ruined factory than making pics of people wandering around.

Now, if I could only sell a few hundred prints of said factory at the art fair... :bang: 😉

PM me if you wander this way.

William

I'll do that. I can always let my wife to shop around town if you want to show me a good old factory or barn to shoot. Thanks.

 

[wlewisiii]

Bingley,

I like that image. Nice lines and I like the convergence towards the left. (edit: Left? Where did I get left? the river curves right! :bang: Argh... )

One of the reasons I decided to get this lens was that I wanted a nice all around lens for color or black & white. Looks like this will fill that bill nicely.

William

 

[Bingley]

Thanks, William. I was inspired to get this lens by the work that Marc-A did w/ it (where is he now, I wonder?) and especially by Graham Battison's landscape work in Northamptonshire.

 

[JohnyD]

i like swirly bokeh, but i really did not see any advantage from wlew's pics

 

[David Murphy]

William those are nice shots. The first time I shot with a Summitar I was blown away with the quality - it's quite a piece of work: glass, metal, small form factor and modest cost.

 

[wlewisiii]

Thank you, David. It really is a fine piece of gear - if only it didn't use the strangest filters on the planet! Fortunately I got 3 (yellow, yellow-green, & orange) with the lens because they're really hard to find. A red one would be nice for those melodramatic moments 😉

A couple of moments lately do remind me that a J12 would be a good idea too.

JohnyD, I've not shot anything yet with a pronounced bokeh. I'm hoping to fix that issue with the current roll of BW400CN loaded up.

William