Leica LTM Summarit: Is clean any Better ??

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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Steve Karr

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Hi Everyone,
So ... I have a Summarit that has some, Mmmm...quite a few cleaning marks on the front element. The inside is clean as is the rear.

My question for the owners that have "clean" copies is ... is there a "Quality of Image" difference in the clean glass?

These are 'kinda known as having low contrast, but how low? The flair is there in my images vers. other 50's I have, but mostly when backlit.

Focal Point will redo my lens for about $400. For an assistant that's super real money if it's not going to end up on film.

So if you have experience with this lens please chime in.

Thanks~
Steve

PS. I have a Super Clean DR & a Super Clean Canon 1.2 so that's covered, but I love the Summarit so I wondered.

PSs... if you live in PHX and have a clean copy and want some lunch, beer, snacks or whatever to let me shoot a compare between mine & your's, that would be great!
 
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I've got a Summarit covered in cleaning marks/scratches as well. Here is what shots with it look like for reference. I don't know if yours has a similar look or not:

4764935986_b67eeb228f_z.jpg

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Black and white works a bit better than color:

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More here:
www.flickr.com/search/?&w=59657594@N00&m=&q=summarit

I was holding on to it as the hazy, soft look works part of the time (and I doubt I'd get much for the lens anyway). I haven't really been in the habit of carrying it around though so perhaps it is getting close to time to let go.
 
i have a summarit that has been cleaned before - and it looks clean but if you put some strong light through it it is obviously not without its fair share of marks

you can see the photos i've posted on my flickr

some samples (though i must stress that these have been post processed through a scanner and CS4 so please take the contrast and other factors with a consideration - the raw scans are always much softer and lower contrast as most scans are anyway

it also depends very much what aperture you shoot at, most of this are done at least f4 - i try not to shoot below f2.8 unless a very soft look is desired! - if my memory serves me right, but my memory has a bad rep ;-)


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4393862726_4d41b5097e_z.jpg

​
 
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Summarit 5cm f1.5, wide-open on the M3.

Internal haze can be removed with a CLA. My lens has light coating marks, had heavy haze. $125 for the lens+$90 for the CLA, get this.

$400 is steep, sell this one and look for a clean one.
 
Mine's also covered in light scratches and hazy. I would say there is no point spending that much for a cleaning. I would think you would be better off getting a Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.5 for similar money and then you have two different looks -- modern and sharp, and classic and soft. Even a picture perfect summarit is not going to have a lot of contrast and sharpness, so if that is really what you want I think there are better routes.

If you want something between the softness of a hazy summarit and the sharpness of a modern lens, why not look at some other more in between lenses? Maybe a 5cm summicron collapsible (still quite sharp...not super high contrast) or one of the Canon or Nikon screwmount 50mm lenses? You should be able to find many for less than 400 USD....probably substantially less in some cases.

Edit: Missed the part about your other lenses. Since you already have a dual range and a 50mm f/1.2, I would say just leave the summarit as is and use it for when you are looking for a softer look, or use it in less flare-inducing light).
 
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Try to get the CLEANEST one possible!

Haze can be cleaned with a CLA, but bad cleaning marks, front or rear are the death knell for the "Rit" with these the lens will shoot "soft" like it's Father lens the Xenon does when it too has cleaning marks, MINT GLASS is the only way to go with this lens! ~ I just sold mine (which I will regret someday) for $600 with hood, filters, caps and it was nearly EX ++ Glass near mint and had a pampered life as a "art" lens on a Bolex 16mm camera in the late 1950's early 60's.

I sold it ONLY while I have the GAS/URGE for a mid 1960's SUMMILUX f1.4/50mm which will be part of my M3 PROJECT camera....


But, the Summarit is an amazing lens, super artsy and a favorite for shooting women/portraits, find the BEST one you can, "minty glass" prices are in the $400 to $500 range now for lens with caps.....

Tom

PS: Steve....shoot the h*ll outta that Canon f1.2/50mm ~ YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!! ~ It's one of my favorite lenses of all time, also if you haven't seen my posts about the KOOL hood to use on it, find a YASHICA ELECTRO 35 hood 57mm clamp on ~ they cost under $20 and it sure beats the original lens hood in size, weight and space. ~ Enjoy!
 
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Cleaning Marks!

Cleaning Marks!

Don't ya hate em. Honestly do they really make much difference? I just picked my Summarit up at the local photo shop!!! Not Kidding. The images seem to be soft but sweet. Here's a recent shot with some shallow dof at f4. The cleaning marks are there though. Can't really decide if it makes a bit of difference.
 

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Don't worry about the $400...it is too much. But the character of the lens is to die for...shoot it a lot and you will be amazed and surprised a lot.:angel:
 
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Ordinarily a few light scratches on the front will only cause flare. The proper shade is worth investing in.

My copy is scratch and fog free. If you desire, do some photos of something I can repeat in Chicago like a studio lighted color checker or a white car with black tires on the beginning of a roll, then send it to me and I will give a go for comparison. Use full sun

Let me know how many frames are exposed and at what apertures and I will skip that many. Also If you used the shade.

The only sure fire way to test is on the same roll or on a digital camera where every setting is matched. Random internet pics are too variable.

Ron
 
Scratchy Summarit

Scratchy Summarit

$400 for an overhaul of a Summarit is crazy- it's more than the lens is worth, but there may be some options to what Focal Point will do. I think that price is for a total overhaul of everything in this lens to bring it back to totally original spec, i.e. not all that brilliant. I had a Summarit done by them a couple years ago, spending $150 to have the front element only repolished and recoated. It did a good job of reducing the lens flare, and a scratched-up front element is usually the only thing wrong.

If you want really good results, get a Summicron. It is a much better lens, your case will still fit, and the camera won't fall over forwards when you put it on a table.😉. I eventually got rid of the Summarit, as I didn't like the unbalanced feel it gave to the camera, and the results always required some degree of rationalization. Not that I learned anything, of course. I have a nice IIIB that I use a lot and last Spring, I bought a really good condition Xenon f1,5 for it. This is basically an uncoated Summarit, and even though it does not have significant cleaning marks, there is little point of using it without a shade large enough to intrude in the viewfinder frame. And it's even heavier than the later Summarit.

If I realy want low contrast, I can go to Photoshop. But it's better to use a lens that does not limit your options too much.

Cheers,
Dez
 
I bought a Summarit (LTM) about a year ago. It was quite cheap because it was in awful condition: plenty of fine scratches and terrible fogging (see attached image.) For $190 it was sent to Tokyo and almost all the fogging was removed, vastly improving performance.

In the end however, I didn't like the out of focus areas at f1.5 and it is a very heavy lens, so I sold it. It took some good photos while I had it 🙂
 

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400$ is steep ... but a nice clean Summarit is something special, dreamy look at f/1.5 and very sharp and fine tones in BW from f/2.8 ....
 
Paul Luscher said:
May I suggest a 50mm F 1.4 LTM Nikkor? (Don't hit me, please don't hit me....)
Click to expand...

A great lens..........especially the #5005 "Tokyo" Nikkor S.C. f1.4/50 ~ but it has a totally DIFFERENT look than the Summarit, it is Sonnarisque with that Nikkor "glow/edge" about it 🙂

The "Rit" has that true "Leica Glow" about it, something you can't find in non Leitz lenses.....it's hard to explain it just looks Leica, I regret selling mine, but I plan on getting a early 1960's Summilux f1.4/50 ver2 and a "wartime" *coated* f1.5/50 Xenon to get back that look again 😀

Tom
 
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