Leicaflex SL, Summicron 50

Hey you guys with leicaflexes, can you tell me if the top and bottom sections of the standard leather ever ready case snap apart, or is that pivot non-detachable?
 
I bought a very nice black enamel Leicaflex SL and Summicron 50 for $120 in an out of the way repair shop thinking I would sell it off and finish the OM kit I was building.

Then I used it. Silly me.

As a result not only does it stay as my main SLR but I have a black chrome one too.

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I read somewhere once that to get the best out of the 1st series 50 summicron it needs to have the UV filter on the front. I actually prefer it to the later 50.
The only downside to the SL is the lightmeter in the low light range. The SL2 was much better in this regard. I believe that a more sensitive cell can be transplanted into the SL if required.
The viewfinder is quite amazing considering how old these are. Side by side with the Nikon F2 is astonishing. Brighter and crisper and due to the full microprism screen focus just pops in and out. I think the F2 is 0.8 mag with a 50 and the SL/SL2 0.9 which also helps. My Pentax K2 is also easier to focus than the F2 and has 0.88 mag so I think it's definately easier with the higher mag finders.
I'd recommend the SL to anyone looking for a simple mechanical camera and what's great is the price! Lenses are another story these days.
 
nobbylon said:
I read somewhere once that to get the best out of the 1st series 50 summicron it needs to have the UV filter on the front. I actually prefer it to the later 50.
The only downside to the SL is the lightmeter in the low light range. The SL2 was much better in this regard. I believe that a more sensitive cell can be transplanted into the SL if required.
The viewfinder is quite amazing considering how old these are. Side by side with the Nikon F2 is astonishing. Brighter and crisper and due to the full microprism screen focus just pops in and out. I think the F2 is 0.8 mag with a 50 and the SL/SL2 0.9 which also helps. My Pentax K2 is also easier to focus than the F2 and has 0.88 mag so I think it's definately easier with the higher mag finders.
I'd recommend the SL to anyone looking for a simple mechanical camera and what's great is the price! Lenses are another story these days.
Click to expand...

Interested to know why the UVa filter would improve the 1st version Summicron R? Flare control? Colour rendition?
 
teddy said:
Interested to know why the UVa filter would improve the 1st version Summicron R? Flare control? Colour rendition?
Click to expand...

No idea but I read it somewhere. I will test mine out at some point with and without the Leica filter.
From what I've seen from it though I prefer the look to the later ones I've had. I really can't tell any difference between my M summicron 50's and the Leicaflex version.
 
Don't believe everything you read. It was just one guy'e experience. Conventional wisdom is the opposite, although with an SLR technique plays such a big role.

I've put lots of film through an SL and both 50 Summicrons. Like many, I prefer the optics of the 2nd version, but those earlier version feel like they're built out of rock. Both are good, and I just happen always to use UV filters.

Although the real magic with the SL comes with a 90mm lens. Those microprisms just pop!
 
Don't forget that it was one of the few cameras back in the 60's that had 1/2000 sec top speed that was accurate to boot. Other trivea, the coarse micoprism spot was optimised for f/2.8 resulting in better focusing accuracy than other Japanese cameras which were optimized for f/4.5. While f/4.5 minimizes microprism blackout, focus accuracy suffers a little. At the time the SL came out, most Leica R lenses were f/2.8 or faster.
 
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