Leica LTM 1934 Summar

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
naturepix said:
Hello JKelly,

I wish my Summar was as sharp as yours. It simply isn't... not much I can do about it. So, it will be my "soft" lens. I really do need a good 50, though.

I particularly like your horizontal river photo. It is wonderful.
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A CLA would do wonders for your Summar.
 
Les Lammers said:
A CLA would do wonders for your Summar.
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Les,

Thanks for the suggestion. I thought about that, but I'm afraid it would need a lot more than just a CLA. It looks like there is some separation... too expensive. Since I posted the Summar photo, I've picked up a beautiful Summitar. It's great. It's my current, favorite 50. So, the Summar will wait... for now.
 
The Kodachrome film in 35mm came out after the 16mm and 8mm stock late '30s but was pretty sharp although desperately slow at 10 asa, kodacolour similar (32 asa I think) but less sharp. So the summar and elmar were struggling and you needed to stay smaller than f5.6 or 8 - so needed sunny day or solid tripod/static subject, you needed a hood as well. The B&W film was grainy and slow and solvent (fine grain) developers did not help speed sharpness, all depressing.

So we are spoilt with the last few cassettes of K25 (I have one left) and modern optics, high refractive crowns and flints, near diamond hard multi coatings, computer optimised, some aspherics etc. we can use 2.8 or 4, lots more uV near to poles, warmer near poles, longer summers etc.

Dont worry about that your daughter is pretty and you need to catch fleeting expressions with Fuji chrome 400.

Noel
 
Really nice. Here's my own daughter - Asta - taken on a 1936 Summar + 1938 IIIa. Wide open, obviously :)

Asta_Summar_web_IV.jpg
 
wlewisiii said:
I really wish people would stop posting pictures like this. I just lost another auction for a Summar... :bang: :D
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Thanks for the reminder. Not only did I miss out on a 5cm Elmar, I've also missed out on a 3.5cm Elmar. :(

Mind you, I have heard that I might be getting an LPL enlarger.

Er... </ot>
 
It should be noted that the Summar is from an era when all prints were manually processed, and burning and dodging was the name of the game.

Most of the softness of shots from the Summar can be eliminated with careful printing technique. It's a great old lens and looks wonderful on portraits when used around F3.2

Best wishes
Dan
 
i just purchased a IIIF rd and a 50mm summar . this combination makes for a great pocket camera . i really enjoy the effects of the uncoated glass .
 
Hey, welcome to RFF thetooth. I've only recently acquired a Summar myself and the few pics I've taken with it sold me too. It's a keeper.
 
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