Leica LTM Always use a hood with Summar?

[Erik van Straten]

The best shade for the Summar is the FOOKH/12505. It carries the inscription "Summaron - Elmar 3.5cm", available in black or chrome. It is an early post-war shade. Small, but effective.
The FLQOO is often mistaken for a shade for the Summar, but beware! This shade vignettes quite a lot when used on a Summar.
Leitz intended the SOOMP for use on the Summar; it is certainly a good shade, but it is too large and too heavy and it tends to fall from the lens. This is a nice lens hood to collect, but not to use.

After the war many Summars were coated. A coated Summar in good condition is a superb lens, but the front lens of the Summar is extremely soft, even when coated it scratches easily.

gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2 - FOOKH) leica III

Erik.

 

[hap]

I did not FOOKH around. Bought Chinese well made knockoff.

 

[raydm6]

Thanks for the links. Lots of good humor in this thread 😊 and nice images with the Summar.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I always FOOKH around, using a Summar. Why? Well, for the bokeh of course. Even at full aperture a Summar is razor-sharp and creates the most painterly backgrounds.

gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2) leica III

Erik.

 

[Gregm61]

Erik, your Summar images makes everyone else's Summar (or put any other lens name in here) images look, well, not so good.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Erik, your Summar images makes everyone else's Summar (or put any other lens name in here) images look, well, not so good.

I take this as a compliment, thank you, Greg!

Erik.

 

[WJJ3]

I have a step up ring that allows ITOOY to clamp onto Summar.

This hood is a little bulky on the Summar, but it does a decent job of shading the lens. Even with this hood attached my Summar would sometimes flare from just-outside-the-frame light sources.

I recently had my Summar coated by Yamazaki Kogaku and the flare resistance is much improved. I think a clean and coated Summar without a hood is probably better than a typical condition Summar with a hood.

No hood and slightly clouded sun just outside the frame:

Boat lines

 

[TheMapleLeafForever]

The black anti-reflective paint on doublet in front of the aperture can also be a problem. I just touched mine up, will see if it reduces reflections. This was also an issue for my pre-war 8.5cm F2 Sonnar. Has never been an issue for my 5cm F2 and F1.5 Sonnars.

Really like your photographs. It certainly makes me feel better about my own Summar. I have been told mine looks cleaner than most, but it still sometimes takes pictures that look like the one you described as having perfect glass. Just glad to know it probably has nothing to do with my lens.

 

[Nitroplait]

I recently had my Summar coated by Yamazaki Kogaku and the flare resistance is much improved. I think a clean and coated Summar without a hood is probably better than a typical condition Summar with a hood.

No hood and slightly clouded sun just outside the frame:

Boat lines

If anything, that photo demonstrate that also a coated Summar would benefit from a hood 🙂
But Summars are around 90 years old now and I suspect that the sample variation is extremely high, not only because of production tolerances and technology at the time, but also individual age related issues such as deteriorating cement and paint, micro-scratches, haze, abuse etc.

 

[raydm6]

I enjoyed Helen's and Erik's un-Summar-ish examples to see what this lens can really do. The images are really nice compositionally and aesthetically without the flare and washed-out/low-contrast look the lens is prone to exhibit. Although, the colors in the ship picture above are really nice too.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The images are without the flare and washed-out/low-contrast look the lens is prone to exhibit.

Thank you, Rayd. Usually the front lens is the culprit. Only one on hundred examples has an acceptable front lens. So be really critical when buying a Summar.

There are many Summars that are repolished and coated after the war. However, these all have the well known soft coating from Leitz, so also coated Summars should be checked carefully before purchasing. Sometimes scratches on the front lens can only be seen when looking through the lens from the rear into the direction of a window or lamp.

Sometimes even the best Summars suffer from flare, but that can be very beautiful.

gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2) leica m3

Erik.

 

[TheMapleLeafForever]

I mean if you are going for that vintage look, is there anything better than a Summar?

 

[raydm6]

Erik, your Summar images makes everyone else's Summar (or put any other lens name in here) images look, well, not so good.

I thought Helen's images were very good also.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I mean if you are going for that vintage look, is there anything better than a Summar?

The Canon 5cm F2 Serenar.

 

[Travis L.]

I prefer the shock and awe of my original Summar hood.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I mean if you are going for that vintage look, is there anything better than a Summar?

Yes, the Cooke Amotal from Taylor, Taylor and Hobson. This lens was made for the Foton, an American camera from the 1940's. Many Amotals have been converted for Leica M. The Amotal at full opening always reminds me of the Summar. Stopped down it is more like a Summicron. It is hard coated - very modern for its time - but nevertheless I've seen many with a scratched front lens, so watch out.


gelatin silver print (cooke amotal 50mm f2) leica mp

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (cooke amotal 50mm f2) leica mp

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Stopped down:


gelatin silver print (cooke amotal 50mm f2) leica mp

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Helen has deleted her photos in this thread. I would be very sorry if this was in response to the course of the discussion. I already miss her gorgeous, very personal photos.


Erik.

 

[Hans Berkhout]

Great shots Eric, and very good pleas for b&w work.

Lens shade FISON is almost permanently attached to my Summar. L of Leitz lined up with the reference dot for diaphragm.

SBOOI 5cm finder for viewing pleasure.

_IGP5501 by hans p berkhout, on Flickr

_IGP5507 by hans p berkhout, on Flickr