raid
Dad Photographer
How would you place a vintage Zeiss Sonnar 5cm 1.5 or 2.0 in comparison with a Hektor, Elmar, or Summar, Erik? I have a 5cm/2 Sonnar in an Elmar barrel with ltm.
Leica Standard or Leica I
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Erik van Straten
Veteran
Raid, I do not have a Sonnar, but I have a Jupiter 8 and several RF-Nikkors 50mm f/1.4, Sonnar copies. The Jupiter is very sharp, but has distortion. The Nikkors have weak corners, but no distortion.
The Leica Hektor, Summar and Elmar lenses have no distortion. The Elmar and Hektor are not as sharp as the Summar, but the Summar is a difficult lens because the front lens scratches easily. The Summitar has distortion.
The best other LTM 50mm lenses in my opinion are the Summicron collapsible in the 13XXXXX series (the earlier series have front lenses that scratch easily), the Summicron Rigid 50mm in LTM (hard to find), the Elmar 50mm f/2.8 LTM and the Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5.
I do not know the other 50mm LTM lenses.
Erik.
The Leica Hektor, Summar and Elmar lenses have no distortion. The Elmar and Hektor are not as sharp as the Summar, but the Summar is a difficult lens because the front lens scratches easily. The Summitar has distortion.
The best other LTM 50mm lenses in my opinion are the Summicron collapsible in the 13XXXXX series (the earlier series have front lenses that scratch easily), the Summicron Rigid 50mm in LTM (hard to find), the Elmar 50mm f/2.8 LTM and the Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5.
I do not know the other 50mm LTM lenses.
Erik.
raid
Dad Photographer
It is interestingthat the more "modern" lens, such as Summarit has distortion while past lenses do not. In which ways do ltm rigid Summicrons differ from M rigid Summicrons?
I like using my ltm Elmar 50/2.8. It is a sharp lens.
Erik van Straten
Veteran
I don't know about the Summarit, never used it, but I have a prewar uncoated Summitar with 10 f/stop blades (post war is coated and 6 f/stop blades) and it has a quite alarming barrel distortion. (about distortion: above all disturbing on a computer screen, maybe less so on an oldfashioned print)
The Elmar 50mm f/2.8 is a great lens, but I do not have one. Can't have them all. I only have the Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8. Also very good, extremely sharp, but not as handy as the Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5.
Erik.
The Elmar 50mm f/2.8 is a great lens, but I do not have one. Can't have them all. I only have the Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8. Also very good, extremely sharp, but not as handy as the Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5.
Erik.
raid
Dad Photographer
Yes, you are right; I meant to write Summitar and not Summarit.
Some people who own Elmar-M 50/2.8 say that it is a better lens than the older ltm version.
Some people who own Elmar-M 50/2.8 say that it is a better lens than the older ltm version.
Erik van Straten
Veteran
The Elmar 50mm f/2.8 is an older lens, but it is the same as with the Summicrons: I prefer the rigid over the v4 -wich is much sharper- because it fits my style of photography better. I want to give my pictures an old fashioned look. So I prefer the old Elmar 50mm f/2.8 over the new one. Maybe, someday, I'll get one.
Erik.
Erik.
robert blu
quiet photographer
Beautiful camera Raid, congrats! And so much knowledge everyone! I'm impressed!
robert
robert
raid
Dad Photographer
Hello Robert. We are connected through these old Leica cameras and lenses. They are beautiful and they are fascinating. Only they can withstand the push to go 100% digital.
Erik van Straten
Veteran
Another Hektor shot:
Leica II, Hektor 50mm f/2.5, Tmax400, print on Adox MCC 110.
Erik.
Leica II, Hektor 50mm f/2.5, Tmax400, print on Adox MCC 110.
Erik.
raid
Dad Photographer
Very nice, Erik. I like the Hektor look.
raid
Dad Photographer
The mystery of my camera with two accessory shoes has been explained to me by Nicolas Uhl, Managing Director of Leica Camera, Frankfurt. THank you! [and to Oliver Kaltner who kindly connected me with Mr. Uhl).
Mr. Uhl checked the Leica records, and he informed me that my camera did not initially leave the factory with two accessory shoes. He also affirmed that Leica did the modification later on for some customer.
Mr. Uhl checked the Leica records, and he informed me that my camera did not initially leave the factory with two accessory shoes. He also affirmed that Leica did the modification later on for some customer.
robert blu
quiet photographer
I understand the passion, yes but I don't know if I'm ready for these kind of camera...maybe I should first try an old lens (with adapter) on the M7 or why not on the M10...
robert
PS: interesting thread anyway
Sumarongi
Registered Vaudevillain
Very good. Now we have the explanation why it's looking so flawless that we even were discussing whether it's an unknown prototype. 🙂
raid
Dad Photographer
The Leica modification makes my camera slightly unusual, I think. I wonder who that customer was who asked Leica to modify the camera. Maybe it was someone famous! 😀 😎
raid
Dad Photographer
Such cameras are not expensive, Robert. They give me a sense of the history behind Leica cameras. It is fascinating to me that "someone" used my camera in the 1930's. You only need a regular ltm-M adapter for your M7 and M10 to use an old ltm lens, such as the Elmar 5cm 3.5.
David Hughes
David Hughes
... a sense of the history behind Leica cameras.
... a sense of the history behind Leica cameras.
An excellent source is the book "My Leica and I" edited by Kurt Karfeld. It was published in 1937 and consist of a series of short articles about Leica cameras and a lot of first class photographs by mostly amateur users and a few professional ones.
It's not all technical, one article is by someone talking about buying her husband one for his brithday or Christmas and then being drawn into getting another for herself and the effect it had on other photographers, in the 1930's. You'll recognise some of the names but they weren't all famous then. And the photo's are excellent.
Regards, David
... a sense of the history behind Leica cameras.
An excellent source is the book "My Leica and I" edited by Kurt Karfeld. It was published in 1937 and consist of a series of short articles about Leica cameras and a lot of first class photographs by mostly amateur users and a few professional ones.
It's not all technical, one article is by someone talking about buying her husband one for his brithday or Christmas and then being drawn into getting another for herself and the effect it had on other photographers, in the 1930's. You'll recognise some of the names but they weren't all famous then. And the photo's are excellent.
Regards, David
raid
Dad Photographer
Thank you, David. This sounds very interesting. It can shed some light on how life was in the 20's and 30's.
It was recommended to me to get the 3 volumes of Leica. An illustrated History, by James Lager. His books are not cheap.
It was recommended to me to get the 3 volumes of Leica. An illustrated History, by James Lager. His books are not cheap.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Yes, um, I've often wondered what it would be like to be that serious. I see the things (cameras) as interesting tools from a bygone age. And, of course, they are nice to handle and hold and so on. The photo's are a bonus at times!
Regards, David
PS Did you find any of the little Hove Foto pocket books about the Leicas by Dennis Laney?
raid
Dad Photographer
I will start looking for reasonably priced good books on Leica cameras, David.
The book by Laney costs $31 used.
https://www.amazon.com/Leica-Camera-Lens-Pocket-Book/dp/0906447267
It can purchased for a lower price from UK:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/...an=dennis+laney&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title7
The book by Laney costs $31 used.
https://www.amazon.com/Leica-Camera-Lens-Pocket-Book/dp/0906447267
It can purchased for a lower price from UK:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/...an=dennis+laney&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title7
johannielscom
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