Leitz or KMZ?

Gordon Coale

Gordon Coale

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Oct 12, 2004
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I had been planning on using the Summitar 50/2 that was on my Leica IIIc but it has a little haze. It's hard to see. If you hold the lens to the light just right you can see a hint of haze. I don't have the money to CLA it right now. Sherry Krauter said it would be upwards of $95. I thought I would compare it to my minty late model Jupiter 8 50/2. I was surprised.

Two pictures taken with two lenses with the same exposure. The point of view was a little different but the distance was the same. I scanned both negatives with the same scanner setting. The details are at scanned resolution and are unsharpened with nothing done to them. The contrast is way down on the Summitar. Either its a lower contrast and a not as sharp a lens or the haze is degrading the image more than I thought. The second set show the same thing. Same point of view and same exposure.

The Summitar collapses to a more compact package but I can still put the Leica and J8 in my coat pocket. It looks like the J8 will be living on the Leica. Someday I will CLA the Summitar. That day may not be for a while.
 
Interesting, Gordon... The shot of the window shows more loss of contrast than the interior shot. I wonder if there might be some "veiling flare" there. The interior of course shows a noticeable difference too, and I wonder how they'd compare if the pics from both lenses there were massaged to the max. :)
 
Possible focus error or difference in focussing? The interior shot shows quite a lot of difference in sharpness. That Jupiter does seem like a very good one!

Rob
 
Those little things are amazing, J8s that is.

The cost of a CLA varies quite a bit too, you may want to contact DAG, Popflash and the other usual suspects to get quotes. I guess each lens has a different construction and the like which effect the cost, but shopping price amongst the reputable service people may help.
 
zeos 386sx said:
DAG is about the same as Krauter right now.
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I just had a lens CLA'd by DAG for $65. It was not a Summitar, so that may make the difference.

Both DAG and Sherry are great and worth the cost of their services.
 
"I just had a lens CLA'd by DAG for $65. It was not a Summitar, so that may make the difference." - Rover

Interesting. I've had four Leitz lenses CLA'd by DAG since June. They were all $90+. I just asked him about a CLA for a 65mm f/3.5 Elmar and its OTZFO helical - his estimate was "about" $50 for each.

Yeah, if DAG's prices vary that much it might be best to get an estimate before sending a lens to him. I'd be interested to hear what other people have been charged for lense CLA's by DAG.

I can't argue about quality of work. DAG does EXCELLENT work!
 
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I have two lenses which I want to send him. I will email him for an estimate and post the results.
 
I recently sent a Summicron collapsible to DAG for a CLA...

he quoted $65 to adjust the aperture ring and clean the inside lens elements. to adjust/clean the focusing sytem was a full CLA at $90.

Sherry also quoted me this:

"A lens comes apart in basically 2 halves: Lens head, (elements, diaphragm blades and assembly), and Focusing mount. If I work on either half; it is $65.00, plus shipping. A full overhaul is $90.00, plus shipping. "

So the prices are the same, and this should explain the variation.
 
Estimate from DAG to clean light haze from inner elements of Collapsible Summicron and Canon 50/1.4 is $50 each. He will provide an exact cost upon inspecting the lenses.
 
rover said:
Estimate from DAG to clean light haze from inner elements of Collapsible Summicron and Canon 50/1.4 is $50 each. He will provide an exact cost upon inspecting the lenses.
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That is very consistant with the $50 each he quoted me for the 65mm/OTZFO combination.

Since Don and Sherry are both the others best competition, don't you wonder how they check on each others prices. :)
 
Captainslack asked if Oleg would work on a Summitar. Might check with Arexfoto.com as Gevorg Vartanyan might do this. Just a thougnt.
Johne
 
Here is a shot taken September 2004 by my daughter on one of her rare visits, of her newly aquired toe socks. It was taken with my newly aquired Zorki 4 and Jupiter 8. It was the first time she ever used an RF and one sentence of explanation as to how to focus was enough. There is tremendous detail of the socks and soft bokeh behind. Oh yes, she is an orthopaedic surgeon currently at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She was at University Hospital in JDOS land at the time this picture was taken. This is a scan from a 4x6 print.
Kurt M.
 
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Here is a picture of an interesting house in Glens Falls taken on the same roll of film last year. It is of course, reduced in size and slightly cropped on the left side to eliminate an orange traffic barrel that I managed not to notice when taking the shot. Zorki 4 and Jupiter 8, from a 4x6 print.
Kurt M.
 
Smashing sockies! :) That J-8 isn't bad either. ;) Mine has not been used that much recently, time to get it out again!

 
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