Let's see your Leica M

Ororaro said:
The post above, BP M4 with a summaron-M 35mm, the tiniest Leica lens. True pancake.

The eyelets were so thin they almost broke. They have been changed since.
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I suspect the Elmar 35 f3.5 is even smaller. Good call replacing the eyelets...mine may need it soon.
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My 9th Leica over the last 60 years, this one from my brother who bought it and the other that I have, both new in 1975. I have his matching Summicron from the same purchase, but my favorite lens of all time is the collapsible Summicron, with the 50/1.1 Nokton in second place. I have yet to have a new Leica anything, myself.


M4
by Michael Darnton, on Flickr
 
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Wich type collapsible Summicron 5cm is your favorite? I've found that the last series (with the serial number beginning with "13") is better than the earlier ones. Also, the front lenses of the earlier ones are very vulnerable. Mine has number 1319XXX.

gelatin silver print (summicron 50mm f2 collapsible No.1319XXX) leica m2

Amsterdam, hunting herons, 2024.

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I've had four of them and I think that they have all been earlier. The current one is from 1954, but I don't have it at home to check the number. I'm lucky--it's nearly perfect and is going to stay that way. I like the look wide open. The 28/1.9 LTM Voigtlander has a similarly creamy diffuse quality wide open that I also like--it's maybe even better at it than the Summicron. You can see what I like from the camera shot above (shot with the original Lensbaby Soft Focus lens.)

Here's a long-ago shot with the second one I owned:

 
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mdarnton said:
I've had four of them and I think that they have all been earlier. The current one is from 1954, but I don't have it at home to check the number. I'm lucky--it's nearly perfect and is going to stay that way. I like the look wide open. The 28/1.9 LTM Voigtlander has a similarly creamy diffuse quality wide open that I also like--it's maybe even better at it than the Summicron. You can see what I like from the camera shot above (shot with the original Lensbaby Soft Focus lens.)

Here's a long-ago shot with the second one I owned:

Click to expand...

I like the shot, but it is hard to believe it is done with a 50mm lens. I guess the picture was made with a 90mm or even a 135mm lens because the background blur is too strong for a shot with a 50mm.
 
mdarnton said:
Nope, it's definitely the 50 collapsible Summicron. Wide open after sunset, I was sitting not more than about five feet away.
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I have this lens too. Number 13XXXXX. Maybe a bit 'closer up' than your shot.

Wide open. I still think that your shot is taken with a longer or faster lens, but in photography anything is possible.

gelatin silver print (summicron 50mm f2 collapsible) leica lll

Amsterdam, 2024

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chuckroast said:
The family:

  • Leica IIIf (1952)
  • Leica M2 (1961)
  • Leica M5 50 Jahre "Jubilee" (1974)
  • 50mm f/3.5 (uncoated) Collapsible LTM Elmar (1945)
  • 50mm f/2 Collapsible LTM Summicron (1955)
  • 35mm f/2 Summicron-M ASPH (2001)
  • 50mm f/2 Summicron-M V3 (1970)
  • 90mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M (1999)

All except the LTM Elmar, 90mm Elmarit-M, and 35mm ASPH have been CLAed within the last year. M5 meter works and is calibrated for modern battery voltages. At this point, the only thing I could see myself getting is a 21mm lens and finder, but I think this is a pretty full-up kit of Leica:
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A couple of updates since this was written. I've added a 21mm f/4 Voigtlander Color-Skopar with a TT Artisan finder. That lens was so impressive, I've sold the collapsible 50mm 'Cron and ordered a 50mm f/2.2 Color-Skopar.
 
Ororaro said:
The post above, BP M4 with a summaron-M 35mm, the tiniest Leica lens. True pancake.

The eyelets were so thin they almost broke. They have been changed since.
Click to expand...
I love my 3.5 summaron, beautiful with b&w. I tried using it with an old "ITDOO" lens hood and it makes the aperture almost impossible to adjust, do you have that issue with the lens hood you are using?
 
hellojamin said:
I love my 3.5 summaron, beautiful with b&w. I tried using it with an old "ITDOO" lens hood and it makes the aperture almost impossible to adjust, do you have that issue with the lens hood you are using?
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I use the 12504 Hood on all my 35mm lenses that will accept it.
With the summaron-M f3.5 I can’t say I find the aperture objectionally difficult to use with the 12504 Hood fitted on it, but I agree it needs finger finesse.
 
mdarnton said:
I've had four of them and I think that they have all been earlier. The current one is from 1954, but I don't have it at home to check the number. I'm lucky--it's nearly perfect and is going to stay that way. I like the look wide open. The 28/1.9 LTM Voigtlander has a similarly creamy diffuse quality wide open that I also like--it's maybe even better at it than the Summicron. You can see what I like from the camera shot above (shot with the original Lensbaby Soft Focus lens.)

Here's a long-ago shot with the second one I owned:

Click to expand...

I still do not believe that this one is with a 50mm f/2, but it is a very nice shot.
 
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