ML 'convertible' 35mm Summicron and Summaron lenses

[WJJ3]

Hi RFFs,

Does anyone know how rare and how valuable the 'convertible' 35mm lenses Leitz made are? I have seen both Summicron and Summaron convertible lenses priced quite high here in Japan recently.

These are the lenses that came from the factory with an M mount adapter attached to the lens and held in place with a set screw, which can be removed to reveal the L39 thread mount. It appears both the Summicron and Summaron have 0.7m MFD.

Any info about price and rarity would be appreciated, as well as comments from users!

 

[Erik van Straten]

AFAIK they are very early Summarons f/2.8 only (no Summicrons) with seral numbers in the 16XXXXX range. They focus to 0.7 m. They look a bit bizarre on screw-mount bodies with their big red bayonet index marks.

Leitz soon became aware of the fact that this was commercially not very smart, so they made the Summaron f/2.8 with a fixed bayonet only.

AFAIK the "real" screw mount Summarons (and Summicrons) focus down to 1m only. They are very pricy indeed. So the early Summarons f/2.8 became very attractive.

The removable bayonet adapter is also interesting in itself and can be used for some other screw mount lenses. The Hektor 73mm f/1.9 is an example.

Erik.

 

[WJJ3]

AFAIK they are very early Summarons f/2.8 only (no Summicrons) with seral numbers in the 16XXXXX range. They focus to 0.7 m. They look a bit bizarre on screw-mount bodies with their big red bayonet index marks.

Erik.

Thanks for your comments. The photos I have seen online of both Summicron and Summaron convertible lenses have the red bayonet index mark on the mount adapter.

 

[splitimageview]

I have had these with removable bayonets that focus down to 0.7m.

This one I sold a few years ago.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Thanks for your comments. The photos I have seen online of both Summicron and Summaron convertible lenses have the red bayonet index mark on the mount adapter.

I've never seen those, except the ones with the goggles. They focus to 0.65m, so are easy to recognise. These cannot be used without the goggles as focusing is then no longer correct.

The convertable Summarons I've seen have the red mark on their bodies and have serial numbers starting with 16XXXXX. I would like to see the others. Do you have pics?

Erik.

 

[splitimageview]

 

[splitimageview]

 

[Erik van Straten]

Great! A convertible Summicron. I've never seen one of those before. Thanks Splitimageview.

Erik.

 

[splitimageview]

my pleasure, Erik. 🙂

Many people aren't aware of these special Summarons/Summicrons, so look closely at photos on auction listings, or ask the seller for additional pics that might reveal the set screw (encircled in blue in one of the earlier pics.)

 

[WJJ3]

The convertable Summarons I've seen have the red mark on their bodies and have serial numbers starting with 16XXXXX. I would like to see the others. Do you have pics?
Erik.

I wish I had my own pics, but here is one that recently sold at Map Camera

Thanks for sharing these photos! Looks like some do have the bayonet index mark on the lens body.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I wish I had my own pics, but here is one that recently sold at Map Camera

Yes, I see the set screw, but it is a strange lens in my opinion. The weight is 140g, my 8 elements weights 180g. I've never seen or heard about a Summicron that focuses to 0.7m in screw mount (normal is 1m), so I guess it is a special lens, perhaps made on special order.
It can also be originally a goggled lens that got this mount by someone. The goggled Summicrons focus to 0.7m (the goggled Summarons to 0.65m).

Erik.

 

[splitimageview]

The screw in this photo is NOT the set screw for the bayonet. I don't think this lens is a convertible; it's an M bayonet only. That's why the red dot is on the bayonet.

The set screw for convertible lenses is much smaller, here it is encircled in blue:

I've never seen or heard about a Summicron that focuses to 0.7m in screw mount (normal is 1m), so I guess it is a special lens, perhaps made on special order.

I have had 2 or 3 of the convertible Summicrons that focus to 0.7m, one of them being pictured above.

 

[WJJ3]

The screw in this photo is NOT the set screw for the bayonet.

Sorry, you have to click the link to see the photo that shows the set screw; this photo just shows the mounting index on the removable mount.

 

[splitimageview]

Ok. Here is the pic with the set screw. And it shows MFD of 0.7m.

 

[Ronald M]

Perhaps I am wrong, but I remember some 35 & 50 Summicrons made for Japan ONLY that were convertible. Date late 1990`s or 2000.

Maybe they were late issue screw mounts only.

 

[splitimageview]

There were some limited editions for Japan during that time but they were not ‘convertible’ in this sense; they were just screw mount lenses (which can of course work with the usual LTM adapters.)