My Leica IIIa

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xasthur

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I recently purchased a Leica IIIa that has the Summar 5cm f2. I love this little camera and from what I can tell the lens is uncoated.

My questions are this.

What do I need to get in order to use filters for this and would it be possible to have a lens hood and filters at the same time? I've looked on some websites about this, but I would like to be sure of my options because there are quite a few different lenses and sizes and I'm a little overwhelmed. Since what I've searched for was expensive I would like to be sure what I order will work with my specific lens. Do I need some sort of adapter to use modem filters? I see on the lens that is has threads so I imagine finding out that size and buying filters for it that they would just easily screw in?

Also what would be a good 35mm lens for this that I could look into getting? I don't mind getting a Russian lens since they appear to be cheaper.

Anyways thanks for taking the time to read this and any info you provide.
 
The Summar takes A36 filters. There is a Leitz adapter that allows the use of 39mm filters. There is a specific hood for that lens. It is bulky but works well. You can mount the filter first and the hood then goes on the filter. As fsr as I know, there is no combination hood and filter. Despite its dodgy reputation, the Summar produces excellent results. If you want to stay period correct, pick up a 35mm Elmar. Again, it is either reviled or loved. I have a iiia, Summar, and 35mm Elmar and love to use them. Look for the Elmar and Summar threads elsewhere on this site.
 
35 elmar is a good recommendation though don't show up too often.
i always liked the 3.5 summaron which i used for years and years on my IIf.

of course voigtlander 25/4, 28/3.5 etc are more readily available and proven
 
I will definitely look into that Elmar 35 in the future!

As for these uncoated lenses how much does a hood realistically help? Are filters equally important or are they more of extra to get photos to turn out a certain way?

Also below I have some pictures of my lens which has some or a lot of haze or whatever it may be. Do you think the amount it has in the elements would effect my photos at all? I have a test photo that I took if you wish to examine if you know what to look for.

Upon my random searching I found this website which does repairs on these old cameras/lenses. Anyone familiar with it or have hired their service?

http://www.yyecamera.com/index.html

picture

https://i.imgur.com/8xm0rfZ.jpg

lens

https://i.imgur.com/dkiFBM0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/o0iXuFD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Y1qoHu7.jpg
 
That looks like a lot of haze that will definitely cause flare in your photos, particularly into the light. A lens hood is a good idea in general for the older lenses. Sometimes you can get a Chinese-made replica of a Leica lens hood that functions well but costs a lot less than on original. I would clean that lens or have a someone do it for you to get the best results it is capable of.
John Mc
 
xasthur said:
As for these uncoated lenses how much does a hood realistically help? Are filters equally important or are they more of extra to get photos to turn out a certain way?
Click to expand...

A lens hood is always a good idea anywhere there is light hitting the camera...in order to avoid flare. They also help keep from damaging the lens if you bump it.

As for filters, I only shoot b/w & mostly outdoor images. Yellow or orange filters give you highlight separation in skies with clouds.... otherwise you get boring expanses of blank space. I don't use them for shooting portraits.

The original Leitz A36 filters & hoods are beautifully made & if you watch the classifieds here or on ebay, you can often find a lens with a hood & original caps. My 3.5cm Elmar came with caps & a yellow filter. I had the FISON hood kicking around in a drawer.
 
That website is for Youxin Ye. He does great work and is very popular with Barnack owners. He did a great job on my Tower 45.

Shawn
 
8xm0rfZ.jpg


mcfingon said:
That looks like a lot of haze that will definitely cause flare in your photos, particularly into the light. A lens hood is a good idea in general for the older lenses. Sometimes you can get a Chinese-made replica of a Leica lens hood that functions well but costs a lot less than on original. I would clean that lens or have a someone do it for you to get the best results it is capable of.
John Mc
Click to expand...

That result could come from a number of things, not just haze in the lens.
Might just as well be flare from shooting without a hood. Or come from shooting at box speed (and underexposing).

What film was that and how did the OP rate it? Was it home developed or sent in? Was it printed and scanned, or a scanned negative?

Calling 'haze' while the lens hasn't even been shown is a bit drastic imho.
 
Well, you got some haze going on in there, as well as some scratches. Both are not uncommon. It looks pretty bad and I suspect that's what is causing your low-contrast, muddy images. It needs to be cleaned. The summar should be sent to someone who knows how to do it properly! Its not as easy to open and service the summar as some other lenses (e.g., the Elmar).

Youxin is probably a good option for you. He is not very expensive, and has a good turnaround time. He's very communicative too. Even better is Don and DAG Camera Repair, but he will be more expensive. For a summar with scratches, such as yours, I would opt for the less expensive Youxin Ye.

Also, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned yet: your summar will accept E34 threaded filters. I prefer to use a 34mm threaded filter (UV) on my summar. It stays on the lens because (as you have unfortunately learned) the front glass (and rear) of the summar is notoriously soft. Scratches very easy, and many have plenty of scratches from eager owners cleaning the lens. My summar happens to have near-perfect front glass....so a filter remains on the front. Also, if you use a 34mm filter on your summar, you can still use A36 accessories too. So you can put an A36 hood on it (I like the FISON), or additional A36 filters.

I sometimes also use an aftermarket hood on my summar. Either an E34 screw on type, or A36 slip on. I think mine came from "Heavystar", somewhere on the internet.
 
So I've been looking at hoods for my Summar. So I have the option of the original SOOMP hood which is all one piece. Then there's the FISON which looks the smallest of the 2 hoods which has me interested in the most for that reason. So the FISON while more compact would not block as much light as the other 2 hood yeah? In your guys opinions would the FISON work fine most of the time or should I just get the SOOMP and deal with it's size?

Also I will use Youxin Ye when I have time to send it to him.
 
Either hood will work. The original is big and reduces the ability to pocket the camera and lens. I have used both and don't see a real difference in the results. Overall, collapsible lenses can be a challenge; I prefer a rigid lens and right now one of my IIIa cameras has a Canon 50 1.5 mounted. I did use the Summar on this camera earlier in the roll and will be able to do a comparison when I do the film later today.
 
I managed to win a Elmar lens with a hood so I'm excited about getting that!

I have another question: when I set the dial on my camera to 1/1000th of a second the dial does not go back down in its lower position. The camera still seems to function without issue I'm just wondering if this is intended or if something is stuck? If someone has experienced this before is it a easy fix that I can do? I provided pictures below.

This first one is when the dial is on 1/1000 of a second. As you can see it's higher than the second photo below.
https://i.imgur.com/5lwWaan.jpg

This second one is on 1/500th and as you can see the dial is all the way down. Is this normal?
https://i.imgur.com/zLgfqTP.jpg
 
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