My new little gem...

[Kent]

Some days ago, the Leitz Summitar 2/5cm arrived.

My copy was built in 1948 and combines the 10-blade aperture diaphragm with a violet lens coating, a modern aperture stop dial and focus distance in feet.

Only the lenses produces between 1946 and 1949 do have this nice combination.

The lenses, which easily are prone to hazing, are clean and there are no fungus or other considerable marks visible. The focus ring turn is ok, not as buttery as in a new Leica lens, and the aperture diaphragm opens and closes nicely.

I am a happy man!

This lens will mainly be used on my NEX-3.

OK, I know to some you you guys this might be a sacrilege, but I LOVE those vintage lenses on the NEX.

 

[Kent]

137 views and no comment?
I didn't know that I was on general ignore. 😉

Or perhaps the anti-NEX-mood is so strong here that no thread that reports about a NEX used with classic lenses is acknowledged. 😀

Well...

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Yeah, Nex? BLASPHEMY! 😉

Nah, I think we're all overflowing with jealousy from you finding one in this condition. Some results with this combination would've been nice to see though.

 

[Kent]

Yeah, Nex? BLASPHEMY! 😉

I thought so. 😉

Some results with this combination would've been nice to see though.

Sure. I just haven't had the chance to shoot with it yet.

Here are two quick snaps from this morning, though:

f/2.0

f/4.0

JPG, just some basic pp: levels, resized and slightly resharpened.

 

[agricola]

err ... Kent, me and that lens were made in the same year ;-) and I too have just acquired a Summitar from 1948. I wish I had a NEX to test it on.

Flare with the older lenses worries me. I have encountered a bit of it with a nickel Elmar 50 when into the light. But now I have a VALOO! and that should settle that! Like a hammer and a nail.

However, I'm not sure about the Summitar. I have on order a Summitar hood and adapter to enable use of the filters etc from the Summicron.

We'll see. But thanks for the nice shots.

But the IIIf will have to do. Your results look very encouraging - nice shots.

 

[Austerby]

Actually I'm interested in the NEX combination - they've rather passed my by but looking at yours I immediately thought "digital barnack".

Please share more about old lenses on the NEX and how it works in practice.

 

[Sparrow]

Yeah, Nex? BLASPHEMY! 😉

Nah, I think we're all overflowing with jealousy from you finding one in this condition. Some results with this combination would've been nice to see though.

 

[paulfish4570]

i'd like to have one for my IIIf. looks to me you did very well ...

 

[Kent]

Flare with the older lenses worries me. I have encountered a bit of it with a nickel Elmar 50 when into the light. But now I have a VALOO! and that should settle that! Like a hammer and a nail.

However, I'm not sure about the Summitar. I have on order a Summitar hood and adapter to enable use of the filters etc from the Summicron.

Yes, I also have ordered the SNHOO filter adapter to use a hood on that lens.

Congrats to your Summitar!

 

[Kent]

Steward: Fantastic shot! A beauty!

Actually I'm interested in the NEX combination - they've rather passed my by but looking at yours I immediately thought "digital barnack".

Please share more about old lenses on the NEX and how it works in practice.

For me the NEX is an almost perfect cam for those vintage lenses, esp. since they came out with the new firmware and the focus assist.

I do own more SLR lenses than RF ones. Of course those SLR lenses also can be used on a NEX, but they are rather big and thus the balance is not perfect anymore. However, lenses such a Leica Summicron 50, Zuiko 1.4/50, Nikkor-N.C 2.8/24, Takumar 2.8/105 or others are amazing on the NEX.

My "NEX-Set" reads like this:

Sony SEL 2.8/16
CCTV 1.7/35 (originally a c-mount video lens, but a fascinating little glass on the NEX)
Leitz Summitar 2/5cm
Jupiter-8 2/50 (a comparison of those two is next in line. 😉)
Schneider-Kreuznach Tele-Xenar 3.8/75 (originally a Robot lens, DIY adapted to NEX, but I am looking for a Robot-L39-adapter. They exist! If anybody wants to sell one, I'd pay up to US$ 50,- for it.)
Leitz Elmar 4/90
Leitz Hektor-M 4.5/135

What is missing is a nice and compact (and affordable) 24/25mm lens to fill the gap between 16 and 35mm. Perhaps a Voigtländer would do... 😉

Well, I have two very nice 24mm SLR lenses (and several 28mm lenses) that I can use on the NEX, but as I wrote, they are a little too large.


How does it work in practice?

First you adapt those lenses to your NEX.
Then you choose Av-Mode and use your lens the way you would use it on any film cam.
The new focus peak of firmware 4 makes it a breeze to focus manually.
Push the shutter button. That's it. As easy as that.

 

[sanmich]

Wow!
I didn't see a "ZOOM" magazine for ages...

 

[raid]

Some days ago, the Leitz Summitar 2/5cm arrived.

My copy was built in 1948 and combines the 10-blade aperture diaphragm with a violet lens coating, a modern aperture stop dial and focus distance in feet.

Only the lenses produces between 1946 and 1949 do have this nice combination.

The lenses, which easily are prone to hazing, are clean and there are no fungus or other considerable marks visible. The focus ring turn is ok, not as buttery as in a new Leica lens, and the aperture diaphragm opens and closes nicely.

I am a happy man!

This lens will mainly be used on my NEX-3.

OK, I know to some you you guys this might be a sacrilege, but I LOVE those vintage lenses on the NEX.

Hello Kent,
Congratulations on getting such a lens. I don't know which vintage my Summitar is.
How can you tell which year a Summitar was made based on the serial number?

I use an EP-2, but you have a NEX-3, with a smaller crop factor.

Enjoy the Summitar!

 

[raid]

I just checked:
My Summitar was made in 1950 while my Summar was made in 1937.

 

[ampguy]

very nice, 10 blades is great, but 15 blades enables an even rounder circle (nicer bokeh, less diffraction).

 

[raid]

Which lens has 15 blades? Another Summitar model?

 

[ampguy]

The original Elmar 50 2.8

The original Elmar 50 2.8

around '57, the pinnacle of Leitz engineering, before massive cost reduction and outsourcing.

Which lens has 15 blades? Another Summitar model?

 

[raid]

around '57, the pinnacle of Leitz engineering, before massive cost reduction and outsourcing.

I have such a lens,and I like it.
It is very well made. Leica quality at its best.

 

[raid]

I should have removed the dust ....

1950 Summitar.

 

[Kent]

Very nice, Raid!

 

[raid]

Thanks.
What can you tell me about the 1948 Summitar that is different from my 1950 Summitar, Kent?

Edit: It seems that my lens has six aperture blades, like the Summar.
It is unknown why Leica went from six to ten and then back to six blades.