dwr
Senile User
Hey guys,
I've been shooting with an Elmar 5cm/3.5 on my Leica Standard for a couple of months now, and although I truly appreciate its compactness, I found it too slow for my needs since almost half of my shots are done indoor. So I'm thinking about getting a faster 50.
Then I saw this screw mount collapsible Summicron 50/2 that goes for about US990, it's way over my budget and so much more expensive than the ones I found on 'bay, but it's in an almost pristine condition, no cleaning marks, haze or fogging, etc, and it seems to work great mechanically.
There're also a Serenar 50/1.8 and Nokton 50/1.5 asph that go for US400 and US700 respectively. But since the Summicron is collapsible so I would suppose that it would make a much more compact package when collapsed with my Standard than the other two? But Leica lenses are so overpriced here, and I can't buy stuff over 'bay so my options are really limited. Hope someone with more experience and insight might help me with this little ailment of choosing a lens.
Thanks for any comments!
I've been shooting with an Elmar 5cm/3.5 on my Leica Standard for a couple of months now, and although I truly appreciate its compactness, I found it too slow for my needs since almost half of my shots are done indoor. So I'm thinking about getting a faster 50.
Then I saw this screw mount collapsible Summicron 50/2 that goes for about US990, it's way over my budget and so much more expensive than the ones I found on 'bay, but it's in an almost pristine condition, no cleaning marks, haze or fogging, etc, and it seems to work great mechanically.
There're also a Serenar 50/1.8 and Nokton 50/1.5 asph that go for US400 and US700 respectively. But since the Summicron is collapsible so I would suppose that it would make a much more compact package when collapsed with my Standard than the other two? But Leica lenses are so overpriced here, and I can't buy stuff over 'bay so my options are really limited. Hope someone with more experience and insight might help me with this little ailment of choosing a lens.
Thanks for any comments!
mahleu
Use a Camera
I have a collapsible 50 Summicron (in M mount), unfortunately mine is a bit of a mess. I've only had it a few weeks and haven't had a chance to see any results from it. It had some wierd residue inside which seems to have messed with the coating. Hopefully it's a cosmetic issue and the pics will be ok...
mfogiel
Veteran
At this price you would be better off buying a more modern lens. The Collapsible is a fine lens, but not much sharp wide open. Follow the classifieds here, sooner or later an opportunity will come along, and BTW if you want a fast LTM lens, it will have to be rigid.
roundg
Well-known
If you really want to use the lens, a pristine condition is not important to you. At 400, u can find a very clean copy.
Dralowid
Michael
f2 on a Standard with no rangefinder would require fine judgement of distances....
Michael
Michael
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
My thoughts exactly, in fact I think you'd pull off a great job when nailing focus with a 50/3.5 Elmar wide open!
venchka
Veteran
For $990USD you could get a really decent Canon IVS2 or newer camera, 50/1.4 and probably a 35mm/2.8 lens. Heck, if you shop carefully, you could get a camera & 35/2.8-50/1.4-85/2.0 lenses. And have a proper range/view finder.
Dralowid
Michael
Johan,
Haven't you got CMOUI? The lesser known Wetzlar measuring tape accessory or the even rarer imperial measurement version FTOUI?
Seriously though, getting close and in focus at anything bigger than 5.6 is a bit of an 'art'.
Michael
Haven't you got CMOUI? The lesser known Wetzlar measuring tape accessory or the even rarer imperial measurement version FTOUI?
Seriously though, getting close and in focus at anything bigger than 5.6 is a bit of an 'art'.
Michael
dwr
Senile User
Ah... yes, that could be a problem. Didn't occur to me since I've only been shooting the Elmar on it. Thanks for mentioning!
dwr
Senile User
That's a fine point roundg, think my mind was clouded by the cosmetics, I want a user lens and not a collector lens after all.
dwr
Senile User
Be sure to let me know how the prints turn out!
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Michael,
these abbreviations ending with 'OUI' sound like rather painful diseases to me
and I'm glad I do not have them...DonaldJ.
Established
I sent you a PM dwr. I have one for sale in the classifides
dwr
Senile User
Just wondering about why a fast LTm lens it will have to be rigid? It's probably more technical than I can handle, but mind shed some light on it mfogiel?
dwr
Senile User
Some of the pics turned out to be pretty spot on at 3.5, think I'll post one up later (have to scan the prints first... now I have about 160 prints waiting to be scanned...).
The mechical fixture of the Collapsible Summicron is fine for use wide-open. Lack of an RF- more of a problem. The locking mechanism is built quite nicely, the lens tube locks firmly in place. The locking mechanism of my collapsible Nikkor 5cm f2 is not as good, and I see why Nikon went to a rigid mount early on. But on the Summicron: you do not need to worry about it.
Summicron and Rigid Nikkor 5cm f2, also a Zeiss Sonnar 5cm f2 converted to Rigid LTM.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84953&highlight=summicron
and Summicron, Summicron, and Summicron...
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81311&highlight=summicron
Summicron and Rigid Nikkor 5cm f2, also a Zeiss Sonnar 5cm f2 converted to Rigid LTM.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84953&highlight=summicron
and Summicron, Summicron, and Summicron...
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81311&highlight=summicron
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dwr
Senile User
Thanks for the links Brian! I'll study them!
dwr
Senile User
1/40, F3.5, distance at 1.3m aprox.
1/30, F3.5, distance at 1.5m aprox.
Now that I'm carefully looking through the prints, I found that the successful rates at 3.5 aren't as high as I merrily expected, while the percentage of acceptable sharpness improves drastically at 4.5. Shooting at 2 without a rangefinder seems to be a real challenging task...
1/30, F3.5, distance at 1.5m aprox.
Now that I'm carefully looking through the prints, I found that the successful rates at 3.5 aren't as high as I merrily expected, while the percentage of acceptable sharpness improves drastically at 4.5. Shooting at 2 without a rangefinder seems to be a real challenging task...
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dwr
Senile User
Now my mind is divided between getting a fast 50 and a fast 28 (and a "get 'em all!" but it's financially impossible so just ignore it). A 50 because I can go out with both and swap lens without having to change perspective (but why would I want to go out with two 50s?) And a fast 28 exactly because then I don't have to have two 50s, and get to see how I'll like 28 (my first lens is Nokton 35/1.4 and I really like it) which I would suppose somewhat similar to a 35 (or am I wrong)?
LChanyungco
Well-known
I have a collapsible with mint glass and coatings that is worth more than $900 to me. It's the one lens I wouldn't sell.