Summar goes to Instan bull!

[john neal]

Especially for LeicaTom, and any other Summar fans, here are three shots from my trip to Istanbull last week.

This lens is in fabulous condition, except that it needs a clean inside. Fitted to a 1933 III body and primed with XP2, we were ready for fun 🙂

All exposures guesstimated on the Sunny 16 rule. I think #3 is my favourite

 

[xayraa33]

Very nice shots, the Summar is remarkable for its age.

My sister and niece also just got back from a first time business stay in Istanbul.
From the photos they sent me it looks to be a photographer friendly place.

 

[charjohncarter]

Nice photos, I wish, I had taken a proper camera with me. But it is so easy there to get a good picture it really didn't matter.

 

[dll927]

One 'l' please, and it used to be known as Constantinople.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Looks good to me!

The front section unscrews fairly easily, allows easy access to the surfaces on each side of the aperture. Those are usually the "culprits".

 

[FrankS]

Looks good to me!

The front section unscrews fairly easily, allows easy access to the surfaces on each side of the aperture. Those are usually the "culprits".

Brian, does the Summar unscrew like the Summitar, with no set screws to remove?

 

[radiocemetery]

What do you say Brian? I have a Summar waiting for me to clean the haze too. Maybe I will do a before and after comparo.

John, nice photos, can't wait to try my Summar

 

[Bingley]

Very nice images! I like the middle one especially -- it has a timeless look to it.

 

[john neal]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Sorry about the spelling - looks like I hit the spacebar and too many "l"s

The Summar has a screw to remove before the front element will come out, and I guess I could do that myself, but the problem dirt spots are between the rear elements - probably black paint flakes coming off somewhere. My lens is in such good condition that I really don't want to play with it myself - it looks like it is only 6 months old and there are absolutely no cleaning marks anywhere. given the soft glass, I'm sure I could change that at a a stroke - something I am very keen to avoid. I think it will go off to Sherry very soon.

 

[LeicaTom]

John,

I just saw these, very nice photos 🙂
Glad you had a good time down there, despite the costs, it`s just like anywhere anymore overseas they really give it to the tourists 🙁

Those paint flakes in the lens are not a big problem, (I shot a 90 Elmar for years that had the same problem, and it didn`t really brother the lenses performance - a clean up will just make the light travel a little faster 🙂

I did have a near mint Summar last year, but sold it......perhaps I`ll find another one sometime, they are the underdog of Leitz lenses, been bashed for years for being junk, they have always been one of the best early lenses the factory made and now respected for it`s artistic capibilities

Tom

 

[kshapero]

What do you say Brian? I have a Summar waiting for me to clean the haze too. Maybe I will do a before and after comparo.

John, nice photos, can't wait to try my Summar

Should I keep mine or should I sell it?

 

[radiocemetery]

Hi Akiva S., You probably should sell it and the IIIa.... to me please.😀
Steve

 

[rxmd]

Is an Instan bull something like Instant coffee? Add water, get a bull? 😀

 

[Spider67]

You just...

You just...

sold the secret of Red Bull!

My favourite is the second photo!

Is an Instan bull something like Instant coffee? Add water, get a bull? 😀

 

[john neal]

John,

I just saw these, very nice photos 🙂
Glad you had a good time down there, despite the costs, it`s just like anywhere anymore overseas they really give it to the tourists 🙁

Tom

Thanks Tom,

I have some colour shots too - will get them up as soon as I have the scans sorted. I'm not overly bothered by the paint flakes - there are 3 or 4 at the moment, but I think the haze is likely to overly soften the image (maybe no bad thing?). A CLA will put this back to minty condition and I will feel so much better about it.

Istanbul is not the capital city of Turkey (Ankara, actually), but you would think so from the pricing - they play on the "gateway to Asia" thing as well as the volume of tourists that go there. I'm all for folk making a living, but $6 for a coke and $10 for a beer is just too much!

Watch out for more pix soon!

 

[john neal]

Akiva,
providing the front element is not like a skating rink, keep it!

Spider67,
Interestingly, and rather frustratingly, we were there for the Red Bull f
lughaven, or some such - the event where people throw themselves into the sea in silly costumes (should have been Brighton, but the health & safety storm troopers put a stop to it this year. Downside was my wife insisted in a 6-hour cruise on the Bosphorous, and I missed it <aaarrrgghh!!>

 

[John Shriver]

The paint flakes are going to cause flare, because they came off the exposed edges of the elements next to the diaphragm. That paint normally needs replacement by now.

The rear group is hard to work on. It is held in by three setscrews, but more importantly it's generally a very tight fit in the lens barrel -- you would need to make a custom ring wrench. Also, the retaining ring for the rearmost element is not easy to work on.

A Summar with unscratched front glass is worth the investment in professional cleaning and maintenance.

 

[Ronald M]

It has the look of a hazy lens. Wait until it is cleaned up.