Leica LTM Summar, Scratches, and the Creative Process

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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Daryl J.

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A couple months ago, I purchased an as-is 5cm Summar lens that has a scratched/scuffed front element, paint flecks all over on the inside, and shows signs of heavy wear elsewhere. It likely has never had a CLA since it was manufactured in 1938 as it's pretty stiff. It has only some haze.

The intent was to discover its quirks in image rendering and work with those eccentricities as a means to create unique 35mmfilm images.

It has rewarded very well.
There is a "mist" in some images.
There is a crazy yellowish flare in some images.
There is a distinct glow when used out of doors.

My photographer acquaintances are after much more technical success in their work and don't like the lens at all. More power to them! Their goals are simply different. My goal is to make the viewer soften and smile.

It's not my primary 50mm lens, I have a Summicron on an M4 for that. But as an adjunct it's great! It's always on my IIIc and is always along.

Does anybody else use lenses considered to be not really useful for similar creativity?
 
I was creative same way with my Summar for few rolls, but it wasn't trashed by careless cleaning, it was just dirty. Clean Summar is very special lens on its own. Very fine small details and plenty of details due to no coating, plus unique transitions.

Here is one photog with lens similar to yours condition (heavily scratched lens) series of pictures:

http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showphoto.php/photo/96408/ppuser/2312/cat/500
http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showphoto.php/photo/100069
http://rangefinder.ru/glr/showphoto.php/photo/96967/ppuser/2312/cat/500

Personally, I see nothing wrong in them :)
 
I got one that was so bad it would barely pass light through it (this is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much). I polished it out and CLA'd it to put it back into service, but it still produces a low contrast, glowy look, especially wide open and in bright light. It's a fun lens to use, though I don't find myself using it all that often.
 
I have a Summar with perfect front and rear elements but the second group of glass has some fungus etching. This gives a soft glow on one half of the photograph. I hope to find another lens one day with decent interior elements that I can use to repair mine.


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MikeMGB said:
I have a Summar with perfect front and rear elements but the second group of glass has some fungus etching. This gives a soft glow on one half of the photograph. I hope to find another lens one day with decent interior elements that I can use to repair mine.


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Click to expand...

If you're feeling adventurous, cerium oxide polishing will take that etching out. If you find my old thread on resurrecting my Summar I go into some detail on the process.
 
Summar, Scratches, and the Creative Process

02Pilot said:
If you're feeling adventurous, cerium oxide polishing will take that etching out. If you find my old thread on resurrecting my Summar I go into some detail on the process.
Click to expand...



I'll go hunt that thread out, I'm not sure how good I would be at polishing a curved surface though!

Editing to add, just found the thread, nice work! I'll find some cerium oxide and try it, thank you.


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