summaron brings up 50mm lines

[triplefinger]

I recently bought a summaron 35/3.5 M mount. It brought up the 50mm framlines on my M2, I blamed the M2. I just tried it on my nearly perfect ZI, brings up the 50mm lines again...

I suspect the lens.

Any thoughts?

Thanks, MIke

 

[Stu W]

Someone else brought this up recently. The early Summarons M's were designed for the M3's to be used with an aux. finder. The lens would have to be filed for it to bring up the 35mm frame. I don't know if I would do that. Stu

 

[erikhaugsby]

As Stu said, in the early runs of the Summarons there was no such thing as a 35 frameline, as the M3 was the only M body. Therefore, they used the widest frame possible, the 50.

I'm sure you could file the selector down, though I'm not sure how it would effect value.

 

[triplefinger]

AND AGAIN -- from Don Goldberg:

Mike,

The original Summaron without the bugeyes brought up the 50mm frame since the m2 was not out yet & the widest frame for the m3 was the 50mm. Then the Summaron bugeye also brought up the 50mm frame in order to optically convert it to a 35mm frame. I can machine the flange so the 35mm frameline will come up. Cost is $25.00.

regards,

Don
DAG

 

[tbarker13]

Just bought one not too long ago with this issue. 45 seconds with a small metal file and it was "fixed."

 

[Rob-F]

The word that has been out on this is that if you try to use the goggled Summaron without the bugeyes, it can't be focused accurately by rangefinder--although it can be scale-focused accurately. As far as I know this applies equally to the f/3.5 and f/2.8 Summarons. Suggest checking on this before doing any filing.

 

[erikhaugsby]

Just bought one not too long ago with this issue. 45 seconds with a small metal file and it was "fixed."

Just make sure that the rear element doesn't get in way of the file. 😱

 

[triplefinger]

That is true, but I don't think this was a "goggled" lens. It doesn't appear so anyway.

Does anyone know how to tell for sure?

serial number on my lens is 1,176,237

Mike

The word that has been out on this is that if you try to use the goggled Summaron without the bugeyes, it can't be focused accurately by rangefinder--although it can be scale-focused accurately. As far as I know this applies equally to the f/3.5 and f/2.8 Summarons. Suggest checking on this before doing any filing.

 

[erikhaugsby]

That is true, but I don't think this was a "goggled" lens. It doesn't appear so anyway.

Does anyone know how to tell for sure?

serial number on my lens is 1,176,237

Mike

Not all Summarons are goggled--some like yours (and I had a lens in the 114 block that was not) were meant for use with external finders for framing. As far as I know they were less expensive than the goggled variety, and were subsequently easier to use with the M2 &etc. (when they came around).

Very early Summarons like yours can command a fair price relative to their later brethren, and make nice, if not slow, shooters.

 

[peterm1]

Yep I have exactly this lens and it must be used with an aux viewfinder. One small glitch with this lens is that if you try it on an M4-P or similar the infinity focus lock lever seems to catch the cameras frame-line selector lever and bind a bit. Apart from that (and the need to use an aux finder even on later cameras) it is a nice little lens

 

[Stu W]

You can always use the frame preview lever. Stu

 

[Santafecino]

I think if it had been a goggled lens you would see attachment points for the goggles. I don't see any; so it must be set up to work with the regular M rangefinder.

As a collector's item, it probably would decrease in value if you alter it. For me: I'm not a collector, and if the images satisfy, I would have Don fix it to bring up the 35mm frames.

Lindsay