bluesun267
Well-known
Just thought I'd share some info since I recently had in my possession 3 Summicron Rigid and Dual Range lenses of differing ages and was able to finally satisfy a nagging curiosity about them.
I'd always felt the Dual Range, despite its greatness, somehow made the M3 feel too heavy--or perhaps it is just the way it moved the center of gravity of the camera, being a short yet heavy lens. Strangely, other lenses that are as heavy (or heavier) don't seem to bother me as much as the DR. (It turns out the later version is lighter than the early, although I originally noticed this when I owned a later one, so go figure).
It turns out there are some fairly substantial weight/material differences in the V2 Summicron across its 12 years of production.
Here are my numbers. (And feel free to reply with your own if you want 😉)
Summicron DR #151xxxx (1957) (looks like brass lens fixture)
TOTAL: 340g
Head only: 163g
Helicoid only: 177g
Summicron DR #209xxxx (1965) (aluminum lens fixture?)
TOTAL: 307g
Head only: 138g
Helicoid only: 169g
Summicron Rigid #192xxxx (1962) (aluminum lens fixture?)
TOTAL: 251g
Head only: 134g
Helicoid only: 117g
All measurements taken without front or rear caps or filters!
Below are two images of the above measured Rigid #192xxxx and DR #151xxxx so you can see the most obvious difference is to be seen in the material of the lens fixture itself. Of course there is also the well-known change in focusing ring construction that occurred for both Rigid and DR versions somewhere around 170xxxx.

I'd always felt the Dual Range, despite its greatness, somehow made the M3 feel too heavy--or perhaps it is just the way it moved the center of gravity of the camera, being a short yet heavy lens. Strangely, other lenses that are as heavy (or heavier) don't seem to bother me as much as the DR. (It turns out the later version is lighter than the early, although I originally noticed this when I owned a later one, so go figure).
It turns out there are some fairly substantial weight/material differences in the V2 Summicron across its 12 years of production.
Here are my numbers. (And feel free to reply with your own if you want 😉)
Summicron DR #151xxxx (1957) (looks like brass lens fixture)
TOTAL: 340g
Head only: 163g
Helicoid only: 177g
Summicron DR #209xxxx (1965) (aluminum lens fixture?)
TOTAL: 307g
Head only: 138g
Helicoid only: 169g
Summicron Rigid #192xxxx (1962) (aluminum lens fixture?)
TOTAL: 251g
Head only: 134g
Helicoid only: 117g
All measurements taken without front or rear caps or filters!
Below are two images of the above measured Rigid #192xxxx and DR #151xxxx so you can see the most obvious difference is to be seen in the material of the lens fixture itself. Of course there is also the well-known change in focusing ring construction that occurred for both Rigid and DR versions somewhere around 170xxxx.

