Summicron 50mm? What era? CL friendly?

[g12]

I picked up this (see attachments) Summicron 50mm at the weekend from a camera store that owed me a favor (hence a very nice price 🙂).

The 'thing' is, it doesn't fit/work on a) any of my CV gear or b) my clunky M8. I've not got my CL with me at the moment, it's in my other country, does anyone know if it's likely to work on it...? Am I going to have to go back to the shop and return it (or buy the second hand M4-P)?

It's got a 'Leica Canada' lens hood (screw), is from the 1708xxx serials, and has a few interesting design features (see the images).

Thanks,

ga

 

[Beemermark]

It's a dual range Summicron and it should work on all of your gear. Mine works fine on my M4, M7 and Minolta CLE. What doesn't work on cameras?

 

[g12]

It's a dual range Summicron and it should work on all of your gear. Mine works fine on my M4, M7 and Minolta CLE. What doesn't work on cameras?

It mounts at near-focus on the R3A, R4M and M8 (not on the Ts) but will not move to infinity. I quickly checked the mount/coupling etc on an M6 in the store, I'm guessing it only properly works on 'proper' Leica gear (I will include the CLE in this just to be controversial 🙂), therefore hopeful for the CL.

Thanks.

 

[Beemermark]

The lens is OK, I'm at work so I don't have mine in front of me to explain how it works. The lens has two focusing ranges, normal to infinity and then a close focusing range to be used with goggles. I can't explain how to change the setting without the lens in front of me but evidently yours is set at the close focusing range.

 

[g12]

The lens is OK, I'm at work so I don't have mine in front of me to explain how it works. The lens has two focusing ranges, normal to infinity and then a close focusing range to be used with goggles. I can't explain how to change the setting without the lens in front of me but evidently yours is set at the close focusing range.

I don't think it is, it seems able to go to infinity, just not while on the bodies mentioned...

 

[nobbylon]

You switch between focusing ranges by pulling out the barrel of the lens and rotating it past the stop, and then allowing it to retract.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Actually, the DR 50 will ONLY mount on the M8 in its close-focus mode. The lens mount is otherwise incompatible on the M8 without modification. The lens originally came with a set of "eyes" which slipped over the flat plate with the spring-mounted metal ball bearing, which you can see on your lens. When the ball bearing is depressed by the "eyes" it allows the lens to be pulled out past the metal stop and be rotated further than the ordinary minimum focus distance of about a meter. Of course, once you have done this (the ball bearing can be depressed manually too) you can only view accurately through the VF with the eyes on. They correct for parallax.

In its non-macro mode (the way it is set in your picture above) the DR should mount on all mechanical M-mount Leica cameras (and should work on your CL, but the eyes won't fit due to the different RF base-length), although some have reported problems on the M6.

Our host, Stephen Gandy has a helpful write up here on his excellent Cameraquest home page:

http://www.cameraquest.com/m50dr.htm

BTW: you are correct: your lens is in "normal" (1m-to-infinity) mode as shown in your picture.

Ben Marks

 

[g12]

In its non-macro mode (the way it is set in your picture above) the DR should mount on all mechanical M-mount Leica cameras (and should work on your CL, but the eyes won't fit due to the different RF base-length), although some have reported problems on the M6.

Excellent 🙂

 

[Kozhe]

I have the same problem with my DR+R3A, it´s not going further than 10m. It´s a shame since it looks really cool and it´s a nice combo (specially with the 1:1 viewfinder) You can even use it with these limitations as long as you don´t need wide apertures on far subjects.