Summicron folder on Zorki 4?

[relistan]

I have an early 50's Summicron that was my grandfather's and I'd like to use it on my Zorki 4. What do I need to do to make the lens focus correctly at infinity? I don't want to modify the camera because I'd like to continue to use FSU lenses. Is this even possible otherwise?

Cheers,
Karl

 

[relistan]

err, substitute 'collapsible' for 'folder'. Have bellows on the brain, it seems.

Karl

 

[julio1fer]

If it is a LTM lens mount (M39) it should work. I have used an old uncoated Summicron collapsible, made around 1937, in my Zorki 4; it worked for me.

There are rumors that FSU cameras were set for a different lens-to-film-plane distance but I have not been able to confirm them.

 

[rxmd]

Er, Julio, they didn't make Summicrons until 1953 or so.

If you do have a collapsible Summicron in LTM, it should work just fine on an FSU body. If focus adjustments are necessary, these are fairly easy to do on Zorki bodies. You just need a focusing target at infinity (the moon, a very distant building, ...) and one at exactly 1m. You adjust infinity focus using a screw on the body (focusing on the distant target) and close focus by adjusting the tip of the rangefinder focusing arm (focusing on the close target by the distance scale). You have to repeat that a number of times in a process of approximation until they both agree.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The RF cam on some of the Leica lenses are thinner than those on the Russian lenses. Watch that the RF Pickup of the body does not go under the cam of the lens. Best thing to do is open the Shutter on bulb and see that it picks up properly.

My collapsible Summicron does not make contact with the RF follower on my Zorki 3M.

 

[rxmd]

When you adjust the rangefinder anyway, you can normally adjust the cam follower up and down so that it fits. ("Adjust" is an euphemism for "bend" in this case.) It means that as far as non-FSU lenses go, your body is now mated to this particular lens, but usually people don't use their extensive collections of old Leica lenses on their Zorkies. I agree that it's still a somewhat suboptimal combination.

Or get a Drug, which doesn't have this problem. And it has a much better viewfinder than any other FSU LTM camera 🙂

 

[relistan]

Thanks for the info, everyone. So it sounds like if I want to continue to use FSU lenses that I can't really adjust the viewfinder and Leica lens to match. At the moment the Jupiter-8 works great, but the Summicron is not lined up at infinity. The cam is definitely picked up by the barrel on the Summicron. At the moment I'm happy with the Jupiter-8 and the Heliar 15mm but I thought it would be nice to try out the Summicron since I have it! I can just shoot it with scale focus, I guess.

Cheers,
Karl

 

[rxmd]

Shooting a Summicron scale focus is like pushing your car to work.

 

[Spider67]

A Zorki 4 as a cheap backup body for Leica/Canon/VC LTM lenses why not?
In my opinion there is a difference in the lens/filmplane distance I have made enough testshots using several specimens of J 8's of different versions

 

[relistan]

Shooting a Summicron scale focus is like pushing your car to work.

If you say so! Personally I think that's a very extreme view, but then I suppose people get religious about these things.

At some point the Canon 7 I have (also grandfather's) will be fixed and the Summicron will live there. But until then it seems that's the option I have.

Cheers!

Karl

 

[julio1fer]

Er, Julio, they didn't make Summicrons until 1953 or so.

Of course you're right, old age is getting me. It is a Summitar (50 mm f2), not Summicron!

 

[rxmd]

If you say so!

Actually I was speaking tongue-in-cheek, I guess I should add a smiley every now and then 😉

That said, if I had to shoot a 50 scale focus, moreover in any sort of low light, I'd probably end up not shooting it at all, simply because I wouldn't feel comfortable about whether I got the focus right or not.