summicron ridgid vs collapsible

[Erik van Straten]

All Voigtlander lenses are likely to be sharper than the collapsible.

This statement is definetely untrue.

Collapsible Summicron 50mm f/2 @ f/2.

Erik.

 

[raid]

The later type 1 Rigid Summicrons have improve/harder coatings. The construction also changed lightly. I believe that the earliest Type 1 Rigid Summicrons were slightly different optically from those that follwed, based on taking a 14x apart.

And I agree that there is some "magic" to the Collapsible Summicrons. If you blow up 100% crops, they are slightly softer than the Rigids. I just like the 13x collapsibles better. They are not hard to work on, the Rigids are a real pain.

Brian,
In your opinion, when did the rigid summicron become sharper? Is there a cut-off serial number you could guess?

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

I've never been disappointed by my collapsible summicron. There hasn't been an image I've taken with it that I've wished was with another lens.

 

[former member]

Raid- there were several versions of the Rigid Summicron over the decades. i suspect the statement was in regard to Type 1 vs Type 2, Type 3, etc. "Sharper" is a more subjective term, and is not the same as resolving power.

Now: within the Type 1 Rigid Summicron/ DR Summicron, the Optics Module seemes to have been tweeked early on at ~15x. The later lenses, post ~1960 or so, have better coatings. Probably around the time the Summilux was introduced. Again- I'm not citing official records, just going on taking a few apart.

 

[Erik van Straten]

within the Type 1 Rigid Summicron/ DR Summicron, the Optics Module seemes to have been tweeked early on at ~15x. The later lenses, post ~1960 or so, have better coatings. Probably around the time the Summilux was introduced. Again- I'm not citing official records, just going on taking a few apart.

I've noticed that the 14x rigid Summicrons have a purple coating on the front glass, often damaged. The 15x rigid Summicrons have a blue coating, often still in a very good condition.

Erik.

 

[former member]

That is my experience as well. I just repaired a Summicron Ridgid that had THREE elements put in backwards! That tended to reduce its sharpness.

 

[ampguy]

haha

haha

That was probably the later "Computer formulated" version 😀

That is my experience as well. I just repaired a Summicron Ridgid that had THREE elements put in backwards! That tended to reduce its sharpness.