What Summicron is this?

[erikhaugsby]

Does anyone know if this is a good lens compared to the others? thanks.

It is an early lens, so it naturally will not be as developed as the later models, however it can be had for much less. Whether it is "good enough" depends on your priorities.

From Cameraquest:
"First version 1954-1957 Collapsible chrome. A good lens, but not as good as the later lenses. EXTREMELY likely to be found with lens scratches. It has a VERY soft front coating. Likely to be encountered fogged from original owner, see Fogging. Not collapsible on M5 or CL due to meter constrictions. 7 elements, focused to 40"

 

[sirius]

Thanks Brian,

That is exactly what I was looking for. The rigid looks sharper but the collapsible is no slouch! It looks beautiful, leaps ahead of the Summitar I was using.

regards

 

[JNewell]

The collapsible is definitely no slouch. I used one for years. My issues with it were more how it handled than how it performed. I didn't like having to focus via the infinity lock and I found the geometrically spaced aperture ring mildly annoying. These are pretty small beefs, all things considered.

 

[iml]

Well, I got it back from Malcolm Taylor this morning. He works fast (the job was done in 2 days, I would have got it back sooner if I hadn't screwed up paying him), his prices are reasonable, he knows his stuff, and he's a pleasure to deal with.

Haven't had a chance to try it yet but he reports it now focuses fine and I have no reason to doubt him. It's been cleaned and fettled too, and the focusing action feels smooth. So, it ended up not being a killer bargain, but still a very reasonable price. Phew.

Ian

 

[Rob-F]

It's also known as the 11817 (i969-1979).

 

[iml]

Yep, it's fixed.

First impression is that it reminds me more of the look of my Olympus 35 RC than it does either my Canon 50/1.2 or CV 50/1.5. I like it.

Ian

 

[sirius]

Nice work, Ian. You must be happy with that lens!