ZI and the Summicron DR and other issues

[rayfoxlee]

Good morning all
I need some help and advice from members who have the Zeiss Ikon RF, please. I currently have an M2 with CV 15 and 24 uncoupled lenses, 35 Ultron and rigid Summicron DR f2 and am looking for the best match AE rangefinder for my lenses. I hear that the Summicron cannot be used on the Bessa R2A, as it protrudes too deep into the camera. Is this a problem with the ZI?

Also, what happens when a 75mm optic is fitted to the ZI, as the rangefinder does not show this focal length? Does it shown the 80mm frame lines or nothing at all? I would like to get a CV 75 at a later date.

There seems to be issues with Bessa, ZI and Leica M7 (price!), but as is so often the case the the most expensive option seems to offer the most! The M7 won't help with the uncoupled lenses, so changing these for couples would be an expense too far, but it would cover 28 and 75 for the future. Perhaps I need to bite the bullet - unless the ZI can deal with the Summicron and 75 mm lenses.

What do you all think??

Thanks.

Ray

 

[Arthur]

I just tried my Summicron DR, without 'eyes,' on my ZI. Although the DR mounts, the focusing ring won't turn.

Until I tried it on the ZI, I would not have guessed it would not have been able to focus.

OTOH, the Summicron DR without the 'eyes' mounts and properly focuses on my Leica M7.

Added: I just tried my black Summicron 50/2 (1970) on my ZI. It not only mounts but focuses. These discoveries are a surprise to me!

 

[mfogiel]

I find that a sweet combination is the ZI and the Collapsible Summicron 50/2 , the rigid one does not work, and BTW the 21 SA also cannot be mounted on the ZI or ZI SW, so there you are. As to the 75mm the only one I have is the Heliar, which is a SM, so you can get the adapter that shows the 85mm frames and work with that. I think, that overall the ZI is a superb tool for taking photos, and certainly a new M7 at 3x the price would not make any sense.
Your options are:
33% of a new M7, 66% of a used M7, an entire Zeiss Ikon, or Bessa R3A (for the 75mm) and the Bessa R4A (fro the 25mm) for the same price, or less. If I were you, I would buy the Bessas and enjoy a 0.52, 0.72 (M2), and 1.0 viewfinder combination.

 

[rayfoxlee]

After posting my query, I rang Leica in the UK and even they were not sure about the 'cron on an M7! They even said that Solms wouldn't know as 'they were all youngsters'! Incredible.
So, I just happened to come across a s/hand M7 in London that had been described on the web as 'good condition' (aka well used) but turns out to Exc++, so I have gone with that at half the cost of a discounted new one. It will be interesting to see how it measures up to my M2 which, great though it is, is a bit slow without a meter. Now all I need is a 28 and 75.... dream on!

Thanks for your thoughts!

Ray