21mm Super Angulon

[helenhill]

Untitled by helenhill_HH, on Flickr

[matt335]

all such brilliant images - g.a.s. explosion imminent !!

[maddoc]

My Super-Angulon-M had to be serviced again ... two years after a full service by Leica Germany the front part of the lens had become loose (by standing unused on a cupboard for two years in the apt of my parents ...) Anyway, glad to have the lens back ...

TMZ @1600ASA (Tmax3200P) expired 2010

[JSU]

Gabor--

In the future if this happens you can tighten the front group pretty easily yourself.

The rear group unscrews as a module, it should be easy to remove. Then you can see a spanner nut that holds the front module in the lens body. Tighten this, but don't over tighten as it will stiffen the focussing. Then return the rear module.

I've done this numerous times with my own 21/3.4 SA.

--Steve

BTW, Great image!

Originally Posted by maddoc

My Super-Angulon-M had to be serviced again ... two years after a full service by Leica Germany the front part of the lens had become loose (by standing unused on a cupboard for two years in the apt of my parents ...) Anyway, glad to have the lens back ...

[maddoc]

Steve,

thanks a lot !! I have the tools and had the rear group unscrewed once so it would have been an easy job ! Leica Ginza charged me JPY8400 for this ....

Cheers,

Gabor

Originally Posted by JSU

Gabor--

In the future if this happens you can tighten the front group pretty easily yourself.

The rear group unscrews as a module, it should be easy to remove. Then you can see a spanner nut that holds the front module in the lens body. Tighten this, but don't over tighten as it will stiffen the focussing. Then return the rear module.

I've done this numerous times with my own 21/3.4 SA.

--Steve

BTW, Great image!

[maddoc]

[helenhill]

Glad to see You Out & About
With the SA Gabor
Always Loved the 21 in your Hands

[maddoc]

Thank you, Helen !! Now that it is fixed I should use it more ...

[fotomeow]

Originally Posted by helenhill

neopan1600...

shots like this are one of the reasons I bought the 21/3.4!
If I can approximate the quality characteristics of this photo,
I will be a happy camper!

[helenhill]

Originally Posted by fotomeow;

shots like this are one of the reasons I bought the 21/3.4!
If I can approximate the quality characteristics of this photo,
I will be a happy camper!

Oh Wow, Thanks ever so much for Including me in your 21 vision
Such a Grand lovely Compliment...I'm floored

I think part of the Magic in that photo was using the 21 SA with neopan 1600,midday
Oh how I miss neopan !

[jmanivelle]

light box by careca2013, on Flickr

SA 4 + M8
...finally boarding this thread !

[jmanivelle]

A room with a view by careca2013, on Flickr

[bigeye]

Helen, You are so consistently good with it, I believe the SA is your signature lens.

Charlie

[jmanivelle]

SA 21 3.4 + Hexar RF


Centro, Rio de Janeiro. by careca2013, on Flickr

[enero]

First off I'd like to say what a wonderful and massive thread this is! Ive been enjoying looking through it quite a bit

I finally took the leap and got a 21SA! Adorama gave me a deal on one that I just couldnt pass up. It's in the mail as I type (I was going to inspect and pick-up, but they shipped it before I had a chance) and I wanted to preemptively ask for some advice so I can be ready for it when it gets here.

I bought the lens from them through ebay, I offered them a really low price and they accepted! They say that the focus is extremely stiff but otherwise in very good condition. I know some of you have done your own CLAs and such on this lens, and I was wondering if any of you folks know if this is something I can try to easily DIY. I'm no stranger to taking equipment apart, so I'm confident that I can do this without much hassel...unless you guys think it would be a huge pain in the ass.

I guess my question is, would I have to take the whole lens apart to mess with the focus ring, or can I just get the ring off without touching the elements? My only real concern is that if I have to mess with the glass that I might scratch or misalign something. Also, I recently found out (the hard way) that the dust where I live is particularly dangerous to lenses!

Any help, insight, or discussion would be greatly appreciated!

[helenhill]

Originally Posted by bigeye

Helen, You are so consistently good with it, I believe the SA is your signature lens.

Charlie

Oh Hey Charlie,
Just Saw this ...Lovely of You ...Thanks !!!

[Phil_F_NM]

Originally Posted by enero

They say that the focus is extremely stiff but otherwise in very good condition. I know some of you have done your own CLAs and such on this lens, and I was wondering if any of you folks know if this is something I can try to easily DIY. ...

I guess my question is, would I have to take the whole lens apart to mess with the focus ring, or can I just get the ring off without touching the elements? My only real concern is that if I have to mess with the glass that I might scratch or misalign something. Also, I recently found out (the hard way) that the dust where I live is particularly dangerous to lenses!

Any help, insight, or discussion would be greatly appreciated!

Optically, this is an amazingly easy lens to work on but there are some issues that you have to pay attention to.

First is the front lens group. It has to be screwed in to the optical barrel very tightly with a sharp spanner and then not touched again. If it gets loose, the aperture blades can skip out of their channels and then easily bend. If you bend one, you need to take the replacement from a broken lens since there are zero spare blades left at Leica or any of the suppliers (according to Sherry K.) And since each lens only has four blades, that's much fewer than most lenses and so there are even fewer spare blades available.

Second is that YES, you will have to take the rear group off then a lockring out with a spanner, in order to get to the focusing helicoid. The threads in the helicoid are VERY fine. The finest I've seen in any Leica lens. This is critical because if the shear of the lube is too high then your lens will be stiffer. Don't just oil it up either that will cause lube or whatever to migrate into the aperture and onto the inner element surfaces.

If your dust is really bad and you don't have a ventilated hood for camera work or a dust free area, it would be better to send it out for CLA, in my opinion.

Phil Forrest

[enero]

Thanks for the advice Phil, I actually had to return it. There was an insane amount of haze in both the front and rear elements. The focus ring stiffness was the least of its problems. They had a second one that they said was in better condition, but when I went in to check it out, it was actually in even worse condition then the first! Oh well. I guess my search continues...

Originally Posted by Phil_F_NM

Optically, this is an amazingly easy lens to work on but there are some issues that you have to pay attention to.

First is the front lens group. It has to be screwed in to the optical barrel very tightly with a sharp spanner and then not touched again. If it gets loose, the aperture blades can skip out of their channels and then easily bend. If you bend one, you need to take the replacement from a broken lens since there are zero spare blades left at Leica or any of the suppliers (according to Sherry K.) And since each lens only has four blades, that's much fewer than most lenses and so there are even fewer spare blades available.

Second is that YES, you will have to take the rear group off then a lockring out with a spanner, in order to get to the focusing helicoid. The threads in the helicoid are VERY fine. The finest I've seen in any Leica lens. This is critical because if the shear of the lube is too high then your lens will be stiffer. Don't just oil it up either that will cause lube or whatever to migrate into the aperture and onto the inner element surfaces.

If your dust is really bad and you don't have a ventilated hood for camera work or a dust free area, it would be better to send it out for CLA, in my opinion.

Phil Forrest

[maddoc]

[Travis L.]

Pulling into the Ferry Building, San Fransisco





Bay bridge and SFFD boat in the foreground



Both with M3 21 f4 SA and HP-5+

[cbphoto]

Is there such a thing as 21mm SA that does NOT have haze in it? I have a hazy one, and am returning the (hazy) one that I bought to replace it, and I've had dealers take out their flashlights to check theirs for haze. So far I have not found a clean one.

Is it possible for a repair person to get rid of this haze?

[jpfisher]

CBH -- I can't see any haze in mind via a flashlight, just some dust spots (don't seem to effect image quality). I'm local to NYC and I have it listed for sale in the classifieds -- would be happy to let you take a look for yourself if you're interested. Send me a PM, I'm in the city M-F for work.

[cbphoto]

Wish I could afford the new ASPH Super Elmar, but even if I could, I'd be too protective of it to take it anywhere interesting.

To those of you who have clean SA's, is it reasonable to expect anything from it approaching the clarity and 3-dimensional quality of my 35mm pre-ASPH Summicron? I read somewhere that the SA only really come alive around f11-16. True? It's hard to say with mine, as the haze makes everything flare and veil like crazy.

[Phil_F_NM]

I've owned two SA's and neither were hazy. One had Schneideritis and the other was a newly recoated early chrome f/3.4. Both were fantastic optics. I used both of mine on digital Leicas as well and those cameras are quick to show the flaws of lenses. Neither SA ever performed badly.
As for when they come alive, any aperture works but I'd say f/5.6-f/11 are the best.
You're never going to get the kind of image you get from a 35mm Summicron from a Super Angulon though. That's an apples and oranges comparison.

Phil Forrest

philipforrestphoto.wordpress.com

[jmanivelle]

21 SA 4 + M8


crianças by careca2013, on Flickr