Leica LTM Summitar the star...

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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ca. 1950 on a Leica II
APX100/Diafine
 
First experimental roll of Kodak HIE infrared. Most of the frames were overexposed and over-developed in processing. here is one that i rescued.

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Here's a thumbs-up for my 1949 coated Summitar. These shots were all taken before I sent the lens off to Sherry for a cleaning:

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She told me the same thing. I think that the Summitar was an early version of the Summicron. Kind of like a first draft. I have one CLA'd by Sherry and it does have a nice look. However, I wouldn't want to get carried away describing its virtues compared to modern glass. Because it does not have modern multi-coatings, it doesn't have the contrast of a modern lens and doesn't suppress flare nearly as well. If you were looking for a portrait lens that is less cruel than a latest generation Summilux or Summicron, then this lens offers a pleasing alternative. I have some test pictures I made last week at f:2, 2.8 and 4 with a variety of lenses on the Olympus EP-2 of a teacup sitting on a windowsill. I tested the Summitar first, but sadly, the index of which pictures go with which lenses is on a computer that had a little Windows automatic update crisis last week. If the re-install goes as I hope I can post some direct comparisons with the camera on a tripod that I think will illustrate what I mean.

Short version: the pictures bear out Sanmich's comment above. Don't get me wrong, it is a lens with fine qualities and worth owning, but not a 'supersharpness machine' -- more of a palette choice than a Summicron-killer, if you know what I mean.
 
Found my lens notes. (Laptop has recovered). I have posted images showing 100% crops from a Summitar, Opton, modern Summicron, Summilux and 50/3.5 Heliar at:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1347023#post1347023

Hopefully these pix will communicate some of the differences I mentioned in my post above in this thread.

Ben Marks

[Edit: That portrait by motion_runner is a great example of what I'm talking about. Brilliant image, full of warmth -- the picture conveys a lot. Hard to see how the clinical sharpness of the 50 Summilux Asph would improve the image. Nice work.]
 
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I just got mine back from a CLA at Steves Camera and it is smooth like buttah. The haze is gone from the elements now, so I'll be interested to see how it renders now. I love this old lens.
 
Hey love your pics guys. Some pretty nice stuff, i'm really surprised how sharp and clean your pictures turn. I've got one summitar on my M3 but affraid of getting it out as I heard it flares like hell. Are you mouting some kind of hood on it or are you shooting it naked ? :)
 
I have a coated one, no flare problems without hood. Contrast is low for the first few stops, very different look compared to stopped down.
 
I use the barndoor only if I really need to impress the audience ;), otherwise I use the 12585H. A mounted sunshade is better than being sorry afterwards!
 
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