Leica LTM Show your Summar 50mm f2 photos

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
nzeeman

nzeeman

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I realized that this lens have no thread of its own and its probably cheapest leica option and probably tons of users. so would be fun to see what people do with it. i bought it recently and i am totally delighted.
 

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i was searching and searching - and i didnt realize that is summar thread - i misunderstood that its just opened by one person to share summar photos. anyway i think it would be better to have one clear title what is thread about so people in future can add photos. if admins think its overlapping then they can erase this one...
 
The title of the linked thread is Summar of Love (Leitz Summar Sample Pics)

People have posted a lot of nice photos to it for 15 years, If moderators finds the thread title is ambiguous, I think it is more appropriate to make a change to the old thread title rather than starting a new thread.
 
Nitroplait said:
The title of the linked thread is Summar of Love (Leitz Summar Sample Pics)

People have posted a lot of nice photos to it for 15 years, If moderators finds the thread title is ambiguous, I think it is more appropriate to make a change to the old thread title rather than starting a new thread.
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i admit i misunderstood title since its not my native language - i thought that when he wrote sample pics - that he thought his sample pics. i saw it among listed in search results but didnt think its universal summar thread.
 
besk said:
Erik, That is a wonderful photo. Could you tell me the f-stop you used?
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Thank you, besk, the f stop was f2. The speed was 1/100, so the negative was a bit overexposed. I could correct it when I made the print. Film was Tmax400. I always use this film, developed in Perceptol.

Erik.
 
The Summar is an amazingly good lens. Many Summars started their lives uncoated, but were coated post war. The front lens is made from very soft glass. Coated Summars are alas often scratched too. Try to get an unscratched coated one.

Do not clean the lens with an old handkerchief, but use a soft cotton swab, only to wipe off the dust. Keeping the lens clean is better than keep cleaning it. When shooting, do not use any filters, but use a shade. The Leitz FOOKH (a short FLQOO) is the best shade for the Summar. A FLQOO will vignette.

When cleaning a Summar, use a binocular watchmakers loupe to see what you are doing.

When you look through the lens from the back against the light, you will see all the damage on the front lens. Do this before you decide buying it or not. Be very, very careful when cleaning a Summar.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
When shooting, do not use any filters, but use a shade. The Leitz FOOKH (a short FLQOO) is the best shade for the Summar. A FLQOO will vignette.
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A FISON is the perfect length, I find. Absolutely no vignetting and a lot cheaper than a FOOKH.

My Summar never leaves the house without one.
 
Coldkennels said:
A FISON is the perfect length, I find. Absolutely no vignetting and a lot cheaper than a FOOKH.

My Summar never leaves the house without one.
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A FISON vignettes at f/2, just like the FLQOO. It is too narrow, designed for the Elmar 50mm. The FLQOO is made for the Elmar 35mm but vignettes on a Summar too, surprisingly. Leitz designed the SOOPD for the Summar, but that one is too front heavy and falls off all the time.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
A FISON vignettes at f/2
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Nope.

I use the Summar at f/2 with the FISON all the time with no vignetting.

I just looked through my Lightroom library to find shots definitely taken at f/2, and this one is a good example:

Aaron in Ravenscourt (Summar) - FINAL EDIT.jpg

...because it was taken moments before I swapped to the 50/1.9 Serenar I'd just picked up - which was also wide open and didn't have a hood on:

Aaron in Ravenscourt (Serenar) - FINAL EDIT.jpg

There's surprisingly little difference in rendering - and, most notably, possible vignetting.

The one time the FISON has ever caused any issue at f/2 was when I put a filter behind it:

LeicaIIIg2 (24) - FINAL EDIT.jpg

(This was before I cleaned the haze and crap off the Summar, too.)

Maybe there's sample variation at play here. But for me, the FISON works a treat.
 
I don't mean to nitpick, but these photos don't reflect the entire negative; the aspect ratio would then be 2:3. I have the experience that the FISON vignettes. I also wonder why Leitz would have released the SOOMP if the FISON would be a good lens hood for the Summar.

The FIKUS too was recommended by Leitz as a lens hood for the Summar, but that thing falls off every lens because it is top heavy. Take it from me that the FOOKH is the best lens hood for the Summar. A Summar absolutely needs a hood.

The Serenar is a fine lens too!

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
I don't mean to nitpick, but these photos don't reflect the entire negative; the aspect ratio would then be 2:3.
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What? These are scans of the whole negative. At most, I've trimmed the equivalent of 1cm from the horizontal of an 8x12" print just to clean up the edges of the scan and produce a perfect 2x3/4x6 aspect ratio output from Lightroom. I can provide the original scan if needs be, but it seems like a ridiculous length to go to just so you can see an extra few pixels on each side. Trust me: on my Summar, a FISON does not vignette, period.

I assume Leitz would have produced the SOOMP as a rectangular hood is always more efficient and effective than a round one. The FISON, FIKUS and FOOKH are all round to accommodate the fact the Elmar rotates during focusing; a Summar doesn't, so a SOOMP is technically the better option. Of course, it's also rarer, more expensive, more bulky, and not usable on anything else. Plus, you can slot the A36 cap on the front of a FISON, meaning you never have to remove the hood. You can't do that with a SOOMP, so I'll stick with the FISON. It works.
 
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