Just purchased (on Ebay, of course), a complete 1955 M3 kit, with 3 lenses and the whole nine yards. This time machine setup even has the hang tag and Leitz lens guarantee. You get the picture. Everything mint-. The 35mm Summaron has no attachment at all. I've been told that this lens (#1258952)was made before the goggles were furnished. In that case, how do you use the lens? Guess? The Army MD that owned this kit was very careful with it and I doubt he would have overlooked this issue. I just don't see how he used the lens. Anyone??? Thanks, Steve Hoffman

-- Steve Hoffman (musicmavin@earthlink.net), September 23, 2000

Answers

Steve, I consulted my Hove pocket book and can verify that your lens was indeed produced in 1955. Also the first M series camera to accept a 35mm lens without the need of a finder is the 1958 M2. The first year for the 35mm f3.5 Summaron to have "eyes" is 1956. Yours just missed the cut off.

Up until that time, to use the M3 with 35mm lens, you needed to have a finder that slipped into the shoe on top of the camera. I had both the "eye'd" and non "eye'd" summarons, both f3.5 and 2.8, and preferred the small shoe mounted finder. I found the "bug eyes" too disruptive to the clean design of the camera. This is just my opinion, based totally on cosmetics. In a pinch I have also used my straight 35mm lens on my M3, without any finder, simply by moving my eye around the finder, out to the metal frame rather than the illuminated frame. It works pretty well, but you don't get parallax correction... At or near infinity, no problem. These days, you can find pretty good finders made by Cosina for their Voitlander cameras. Leica finders are sparse in the 35mm range.

Also be aware, the bug-eye'd and straight 35mm lenses have different cams. If you take the eyes off of that type of lens, it doesn't focus accurately... as I found out trying to steamline my "eye'd" lens. The eyes and the cam variation work together to assure focus. Your current summaron lens will work on any M camera... even the M6.

Enjoy your new camera!

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), September 23, 2000.

Steve,

From "Identifying Leica Lenses", by Sartorius:

"The Summaron 35 f/3.5, in production up to 1946 in the screw-mount version, was produced also in the bayonet-mount version for the M3 from 1954." (Actually another SM version of the 3.5 f/3.5 Summaron was produced from '46 to '60.) "But these cameras were predisposed for only 50, 90, and 135mm focal lengths and so, for the 35mm, it was necessary to use a supplementary mirror viewfinder, SBLOO,which was inserted in the accessory shoe. Later, the Summaron 35 f/3.5 was furnished with an additional special viewfinder (commonly known under the name of "glasses") with which the field of the viewfinder of the M3 was increased to cover the angle of view of the 35mm focal length."

By the way, I also use a 35 3.5 Summaron with a IIIf I found in mint condition. Great little lens. I also picked up a collapsible 50mm Elmar f/3.5 to go with it. I have not had so much fun with a camera in years. But the IIIf's viewfinder is also for the 50mm focal length, not the 35mm, and a bit squinty on top of that. So I recently got the new Voightlander 35mm accessory viewfinder. I looked at an original Leitz brightline 35mm accessory finder (very expensive!, even when you can find one), and decided to go with the Voightlander unit. It's just wonderful; extremely bright and clear, and the brightline framing lines are quite accurate and easy to use. Good eye relief and no more squinting. Makes the 35mm Summaron a joy to use.

Good luck with your classic. Sergio.

-- Sergio Ortega (s.ortega@worldnet.att.net), September 23, 2000.

Thanks Al and Sergio for the instant response! Guess I'll get the Voightlander 35mm finder unless someone out there wants to sell me an original Leitz finder> Thanks again.

-- Steve Hoffman (musicmavin@earthlink.net), September 23, 2000.

Leica has reintroduced the 35mm finder to go with its LTM 35mm lens offerings. It uses the the 28mm finder body and optics with the framelines appropriately smaller. I have even spotted one up for sale used already.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), September 23, 2000.

An even better option is a used Leica Imarect finder, for all lenses from 35-135mm. This will give you virtually exact 100% framing between three feet and infinity, not at just the three feet distance which the M-3 frame lines are based on. Used, generally less than $100 in near mint condition. (Incidentally, the bug-eye 35s also give 100% framing at infinity.)

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 23, 2000.

Bill, Thanks for your info. I found a Leica Imarect finder on Ebay. I assume that there is just one model for both screw mount and M mount Leicas? I ALSO see a Waltz for Leica finder on Ebay that has a groovy little case (EBay #441932243). The collector in me of course wants THAT one. Would it work? Thanks!

-- Steve Hoffman (musicmavin@earthlink.net), September 23, 2000.

Waltz would work, but only the Imarect gives 100% exact framing. There's only one model for both M and Classic, but over the years it changed which lenses it covers. You want the one for 35,50,85,90, and 135. Many of them are a little "foggy" appearing, you want one which is perfectly clear and no little black paint specs floating inside, there are plenty of them around so don't be misled. Incidentally it works from 3.5 feet (one meter) not 3 feet, which reminds me, be sure to get one calibrated in feet not in meters! Regards, Mitch.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 24, 2000.

From what I remember about the Imarect is that the 35mm frame is not too good for the glasses wearer. Most of them seem to be not very clear optically too (dirt and fog). That includes mine. I take the point though that it does correct parallax (assuming you remember to do it and have the time). I also have a Russian one that is fine although it does have some barrel distortion around the edges. I used it with the 35mm 2.8 Summaron (an excellent lens).

-- Robin Smith (rsmith@springer-ny.com), September 25, 2000.

Hi, everybody!

It would be very interesting for me to identify my LTM Summicron 35mm F2.0, # 1631461. I am a shooter, not a collector, and do not have a good information guide except Hove pocket book. Some years ago I purchased this lens in Germany in ex+ condition. I use it on MP4 and IIIf and get razor-sharp pictures. This lens has screw-mount & bayonet-mount facilities. The bayonet-adapter is fixed to screw-mount with a tiny screw. As Hove says, LTM Summicron was in production from 1958, only 577 units were produced. In 1958 only one LTM 35mm Summicron was produced. I referenced the number of my cron (1631461) exactly to 1958. Pardon my language. Any comments would be appreciated.

-- Victor Randin (www.ved@enran.com.ua), September 26, 2000.

Sorry, I have placed my question in the "Ask a question"

-- Victor Randin (www.ved@enran.com.ua), September 26, 2000.