After stripping down a 50/2 summicron, I do believe that you could attach a focusing tab on the ring of those lenses which lack them, is this possible ? has anybody actually done this procedure ? and lastly can you buy them from Leica.

Regards Paul

-- Paul (longrange@swipnet.se), January 23, 2002

Answers

Paul-

I'm sure this is somewhere in the archives, but asking again is definitely easier. I also have the current 50 Summicron and I added the tab myself. I spoke to someone at Leica/New Jersey and I was told what you already know: that is, that the lens needs to be taken apart and holes drilled to receive the mounting screws.

Being unwilling to pay for this, I just bought the tab over the phone with a credit card for $15. I had the tab within a week. I used clear epoxy, very carefully applied to the tab and lens barrel and I used an old Jorgensen wood working clamp to hold it while the glue set. I use the camera everyday and I've never had any problem with it.

I'm sure someone else here can advise you as to who else might do the work for you if you want the tab mounted with screws.

-- jeff (debontekou@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

Yes you can do it and yes you can buy the tabs from Leica. I would not bother stripping the lens. Drill the holes for the locating tab(s) and rough up the surface of the lens. Now just epoxy the tab on. When driling the holes mask off the rest of the lens thoughly.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), January 23, 2002.

Hello Paul,

I had sent my last type M- SUMMICRON 50 mm lens to Solms some months ago to have a focussingtab attached. When it turned out to cost about 150 US $ I decided to get it back unchanged ...

The problem was: I have a LH-Summicron with some engraving. So it was offered to have part of the lensbarrel changed into a part without engraving. If the original barrel can be kept, things are cheaper, I guess. Just ask for a quote.

In case you are a do it yourself person: parts for this should be available from Solms.

Best wishes

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 23, 2002.

Slightly OT, but here is a very neat tab idea I saw on an older 3E... It was made from an acorn nut about 1/4-20 size -- the nut was simply epoxied onto the focus barrel -- voilla, a tab! These acorn nuts come in cadmium-plated, bright chrome, black, and brass. The one I saw was a brass one that had been painted black. After several months of use the guys focus tab matched his brassed-out M4 black paint, which of course is what he wanted!

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 23, 2002.

I've never seen a Left Hand Summicron.

-- (bmitch@home.com), January 23, 2002.

Abbreviations are a nuisance in our age: LH stood for LEICA HISTORICA; I own this strange blue LEICA M 6 with 50 mm lens.

Best wishes

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 23, 2002.

"I've never seen a Left Hand Summicron."

Just hold you RH SUmmicron up to the mirror. |:<)

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 23, 2002.

Hello,

I think I stole the idea from Lutz Konermann. I use black plastic cable ties. You can purchase them from Home Depot for $1.19 for about 10 of them. (Didn't Lutz post pictures of his ideas last fall?)

I use two on the 90 and one on the 50. After you cinch them tight as you can you remove them from the lens. Then ratchet them one or maybe two clicks tighter. Add a couple drops of superglue into the snap fitting and you'll never be able to pull it apart. Clip off the excess and there you go.

After everythings dries you can work them back over the focus ring. My 50 has one tab, and the 90 has two that I have less than 1cm apart. I adjusted both to the same position as the real tab on my 35. Works great. Cost under $2.00. And if you don't like the look or feel you aren't out much.

I like the tabs.

-- David Smith (dssmith3@rmci.net), January 24, 2002.

Clear plastic (silicon rubber?) self adhesive bumpers also work well and are easily removable. The ones I use are made by Pro-Tec. They're 7/16" (1.11cm.) wide and cost all of $1.59 for 10

-- Robert Marvin (marvbej@earthlink.net), January 24, 2002.

Whether some things said above -- regarding Leica's customization of a tab onto the current 2/50 -- are true or not, all I can tell you is that Solms told me six months ago that no, it is not possible to get a current 2/50 customized to have a tab.

Therefore I sold my brand new current 2/50 and bought a mint second-hand penultimate version (the last version ever built with a tab and which has identical optics as today's 2/50) for less than half the price. Just thrilled!

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), January 24, 2002.

The LH-Summicron (and "strange blue" M6) - no mirrors involved! 8^)

CLICK

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 24, 2002.

Hello Andy,

thanks for pointing out ... You are right, that is the one, and still w/o focussing tab.

I got the M3-type transport lever put on mine, so itīs just a little different.

Best wishes

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 26, 2002.