Hello

Funny thing the FIKUS. As you know the FIKUS hood fits 50, 90 and 135 Elmars. The older ones had a mark for the 35 Elmar as well. The old and the newer model have the same diameter and length. Does anyone know if the newer model (without a 35 setting) still fits the 35 Elmar if it is pushed all the way in? Could I alternatively use the FISON on the 35 Elmar even if it intended for the 50 Elmar? After all the FISON is shorter then the FIKUS even when the FIKUS is in it's "shortest position". It would be perfect if I only needed one hood for my three Elmars! A IIIf, a VIOOH, a FIKUS and three Elmars really makes for a compact B&W kit.

-- Thomas Krantz (tkrantz@kpmg.dk), May 06, 2002

Answers

Using the FIKUS on a 35/3.5 Elmar or a 35/3.5 Summaron will leave dark corners on your negative. I know, I've tried it. The FISON(have the 2nd version), does work on the Elmar and Summaron. I have not noticed any dark corners from the FISON. Of course, one could always crop the negative to get rid of the marks. Or one could just cut a little off the front of the FISON or FIKUS(the Leica Gods are crying).

-- chris a williams (LeicaChris@worldnet.att.net), May 06, 2002.

The earliest FIKUS hoods were black and nickel (rather than black and chrome, and had settings for various combinations of lenses omitted on later versions: 35/3.5 Elmar, 50/2.0 Summar, and 50/2.5 Hektor. These were later omitted, and the 35/3.5 Elmar and 50/2.0 Summar acquired their own lenshoods. It is possible that Leitz discovered that those lenses would vignette slightly when used wide open. Interestingly, the short-lived 50/2.5 Hektor never had its own unique lenshood. Just a bit of old Leitz history.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 06, 2002.