Does anyone know if the now discontinued screw mount 35/2 ASPH, 50 Summicron and 50 Summilux focused to 0.7 m like modern M lenses, or just to 1.0 m like classic screwmount lenses? There is a SM summilux now on eBay, and the picture seems to show it focusing only to 1.0 m (looks weird in the short throw configuraation)

-- adam g. lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 14, 2002

Answers

Unfortunately 1.0 M is the close focus limit of the 35 F2 Asph.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), May 14, 2002.

The recent made limited edition chrome Leica Screw Mount 50mm F2 Summicron Leica Model 11619 focuses to 1 meter.. The seller " helair " on Ebay { KBCamera - www.KBCamera.com ) has had them available for about 1250 dollars each. It is a very heavy lens which must be made out of solid brass.It weighs in at 339 grams with both factory leica caps...

-- Kelly Flanigan (zorki3c@netscape.net), May 14, 2002.

The closest focus on the new LTM lenses is 1.0m but the regular production M lenses focus closer.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@shaw.ca), May 15, 2002.

Leica's recent SM lenses focus only to 1.0 M (3 ft 4 in) for the same reason older SM lenses focus no closer than 1.0 M: this is the close focussing limit of the rangefinder on SM Leicas.

One might argue that since these lenses can be used on any M camera with a screw to bayonet adapter, these lenses could have been given the same close focussing distance as the M mount versions (namely 0.7 M). However, then it would be possible to misfocus the lens on a SM camera, and Leica chose to make the lenses idiot proof.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 15, 2002.

Idiot proof, yes. Most useable, no.

One again a blown opportunity to sell more to a wider audience.

-- Marco Grande (hektor73@yahoo.com), May 15, 2002.

Hmmm - Probably moot anyway, my three Leitz screw to M adapters all have shallow RF cutouts, limiting them to 1m close focus. Would have had to machine them or issue new ones with deeper cutout.

The SM Nikkor 50/1.4 focuses much closer than 1m, but when a Leitz SM to M adapter is mounted on it, the camera's RF arm stops moving forward at 1m even though the lens' RF cam continues to move forward. The SM to M adapter prevents it. Maybe I should file one down and see if it can accurately focus to 70 cm on an M2!

-- adam g. lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 15, 2002.