Hello All.

I have read before that some forum members have tried glueing a focussing tab onto lenses that dont have one, such as the current 50 summicron and summilux. Question is, where can you get them from and what type of glue do you use?? Does anyone make them besides Leica??

Cheers

-- Karl Yik (karl.yik@dk.com), May 27, 2002

Answers

Before gluing anything, go to a DIY shop and look for collars to tie up small electric cables, ... Not the most elegant solution but it works.

-- Xavier C. (xcolmant@powerir.com), May 27, 2002.

The way I see it (after talking to Leica here) there are three things to say here: (1) Use a cable collar as described above. (2) Buy a used specimen, e.g. a penultimate 2/50 (which did have a tab). (3) There is no way for Leica to add a tab to a non-tab lens.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), May 27, 2002.

You cannot ad a tab to a non-tab lens, but, Leica will install a small lever. This means drilling a small hole, then tapping it to take the screw-in lever. Many people have had this done by Leica.

-- Steve LeHuray (steve@icommag.com), May 27, 2002.

Steve. Seems very strange as I have a 35mm ASPH Summicron and its very visible that glue has been used to attach the focussing tab to the lens. I wonder why Leica dont add these same tabs at user's requests (or is this what the lever actually is?)

-- karl (karl.yik@dk.com), May 27, 2002.

I think this question was discussed throroughly on LUG a few years ago. The essence of it was that tabs could be purchased, and that independent repairers can install them, though Leica won't put them where they originally weren't. Some people said glue worked, but if I were doing it, I'd want a proper screw holding it, and spend the money to do it right.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 27, 2002.

So if i went to a Leica dealer and asked for a focussing tab, would they laugh in my face, or would they acutally sell me one?

-- Karl Yik (karl.yik@dk.com), May 27, 2002.

You can get the tabs from Leica. No one will laugh.

I read of (but cannot now find) about how someone drilled the necessary hole to mount the tab to the focusing ring. It is somewhere here in the old threads.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), May 27, 2002.

The dealer might be confused--aren't they always when it comes to Leica stuff? In the US, Leica sells parts directly to customers, though.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 27, 2002.

Leica USA will install a metal focusing pin on SOME lenses. They did it to both my 50mm Summilux and Summmicron. I had the pins positioned so when the pin is in the six o'clock position, the lens is focused at eight feet. The head lens technician at Leica USA must see the lens first before he will do the modification. Cost is aboput $100.--

-- Sal DiMarco, Jr. (sdmp007@pressroom.com), May 27, 2002.

a small (aprox. 1/4") clear silicone rubber glue-on "bumper" from a hardware store makes a pretty good focussing tab on my 35/1.7 VC Ultron--looks much better than a collar used to tie up small electric cables. This should work fine for any tab-less lens.

BTW, the service people at Schneider (the VC importer) told me that the mount on my Ultron is too thin to tap for the tabs they supply with some other VC lenses (such as the 35/2.5).

-- Robert Marvin (marvbej@earthlink.net), May 28, 2002.