Leitz Wetzler Summaron 3.5 1950 lens

[Marac]

Found a minty one of these lenses today at a camera store. Some idiot thought it would be a good idea to actually GLUE the M-mount adapter on the lens. If anyone has any tips about how to remove it safely without damage..

The lens is in excellent condition and serial 779807 puts it at 1950 (62 years old) anyone have this lens? I cannot wait to try it out tomorrow.

[janosh]

I had one...sold it in favor of a Canon 35/2. The Canon had a different look but the best photos I made with either were with the Summaron.

They seemed equally sharp at middle f stops, maybe even at f4, but that f2 Canon was fabulous wide open..its only real advantage.

[Marac]

This one seems sharp enough wide open but I have not had a real good chance to test it out yet... will do though.

I picked up a Jupiter 135/4 there too cheap as chips but that is pretty watery

[250swb]

Depends on the glue, but I would first of all try to putting it on an M camera and turning it (with the infinity lock 'on') with a large but gently applied force and see if that dislodges it. If nothing then I would get a soldering iron on the flange and heat it up, work it around and get it hot enough to start to degrade the glue underneath and then fit it on the camera and try again while warm/hot. You would have to get it very hot for any heat to get further into the lens and damage anything, so common sense should be applied.

Steve

[FrankS]

Instead of using an m mount camera to hold onto the adaptor, just use a plastic rear cap. Less expensive potential damage that way.

[Marac]

I have tried the lens cap option but this guy must of used eve-stick or araldite I think.

[tjh]

I'd consider sending it to someone like John VanStelten at Focal Point in the US or some other lens expert. A lens expert might be able to disassemble the lens and soak the mount in solvent or heat it.

[peterm1]

I had a Summarit that had an adapter locked on it - most likely by glue or locktite or something similar. It took ages to get the thing off since of course I was wary of breaking anything. From memory in the end I placed the lens in a Leica M lens cap , got a towel for grip and then twisted applying firm steady pressure. It did yield. But of course it all depends on the type of glue.

You can try a solvent, but if its epoxy then I am not sure that anything dissolves it. But locktight, crazy glue and so on all dissolve in acetone. I cannot now recall if I did this, but I know I considered it. It may be possible to gently drip a few drops of acetone onto the edge of the ring and let it sit for a while before trying to twist it loose. Moderation in quantity is key as the last thing you want is for it to get inside the lens where it can leave traces on glass. Acetone is available in hardware stores - or some nail polish removers have it also although I think in a more dilute form and many removers no longer have it at all. The special thinnners that can be bought for automotive paints might also work.

Problem is that it may be that the summaron needs access to the rear of the lens to loosen screw to disassmble it. (I have a couple of models of this lens but I am not at my home so cannot check.) Otherwise you could get a technician to disassemble the lens and then it could be possible to use heat on the offending parts once the glass and delicate inner workings are our of the way.

Incidentally the models I have are the late coated crew mount version of the same vintage as yours and the later fist M mount version which has the same optics, I believe. Both have an excellent reputation and I personally like their results which can be described as typicla of Leica lenses in that era - high resolution and low contrast. However like many Leica lenses of the era they are prone to developing haze in the inner elements due to the lube used in the lenses at that time. My M mount one has this issue but the other does not. A CLA usually fixes it in any case.

[Marac]

This was the very first shot I took with it before buying it. it has had a contrast tweak, crop, resize and a USM for web, nothing else. Taken at f3.5 ISO640

[awslee]

Nice shot!!