Help with Summaron 35mm

[photocrazy]

I just bought a Summaron 35mm f2.8 with goggles for my M3. I know Leica also produced a version without the goggles for M2. At the camera store, I tried a 35mm f3.5 without goggles on a M6 body and it didn't bring up the 35mm frame-line. The guy in the store told me 35mm f3.5 for M2 didn't bring up the 35mm frameline. But I thought this was a Summaron for M3 whose goggles had been detatched. My question is: can the Summaron 35mm f2.8 for M2 bring up 35mm frameline on other M bodies exept M3? I want to change to the version for M2 for its compactness.

[Dougg]

You are right; the goggled version brings up the 50mm frames and the goggles widen the veiw to match the wider lens. The non-goggled 35's will, as expected, bring up the 35mm frame in the M2, M4, M6 etc, and the guy in the store was blowing smoke. Worse, the goggles change the focusing such that the lens can't focus correctly without the goggles.

Edit: Back to better again, I understand that the goggled 35 is as usable on other models as on the M3. That would certainly make the 35mm framing easier on my M2, where the 35 frame is almost invisble at the periphery of the viewfinder.

[ffttklackdedeng]

Doesn't the googled version have a flat upper part where the googles are attached? So it should be easy to see whether it's the non googled vs the googled missing googles version..

[mike goldberg]

Hi...

I have an M-2 and 35mm Summaron f 2.8 that I've been using for 35 years. The frameline at the edge of the finder is bright and clear, and gets appropriately smaller when I use the Elmarit 90mm f 2.8.

Insofar as I know, the 35mm outter frame lines with the Summaron... will work OK with M-3 & M-4. Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Mike

[jaapv]

Yes, a Summaron will bring up the correct framelines in any M body. (50 mm lines for the goggled version.The goggles correct the FOV.) A goggled lens in not usable without its goggles, as the RF coupling is adjusted to the different viewfinder magnification. (and the lens locks -or should lock) on infinity without goggles. So the guy in the store was right, if incomplete. 50 mm lines for the goggled version; 35 mm lines for the ungoggled version (usually LTM+ adapter).

[Ronald M]

3.5 Summaroons were made during early m3 years when ther were no 35 frames in the camera. The bayonet lug that controls the frame line needs to be cut down to activate the 35mm lines instead of 50.

It is a simple DIY job for those who know, otherwise Leica service. Lots of 40 Summicroons werre modified for 35 lines using this procedure.

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by Ronald M

3.5 Summaroons were made during early m3 years when ther were no 35 frames in the camera. The bayonet lug that controls the frame line needs to be cut down to activate the 35mm lines instead of 50.

It is a simple DIY job for those who know, otherwise Leica service. Lots of 40 Summicroons werre modified for 35 lines using this procedure.

This is incorrect. It is NOT a simple job to modify a goggled Summaron to function without the goggles. Even if you were to adjust the frameline-switch, it will focus totally incorrectly. You would have to replace the helix and focussing mechanism, which will cost several times more than the value of the lens and is certainly not a DIY job.

[richard_l]

Some non-goggled Summarons were made when there was only the M3. They are the same as the LTM version but with bayonet mount. Naturally they bring up the 50mm framelines. They are to be used with an auxiliary 35mm viewfinder. They will focus accurately on any M camera.

The guy in the store was wrong about it being designed for the M2. All M2 Summarons bring up the 35mm framelines. One way around all this mess is to buy LTM Summarons and use an LTM to bayonet adapter which brings up the 35mm framelines.

Richard

[Ken F.]

Are you sure that the non goggled Summaron was not a screwmount version with an incorrect M adapter attached?
Just a thought.

Cheers,
kf

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by richard_l

Some non-goggled Summarons were made when there was only the M3. They are the same as the LTM version but with bayonet mount. Naturally they bring up the 50mm framelines. They are to be used with an auxiliary 35mm viewfinder. They will focus accurately on any M camera.

The guy in the store was wrong about it being designed for the M2. All M2 Summarons bring up the 35mm framelines. One way around all this mess is to buy LTM Summarons and use an LTM to bayonet adapter which brings up the 35mm framelines.

Richard

Or simply use a goggled one on any M-camera. I prefer the view mine presents on my M6TTL with the enlarged 50 mm framelines to the unmagnified standard 35 mm frame.

[richard_l]

Originally Posted by Ken F.

Are you sure that the non goggled Summaron was not a screwmount version with an incorrect M adapter attached?
Just a thought.

Cheers,
kf

That's a possibility, but I read somewhere that the first 35mm bayonet lenses were made to be used with an external 35mm finder on the M3, and the goggled version came along later.

Richard