Hello, and a rattley lens

[Ian L]

Hello,

This is my first post, so "Hello!" I finally registered after "lurking" for far too long! It's a great forum, always interesting and friendly.

I've used rangefinders for a fair while, starting off with a now sadly defunct Olympus 35RC. I now have a Leica M3 for which I recently bought a 50mm summicron, the version-before-last with the separate hood. I bought it secondhand from a store in London. From the outside it looks pretty battered, with plenty of silver showing through the black, but the glass is clean and mechanically all appears fine. But... it does rattle quite a bit and I'm wondering if something (an element?) could be loose inside. Results-wise, the jury's still out - I've taken some pretty sharp pictures with it, but also there have been some pictures that I'm sure I focused correctly for that look just a little soft. Can anyone else with this lens tell me if their's rattles?

Thanks,

Ian

[Brian Sweeney]

My early '70s Black Summicron does not rattle. RF lenses are manual aperture, so nothing rattling like an actuation arm or the like that may be present on an SLR lens. If the optics are loose, you should be able to shine a light through the lens or just look through the lens and see the image change with the rattling.

[jlw]

A loose element usually sounds like a low knocking sound; a rattle is more likely to be a loose retaining ring, screw, baffle, etc.

Either way, it ain't supposed to do that! The fact that you're getting erratic results -- sometimes sharp, sometimes not -- is a smoking gun that something's wrong inside.

If the store is one that values its reputation, take the lens back and let them listen to it, then give them the opportunity to make it right.

If they don't care, or if you bought the lens "as is," you may be on your own to have it fixed.

[Ian L]

Thanks for the quick replies!

From what you both say it sounds like the lens could do with looking at. I think I've still got a couple of months left on the guarantee, so I'll have to pop up to London and get them to service it...

[peter_n]

Yep, lenses should not rattle! It sounds like the lens may have been used quite a lot from your description of the cosmetics but that's a good sign - somebody really loved it! I had two of the current Summicrons and sold both but I didn't like the slide-out lens hood on that version at all.

BTW welcome to the forum Ian and there's a gallery here where you can post your pics - no file size limit (as yet)!

[Pherdinand]

Maybe it has a small rattlesnake inside!