Summarit 1.5 "Taylor & Hobson"

[BigSteveG]

Can anyone provide info on this lens or point me in the right direction? I'm wondering if it's the same optical formula

[Harry Lime]

As what?

Leica had to use the "Taylor & Hobson" logo on early Xenon lenses.
They licensed the design from them, because they needed a high speed lens to compete with the Zeiss Sonnar 1.5/50.


Essentially the Summarit is a coated Xenon.

[markinlondon]

Taylor, Taylor and Hobson worked out of Leicester, UK. They produced Schneider designs under license and later made the lenses for the British Reid cameras which were based on (ahem) Leica designs after a British Board of Trade delegation visited Wetzlar in 1945.

[BigSteveG]

I had been looking at the 50 'lux for a high speed 50, but now am thinking of something older (also lesser contrast than the 'lux?) is the summarit more of a medium contrast lens?

[markinlondon]

Search the archives for Raid's big 50 test. The Summarit comes out very well.

[Rob-F]

RE: the original post, it would be helpful to know what is meant by "the same optical formula."

A few comments may apply. The Summarit is the same optical formula as the Schneider Xenon, as already mentioned. (Not sure if that was the question.) The Summilux was an evolutionary development of, but at f/1.4, not quite the same formula as, the Summarit. The Summarit has two thin elements at the rear, as does the first version Summilux that followed. Later, the Summilux was redesigned with a cemented doublet at the rear. Interestingly, when Walter Mandler redesigned the Noctilux so as to not require aspherical elements, one of the things he did was to return to the two thin elements at the rear.

The Summarit is of low contrast wide-open, improving to a medium contrast when closed down. It ptoduces a "classic" look, rather than tack-sharp. I used to have one, and wish I had it back.

[Peter A (NYC)]

The Summarit might not be tack-sharp but it can be very sharp, even around 2.8 or f4.

[David Murphy]

One finds various Taylor and Hobson LTM lenses on eBay from time-to-time. They usually sell for very high prices.

[BigSteveG]

I guess the "Taylor &Hobson" version isn't as important as finding a Summarit itself, or trying to decide between that lens v 'Lux v 'Cron. I was wondering if the optical formula was identical to the Leica version. I will seek out Raid's 50mm comparison.