[Leica] OH NO!.. Alastair!...I did it again :-)

[langeratcarleton at gmail.com (Mark Langer)]

Don, a lot of 50s vintage Leica lenses that suffer from flare can be
remarkably improved, even if they look clean, by having them
professionally cleaned and collimated.  I've had lots of dud Summars
but until I bought one that Sherry had worked her magic on, I had no
idea what this lens could do.  Similarly, a Summitar cleaned by
Reinhold Mueller was transformed.  The most dramatic improvement that
I've seen in a lens was a prewar f2  50mm collapsible Sonnar that
looked as clean as a whistle, but was a terrible performer.  I sent it
off to Henry Scherer, and it was transformed.  You may have a similar
experience with some 50s lenses if you send them off to be properly
cleaned.

The best bang for the buck still is a late Jupiter 3, which is just a
fraction of the price of the Japanese copies of it, including the
Canon 50/1.5 or the Simlar 50/1.5.  But the Jupiter doesn't have that
massive chrome and brass construction that the Japanese lenses have. 
On the other hand, the Jupiter balances far better on a screwmount or
M Leica body than the heavier Japanese lenses, which make a Leica a
bit tippy when you handle it.

Mark