Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/06/02

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Subject: [Leica] That Real Summarit
From: marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)
Date: Mon Jun 2 21:03:47 2008
References: <BAY113-F39B1E72DE0DC436FB569508CBB0@phx.gbl> <4844A939.9010707@san.rr.com>

At 10:15 PM 6/2/2008, Jerry Lehrer wrote:
 >Vick,
 >
 >The problem afflicting some Summarits is the peeling of the paint that
 >Leitz used on the edges of one of the inner
 >elements. The peeled strip can be seen just behind the diaphragm if that
 >has happened.
 >
 >That is why my Summarit is on its way to DAG for a CLA
 >
 >The earlier Summarits had a multi leaf diaphragm, which makes for
 >beautiful bokeh.  Later models had a 5 leaf
 >iris.

Leitz had difficulty obtaining quality materials 
for some years during and after the War, and 
shortcuts included those Wartime red shutter 
curtains, the use of grey paint on once-chromed 
areas, and the like.  In all four Zones, the 
occupying powers required that German companies 
put down hard cash for chrome and tungsten and 
oil and the like -- the Soviets went further in 
their and just forbid the importation of 
lubricants, resulting in that horribly green 
congealed grease on many Carl Zeiss Jena 
lenses:  it is rumored, perhaps with reason, that 
Zeiss was forced to use coagulated cow guts or 
somesuch to grease their lenses!  In any event, 
poor materials mark most German cameras and 
lenses made between 1939 and, say, 1952.  And, of 
course, Zeiss controlled the patent on the 
Smakula vacuum-deposit coating technology, so 
Leitz was forced to use a drip method with 
produced a moist surface which did not endure well on outer elements.

The history of the Summarit is most 
interesting.  The story is murky and there are 
two different explanations set out with some 
vehemence.  Dr Blood in the UK has written at 
length on this but I believe he has reached 
improper conclusions.  It seems most likely to me 
that Taylor, Taylor, and Hobson -- who owned the 
Lee patent on a derived Gaussian design -- 
noticed that both Joseph Schneider Kreuznach and 
Max Berek at Letiz were working along similar 
lines and so drew all three companies into a 
common arrangement with led to the production of 
the 1.5/5cm Leitz Xenon in 1936.  This lens was 
uncoated and remained in production until 
1950.  It was a bit of a stinker as anyone who 
has used it and then shot with the Zeiss 
contemporary, the 1.5/5cm CZJ Sonnar, will attest.

In 1949, Leitz began to coat the Xenon.  This 
became the Summarit and its performance was 
improved dramatically:  it still was not nearly 
the lens that the Zeiss Sonnar was, but it 
certainly narrowed the gap.  I never particularly 
liked the Summarit until an early member of the 
LUG, Marvin Moss, directed me to his website and 
showed me some of the pictures made with a 
Summarit in the 1950's.  I then bought another, 
and have used it with good results ever 
since.  Sure, in crticial times, I am more likely 
to use a Sonnar in LTM or a Jupiter-3, but the 
Summarit is still a wonderful lens.

Leitz later reworked that heavy lens mount and 
renamed the lens "Summilux" while marginally 
opening it up to f/1.4.  It lasted only for two 
years in M-mount production (though for four 
years in LTM) until it was replaced by the second 
version of the 1.4/50 Summilux which remained in 
production until a few years back.  Leitz finally 
had a lens which could met the standard set by 
Ludwig Bertele in 1931.  (COLLECTOR HINT:  these 
lenses have not yet been recognized as 
collectible by collectors:  all first-version 
1.4/50 Summilux are collectible and, for heaven's 
sakes, they only made 548 of the LTM 
version!  Snap 'em up while they're cheap!  Then sell 'em to buy that M8.)

Mine is 891761 and probably dates from 1951.

A very hasty run through my references does not 
reveal any mention of a reduction in the number 
of the aperture blades.  Mine has twenty or 
twenty-four blades, although my foggy eyesight 
problem keeps me from counting more accurately.

Finally, this lens in its Xenon form, used an 
external bayonet to mount filters and hoods.  All 
Summarits had booth the external bayonet and an 
"E41" (41mm female thread) fitting.  I have 
several of the bayonet-mount filters for the 
Summarit but, when I shoot with the beast, I use 
an Ednalite 602 41mm Series VI adapter and with 
Series hoods and, on occasion, Series filters.

Marc



msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!



In reply to: Message from vick.ko at sympatico.ca (Vick Ko) ([Leica] c)
Message from glehrer at san.rr.com (Jerry Lehrer) ([Leica] c)