Many people would agree that it's the Summicron that represents Leica's lenses. This F2 lens has been highly rated for many years and become a legend. What I picked up this time is the very first collapsible Summicron 5cm. It was the first lens that used the "air lens" and it boasted its high resolution. It was so sharp that people said, "It even captures the air." This copy was made in 1953 and it uses some parts from the Summitar for its aperture mechanism. It's also known for the thorium glass element that is not used today. Half a century has passed since this lens was made, so I was very curious about how this lens performs on a digital camera.
There's a flare because of the backlight coming through the window of a train running along the seashore, but the focus peak is very sharp and the shoe looks very solid.
At a restaurant before opening. The polished tableware is surrounded by the wet air. As expected, the Summicron depicted the butter knife minutely.
A white subject is drawn only by the light and the shadow. This picture makes me feel that there is a variety of tonality in the colorless world.
The minimum focus distance of the collapsible Summicron is 1m. This 1m is an awkward distance and you cannot shoot subjects on the table without standing up. In this situation, you can use the SOMKY. It's a close focus ring with a glass and it shortens the focus distance to 50cm. With this ring, you're ready to shoot as you drink at the counter. The first image on this page shows how the camera looks like when the lens is mounted with the SOMKY. Even such an accessory is made with a fine craftsmanship. The feel of Leica and the shutter sound are just pleasant to my mildly intoxicated five senses.
Most old lenses are faded because of aging and all lenses using the thorium glass are very yellow now. We needed some knowledge and experience to shoot with color films, but with digital cameras like the M8 and the M9 we don't have to worry about the discoloring of old lenses. If you have an old lens that you gave up using because of "strange color reproduction," try it on a digital camera. I'm sure you'll be amazed by the rich tonality and solidity.
( Photo & Text : A.Inden )
