I have two 50mm Summicron R f2 lenses, one circa 1983 and the other 1987, both Canadian made. The coating on the earlier lens is a brown/mauve colour, while that on the other is a deep royal blue. Anyone know why the coating was changed?

-- Ivor E. Quaggin (iquaggin@home.com), July 16, 2001

Answers

My 50/2-R, circa 1985, Canadian, has a purple-brown-gold color coating, which could be a mixture of the two coatings on your lenses, since mine was made in-between them. How are the images from your lenses, ok? Mine is sharp enough to shave a peach so however it was coated I'm glad it was.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), July 16, 2001.

Jay - I just acquired the later lens and haven't had an opportunity to compare the two. It will be difficult to improve on my earlier lens though, which like yours is superb. I am just curious re the coating since they are so different. This Summicron is the only one of my nine R lenses to have this colour.

-- Ivor E. Quaggin (iquaggin@home.com), July 16, 2001.