All,

I have a recently purchased a 35 Summaron for my M2. The lens appears to be in A1 condition, the glass is very clear. Shots in overcast conditions are fine, but as soon as the sun comes out, severe flare is apparent. Is there potentially a defect with the optics, or do I just need a lens hood? I use a Leica uvA filter to protect the optics. If a hood is the answer, please recommend which one. I also have a 50 and 90 Elmar, both of which are very good performers. Should I have the lens tested?

Any advice gladly reveived,

thanks,

Jeremy Lewis

-- Jeremy Lewis (JeremyB.Lewis@gbr.xerox.com), July 31, 2001

Answers

First, you shdn't be shooting w/o a hood, regardless of the weather.

But severe flare under sunny conditions is odd, unless you were shooting into the sun or at less than 30 degrees off the sun's angle...

-- patrick C. Garner (pg@patrickgarner.com), July 31, 2001.

Yeah, even Leica recommends using the hoods at all times. Try shining a flashlight through the rear element as you are looking through the front of the lens (works best in a dimly lit room). If you see a haze or film on the internal elements, you've got the dreaded Leica Fog. If you see a lot of dust particles, you've got dust... ;-) Anyway, a professional cleaning should fix the dust no problem, but the fog is a hit or miss proposition; some lenses clean up, others are permanently etched.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), July 31, 2001.

I own the 2.8 Summaron now, and also shot with the 3.5 version. I do use a 12585 hood on mine, and never had much of an issue with flare. Have you done the flash light into the lens test to check very carefully for the common fog these lenses are famous for? Just holding them up to a window and glancing through will not detect it unless it is severe. My lenses needed to be cleaned internally, and it made a big difference in contrast and flare resistance.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), July 31, 2001.

The best hood for your 50 and the 35 is the 12585. It is a vented inverted cone design that reduces viewfinder obstruction to a minimum. The 12585 will also fit the 90/4 but the 12575 would be much better as it is a much deeper hood. The 12575 is still available new and the both it and the 12585 are available used at the various Leica dealers and auction sites.

You should use a hood but try removing the UV filter next time. Do a test, one exposure with and one without. You might be surprised.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), July 31, 2001.

Click here and scroll down a bit for more on Leica lens fogging...

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), July 31, 2001.

You do not say if you are shooting with the sun in front of you or at your back. Older lenses (Leicas also)flared more than modern ones if the sun is even just outside the frame. A hood (12585)will help, as will replacing the Leitz UVa filter with a B+W MRC "Multi Resistant Coating" UV. Flare will also be lesser at the middle apertures. But before going to those expenses, go indoors with a small flashlight (like a mag-light)and shine it from both ends of the lens while looking at the opposite end at about a 45-degree angle (in other words, you don't want to be looking straight through at the light). Play the light around as well as altering your viewing angle. Sometimes a lens will look perfectly clear holding it up to the light and looking through it like a spyglass, but with the flashlight test above, you will see a film or haze on the internal elements. That can cause both loss of contrast as well as flare, but most always can be cleaned off by a professional. There is also one other possibility which I have unfortunately come across in used lenses, and that is that someone has polished off one or more of the anti- reflective coatings on one or more elements in an attempt to clean it or remove "wipe marks". Find a room where there is a fluorescent fixture in the ceiling. Holding the lens with the glass parallel to the floor, obvserve the reflection(s) of the fluorescent fixture at both ends of the lens. You should see reflections tinted with some coloring--blue, gold, purple, green--any of these colors or combinations are fine. If you see a plain, white reflection from the fixture, that can indicate the glass surface has no coating. However, note that both haze and coating problems will not only cause flare but also lessen contrast, so if your shots lack some "snap" that could also be an indication.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), July 31, 2001.

Some people *like* the flare in the older lenses; in fact, that's why they buy them. I recently bought a 50mm Summitar (w/o lens hood) for my old M3 precisely because I wanted the soft look. That said, a lens hood for your 35mm Summaron is probably a good idea if you don't want the flare. And yes, look through the lens with a flashlight pointed in at about a 30 degree angle. Surprises?

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), August 01, 2001.

All,

Thanks very much for your contributions and suggestions. I have just examined the 35 Summaron with one of our optics specialists at work, and sure enough it does show some signs of 'Leica fog'. I have been told that it is not severe, and I shall experiment with a home made lens hood firstly before trying to find a 12585.

Thanks again for a very informative user group!

regards,

-- Jeremy Lewis (JeremyB.Lewis@gbr.xerox.com), August 01, 2001.

Sometimes those old lenses with fog and cleaning marks give a nice glow. Here is a shot with a Summar on a IIIc. PHOTO

-- Gerry Widen (gwiden@alliancepartners.org), August 02, 2001.

I have shot with both 3.5 Summarons, the one with the "eyes" and the one without. I always, always, use a shade and I believe this has made all the difference in my photographs. I did send my Summaron without "eyes" to Leica for cleaning, etc. at a cost of around $114.00. It is possible yours needs the same "treatment". Sort of like sending your lens off to summer camp or to an expensive health spa for a "vacation", only you don't get to go.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), August 06, 2001.

My 35/2.8 summaron had been my companion for many years, and never notice such thing as flare wide open, low contrast yes, but never flare, with or without hood, even in the last four years is developing a serious decementing problem in the edge of about 5mm along the edge of an inner couple of lenses, now is in the closet since the 35/1.4 came along

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), August 06, 2001.