I may have an opportunity to buy a very early 90 Summicron-M (1980 design) - the version where the retracted lens hood covers the aperture ring.

Is this layout a complete PITA to work with, or can/do you get used to it fairly quickly?

Also, as noted about 10 posts before this one, Lager and Leica list two different weights for this small (1980) 90 Summicron - 410g and 475g.

Does the early weird-hood version weigh less? Pictures make it look like the lens barrel is a couple mm thinner side-to-side, and the focus/aperture rings are narrower front-to-back. So it might contain less metal mass.

But this could just be an optical illusion due to the different hood design.

Anyway, thanks for any info available. I am aware of the various optical qualities/liabilities - just interested in the handling.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 11, 2001

Answers

Laney shows one weight for the last version of the 90 Summicron- M...410 grams. This applies to both the one you are interested in and the one with the redesigned mount.

The optics were the same for both mounts.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), November 12, 2001.

The lens itself is sharp and contrasty. But the hood itself is kind of annoying. Tom Abrahammson told me that he had two of those and ripped the hood off of both of them because he found it to be such a pian. I didn't think it was quite that bad, but who knows.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), November 12, 2001.

I guess I'll find out for myself - cause I bought it. It either works to remind you to always use the hood, or as an exposure lock: set the aperture, slide the hood back, and you can't accidently chnage the aperture setting 8^).

Re weight: I will weigh it myself and post any findings here. It is clearly not as light as the Elmarit-M, which is also rated at 410 grams.

Typical Leica serial number weirdness: This is a lens introduced in 1980 - but the serial number (281xxxxxx) indicates it was built in 1977 (??) Did I get an extremely rare and valable prototype (hee-hee!) or is there some other explanation (like Leica set aside a block of 2000 serial numbers for 90 f/2s, and then took four years to built 2000 of them (??) This is right smack in the middle of the Leica M's 'years in the Canadian wilderness'.

Put on your thinking caps.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 12, 2001.