Hi, I have inherited a Leica system, originally bought in the 1960’s, as follows:
M3 body
35mm 2.8 Summaron (with rangefinder ‘binoculars’)
50mm 2.0 Summicron
90mm 2.8 Elmarit
135mm 4.0 Elmar
Leicameter MR
VisoflexI’m very pleased with this, and I plan to buy a used M8 so I can use the lenses. Will all these lenses work with the M8? I’m especially wondering about the 35mm since that would be the most useful lens for my style of photography.
Would the Visoflex work as well?I also have something that looks like an extension tube, with a focussing ring, and ‘1:4/135’ written on it. I’m guessing this is needed to adapt the 135 Elmar to the Visoflex?
Lastly, the 50mm lens has a UV filter that I can’t get off – the front element of the lens start to unscrew instead. I need to remove it to fit an IR filter. Is this a job for a service agent?
Thanks in anticipation, and I’m glad to be joining the Leica fraternity at last!
TerryWelcome, Terence! Nice kit… I still have and use an M2 I bought in 1967. And the 90 Tele-Elmarit I bought the next year. I don’t have your 135 or 50, but just a couple years ago picked up the same “goggled” 35 Summaron, which is “Summicron-good” IMO. Your lenses should work fine on the M8.
But as you mention IR filters, there’s that chain of consequences arising from the use of the M8 due to its IR sensitivity. I tried to ignore it and finally gave in. The next step is adopting the IR filters, which causes faintly cyan corners, which the camera can eliminate if it “knows” more about the lens… the next step being coding for that purpose (which also puts some useful info in the EXIF).
Once I accepted and dealt with all that, the M8 has been a delight to use. I had DAG code the lenses I intended to use, and while he had them, also check and adjust the focus to spec. Some were off… and digital is pickier about that than film. DAG could get that filter off too, and make sure all is well with the lens.
Good shooting!
Doug
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