Leica 50mm Summicron DR on Leica M9? Is it somehow manageable?

Send it to DAG. He can machine off the close-focusing half of the focus cam, which doesn't fit inside the digital M cameras. You lose the close focus range with RF coupling (although you can still use it with Live View on cameras that have it). But you gain a usable lens.

I had this done several years ago. I think it cost $80. No regrets--I'd rather have a lens I can use than a collectable shelf ornament.

--Peter
 
Either have it modified, or find a regular Type 1 Rigid with bad/no glass. The optics module unscrews.

Do you have the "Eyes" for it?
 
Send it to DAG. He can machine off the close-focusing half of the focus cam, which doesn't fit inside the digital M cameras. You lose the close focus range with RF coupling (although you can still use it with Live View on cameras that have it). But you gain a usable lens.

I had this done several years ago. I think it cost $80. No regrets--I'd rather have a lens I can use than a collectable shelf ornament.

--Peter
Hi Peter,
DAG emailed me this morning that it costs $100.
 
Either have it modified, or find a regular Type 1 Rigid with bad/no glass. The optics module unscrews.

Do you have the "Eyes" for it?
Hi Brian,
No, I do not have the attachment eyes. I do have a another rigid Summicron (cheap and with not so great glass) that I had DAG adjust for me. If I had known I needed a cheap one, I would not have sent it recently to DAG.
 
It may be too costly to get the attachment eyes now. I now have three "rigid Summicron" lenses in the end. A very clean Rigid, a not so nice Rigid, and a DR without eyes which will not mount well on the M8 or M9. Is it easy to switch around the optics modules? Easy as it is to unscrew a light bulb? :)
 
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I have the DR and if you remove the plastic peg from the goggles it will work on the M9. The top plate of the M9 is a few mm taller than the film body top plates and the plastic peg, which is designed to rest on the top plate, prevents the goggles from being attached to the lens. Close focus works on my M9M but when the "close focus" mode is not engaged the lens will not focus to infinity. You do not need the goggles to set the lens to close focus, but you might need to attach the goggles in order to focus.

If your having trouble mounting your DR to you digital body, ensure that the lens isn't focused to infinity. I like the DR a lot, particularly on my MP. I've been thinking of having it modified so that it will focus to infinity on my M9M, but I also have a 50mm lux...
 
Brian, does that lens you posted have both a focusing tab and a focusing ring? My DR, which is the 5cm version, only has a focusing ring but I'd prefer both or just the tab.
 
I have the DR and if you remove the plastic peg from the goggles it will work on the M9. The top plate of the M9 is a few mm taller than the film body top plates and the plastic peg, which is designed to rest on the top plate, prevents the goggles from being attached to the lens. Close focus works on my M9M but when the "close focus" mode is not engaged the lens will not focus to infinity. You do not need the goggles to set the lens to close focus, but you might need to attach the goggles in order to focus.

If your having trouble mounting your DR to you digital body, ensure that the lens isn't focused to infinity. I like the DR a lot, particularly on my MP. I've been thinking of having it modified so that it will focus to infinity on my M9M, but I also have a 50mm lux...
Hi Mijo,

I do not own the goggles for the DR.
 
Mijo- the lens that I posted is the Type 1 Rigid Summicron, the optics module is identical to the DR Summicron. The standard focus mount can be used with the optics module of the DR.
 
If I simply unscrew the DR optics module and use it on the Rigid, this will work directly without any adjusting or shimming?
 
There is a number inscribed on the optical cell barrel that gives the exact focal length. There is also a number on the Rigid focusing mounts (I don't remember where, but I believe it is two digits) that, decoded, gives the focal length the mount was machined to match. A bit of Google-searching will find this information. In order for the combination to focus exactly right, the focusing mount has to match the optical cell. I believe all DRs are the same focal length, but the Rigids can vary. So you could swap the optical cell from the DR into the Rigid barrel, but only if the focal length matches, or if Brian or somebody equally competent shims it.
 
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