Coated Summitar 50mm f2. Leitz product code SOORE. Serial number in the 680,000 range, made in 1948. Thanks to its round diaphragm, point light sources are rendered beautifully even near wide open. Aperture markings are in the international style (f2, f2.8, f4, etc.), and the helicoid scale is in meters.
The Summitar was introduced as the successor to the Summar and later became the foundation for the legendary Summicron. Its generous 7-element, 4-group design greatly improved the vignetting and instability seen wide open with the Summar, resulting in a much more consistent performance.
In use, it delivers the soft, atmospheric rendering typical of classic lenses, while maintaining a delicate yet well-defined core at the plane of focus that is unmistakably Leitz. The post-war coated version further benefits from improved contrast and richer color reproduction, making it especially appealing for color photography. That said, many Summitar lenses suffer from deteriorated glass, and truly recommendable examples are surprisingly scarce, despite a total production of around 170,000 units.
This particular Summitar stands out not only for its thorough servicing, but also for its very good glass condition, delivering images with a solid, well-defined core. A Summitar not to be underestimated.
Only minor signs of use can be seen around the collapsible section and base, with an overall very nice cosmetic condition. No dents or dings.
Fully overhauled in January 2026. The aperture and helicoid have been brought back to an impressively smooth operation, and rangefinder coupling is spot on.
The glass shows very slight coating deterioration and one linear scratch on a middle element, but for a Summitar this is exceptionally clean. These really do not come around often. In real-world test shots on our Leica M10-P demo body, the lens delivered a solid, well-defined rendering wide open.
A Kenko UV filter for Summitar and the original front cap are included. Please note that Summitar front caps are slightly smaller in diameter than those for other Leitz E39 lenses such as the Summicron, and are a dedicated fit only for the Summitar.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a Summitar with clean glass.
