Summilux 35mm f1.4 2nd version. This example is the goggled version for the Leica M3, and is the later stopper-equipped model with a chrome stopper. The very earliest examples had a black-painted brass stopper, followed by black-painted aluminum, making this, so to speak, the third-generation stopper type.
The goggles are finished in a sharp-looking black paint. The Leitz product code remains 11871, the same as the Steel Rim.
The serial number is in the 2.34 million range, indicating production in 1969. This is one of the later batches among the stopper-equipped examples, after which the stopper was omitted.
By this time, the Leica M4 era had already begun, but this lens was likely supplied in response to the still-strong demand from users who felt that the M3 was the true Leica. The goggles correct the M3’s 50mm frame to provide a 35mm field of view.
The minimum focusing distance of this goggled version is 65cm. Since the M3 body’s rangefinder coupling was originally designed down to 1m, and the Summilux 35mm 2nd version without goggles also focuses only to 1m, the ability to focus much closer is a major advantage of the goggled version.
Near wide open, it offers a softly sweet rendering with beautiful flare, allowing you to enjoy its distinctive and highly individual character.
A somewhat rare lens.
英訳です。
A very clean example with only minimal signs of use. There are light rub marks on the black-painted area around the round eyepiece windows, and minor paint loss on the black-painted area beneath the rectangular window. The crinkle-finished parts and the black-finished lens barrel, however, remain in beautiful, near-mint condition.
Fully overhauled in May 2026, including the goggles. Careful focus adjustment has also been carried out. The aperture and helicoid feel superb in operation, and the rangefinder coupling is spot-on. The glass in the goggle unit is also beautifully clear, preserving the wonderful finder view of the M3.
The lens has the faintest traces of fungus marks on an internal element, but they are only just visible with an LED light and loupe, and should have virtually no effect on photographs. There are no other scratches or haze, and the glass is clear and bright. A Summilux 35mm 2nd version that lets you fully enjoy its original rendering.
It also comes with its matching-number original box, a clean 12504 hood, an aluminum front cap, and a rear cap. With such complete accessories, it is also highly suitable for collection.
