Summar 50mm f2 with a chrome barrel. Serial number in the 490,000 range, manufactured in 1939. Leitz product code: SUMUS.
Prewar, uncoated optics. Six-blade aperture. Continental aperture scale marked f2, 2.2, 3.2, and so on. Distance scale in meters. Takes A36 filters. The original matching hood is the SOOMP.
A classic Leica standard lens offering the rich bokeh and characteristic corner falloff of its Double Gauss design. Wide open, it produces a soft, atmospheric rendering, while stopping down brings increasingly sharp detail while retaining a gentle character.
The Summar evolved through several versions, beginning with the first so-called Hyottoko model, followed by the black-front version, and then this model, which was produced in the largest numbers. Each barrel style can be found in both nickel and chrome variations. Toward the end of production, the Tropen-Summar was also introduced.
This example is the most familiar all-chrome collapsible version.
This item was previously sold by our shop and has now returned to us after being carefully enjoyed by its owners. This will be the fifth time we have offered it for sale, and it remains in the same excellent condition as before.
The collapsible barrel, front edge of the lens barrel, and infinity lock are areas where signs of use commonly appear, but the chrome plating throughout still shines beautifully. It is hard to believe that nearly 90 years have passed since its manufacture.
To ensure the lens is in the best possible condition for this sale, it received another full overhaul in August 2026. The aperture and helicoid operate with a wonderfully smooth, damped feel. Rangefinder coupling is also spot-on.
The glass is in remarkably fine condition, far removed from the heavily scratched and hazy Summar lenses so often encountered. There are some light cleaning marks on the front element and slight discoloration of the glass, but no haze is visible on any of the elements, and the optics remain clear and bright. This is an unusually high-grade glass condition for a Summar.
An original Leica front cap is included.
