Summaron 28mm f5.6, commonly known as the Red Summaron. It is one stop faster than its predecessor, the Hektor 28mm f6.3. Serial number in the 1.55 million range, made in 1958. Leitz product code SNOOX. Distance scale in meters. Its optical design consists of 6 elements in 4 groups in a Gauss-type configuration.
Introduced in 1955 as the successor to the Hektor 28mm f6.3, the Summaron 28mm f5.6 remained in production until 1963. Like the Hektor 28mm, it uses a 36mm slip-on A36 filter.
This lens was produced during the golden age of postwar Leitz, when such legendary cameras as the Leica M3, MP, and M2 appeared. Beyond its superb image quality, it remains highly sought after today for its beautifully finished chrome plating and timeless design that still looks remarkably fresh nearly 70 years after it was made. It also looks especially handsome fitted with the dedicated SOOBK rectangular hood, allowing you to fully enjoy the refined styling characteristic of Leica products from this era.
A modern reissue unexpectedly appeared in recent years and attracted considerable attention, but the original version was produced in relatively limited numbers, making clean examples increasingly difficult to find.
This is an item previously sold by our shop, carefully used by its owner, and now returned to us.
Its condition remains much the same as when we last sold it, with no noticeable scuffs, scratches, dents, or other significant signs of use. Overall, it is a very clean example.
It received a full overhaul in 2025. Thanks to the careful servicing, the helicoid remains smooth and the aperture ring operates smoothly as well. Rangefinder coupling is excellent, and focus is accurate.
The glass shows only a very slight deterioration of the balsam around the edge of an inner element, along with a few extremely fine hairline cleaning marks on the front and rear elements, none of which affect image quality. Considering that the Red Summaron is well known for developing haze, the glass is quite clean, with no noticeable veiling even when shooting against the light.
Our test shots also produced excellent results. Although the sample images were taken when we previously sold the lens, they are available in our Test Shoot Gallery. We hope you will take a look.
Original Leica front and rear caps are included.
