85MM SCREW MOUNT LENSES

It is important to note that Leica lenses had their focal lengths specified in millimeters from 1925 to 1928, in centimeters from 1928 to 1970, and again in millimeters from 1971 onwards³⁶⁰.

8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex

Introduced in 1941 but not made available to the public until 1949, the 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex (code-named SOOCX⁸²) was quite expensive and was produced for only a few years in limited quantities³⁶⁰. The lens consists of seven elements, which are cemented together in two groups³⁶⁰. As a high-speed, medium focal length lens, it replaced the 7.3cm f/1.9 Hektor³⁶⁰. Dr. Max Berek developed a symmetrical 7-element, 2-pair modified Gauss design, for which he obtained a patent in 1937. He created the name "Summarex" by combining the well-known Leitz SUMMAR trademark with the name of his pet Alsatian dog, Rex¹¹⁶. Interestingly, the Leitz factory's 'Fotokonstruktion' list indicates that a 9cm f/1.5 coupled lens mount designed by Albert was created on September 9, 1939³⁶⁰. This lens, known as the 9cm f/1.5 Summarex, was advertised, but to date, no specimens have been recorded³⁶⁰.

The 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex was the first commercial lens from Leitz to feature coated elements and was the fastest long-focus lens available for the early Leica cameras. The resolution at full aperture was excellent, improving further when stopped down to f/4. The lens had an angle of view of 28°, a minimum aperture of f/16, and a minimum focus distance of 1 meter¹¹⁶.

Variants

The variants available to the public from 1949 are listed below³⁶⁰.

Variant 1 features an international focusing scale, while still retaining the white dots that indicate the old Continental scale³⁶⁰. It includes a reversible lens hood with a locking screw and is available in a black and chrome finish, with an all-black lens hood³⁶⁰.
Variant 2 is similar to Variant 1, but it is finished entirely in black and has a dull chrome mount³⁶⁰.
Variant 3 is similar to Variant 2 but includes a click-stop iris diaphragm³⁶⁰.
Variant 4 is equipped with a click-stop iris, a chrome lens hood, and a cap; it comes in a chrome finish³⁶⁰. The lens hood design differs from the black lens hood found in Variants 1, 2, and 3, and does not include a locking screw³⁶⁰.
Variant 5 is similar to Variant 4 but features infra-red markings on the focusing scale³⁶⁰.

The commercial production of the 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex began with a batch of approximately ninety consecutive units, starting with serial number 593001¹¹⁶. These lenses were delivered to the Leitz Berlin agency between May and August of 1943¹¹⁶. Since the Berlin agency served as a military procurer, it can be assumed that most of these lenses were intended for the Wehrmacht¹¹⁶.

Lenses from the first batch featured unique characteristics not present in later versions. The distance ring, marked in meters, had a patina enamel finish to conserve scarce wartime chrome. The international f-stops were engraved, while the European stops were indicated with tiny unlabeled red dots. The brass focusing mount was coated with glossy black enamel. Additionally, the rear portion of the one-piece mount lacked the fine knurled ring found on later two-piece mounts. An 85mm parallax-corrected saddle-type bright-line finder, designated SOOCB, was cataloged in 1943. A special clamp-on, non-reversing black brass lens hood was provided, along with a uniquely sized black brass cap that fit the lens directly. In contrast, later chrome lenses featured reversible bayonet hoods and slightly larger chrome caps that fit the reversed hoods¹¹⁶.

Production of black 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex lenses resumed post-war with serial number 593101, which was shipped to Ernst Leitz in New York on January 29, 1946¹¹⁶. Most lenses produced between serial numbers 593101 and 593200 were sent to various U.S. military units and personnel¹¹⁶. The production of these expensive black lenses continued sporadically until the first all-chrome lens, with serial number 593350, was shipped to Ernst Leitz, New York on December 8, 1949¹¹⁶. Maximum records indicate that a total of 276 black lenses were delivered, as 74 serial numbers between 593001 and 593349 were never assigned and presumably never produced¹¹⁶.

The post-war black 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex represents a transition between the original and the later chrome versions. The patina finish on the distance scale was replaced with brushed chrome¹¹⁶. The dual f-stop scale was removed around serial number 593200¹¹⁶. The rear portion of the focusing mount was simplified to a two-part design featuring a fine knurled ring¹¹⁶. This two-part design was available in black (serial number 593186), patina (serial number 593299), and chrome versions¹¹⁶. Lens with the serial number 593119, housed in the Leitz museum, showcases an all-chrome rear section and a reversible black enameled brass hood; it is most likely a "BITZA"¹¹⁶.

Fewer than 500 lenses with a black finish have been produced in total³⁶⁰. Black finish lenses are extremely rare⁸². A lens hood produced especially for the black finish 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex by Ernst Leitz, New York¹⁰⁷. The original black 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex was shipped in a red tubular box and did not include a lens hood¹⁰⁷. It came with a specially designed black-painted lens cap that fits directly onto the lens¹⁰⁷. This cap is slightly smaller in diameter than the later chrome version, which was designed to accommodate the reversible lens hood¹⁰⁷. The reversible lens hood and chrome cap were introduced in 1949, starting with the all-chrome 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex at serial number 593350¹⁰⁷.

The first chrome batch concluded with serial number 593599 on March 17, 1950¹¹⁶. Production continued with an unchanged design in the serial number lots 732xxx and 823xxx¹¹⁶. A minor redesign of the focusing mount eliminated the small knurled ring at the rear of the mount during the 940xxx batch¹¹⁶. The 1008xxx series introduced a red R focusing indicator for infrared film, a feature that had been eliminated by Leitz on their early post-war lenses due to the unavailability of infrared film¹¹⁶. This batch also introduced an improved lens hood and the bright-line 85mm finder, designated SGOOD, in 1952¹¹⁶. The number of slots in the post-war hood was reduced from four to two for increased manufacturing efficiency¹¹⁶.

A change in the color of the lens coating occurred at this time, shifting from light blue to magenta¹¹⁶. This color transition likely marked the initial introduction of multicoating in Leitz lenses¹¹⁶. Later batches, such as those with the serial number 1151xxx, were available with factory adapters coded SOOCX-ISBOO for use with the M series cameras¹¹⁶.

Closing Remarks

The 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex was last listed in the catalog in 1962, with a retail price of 360.00 USD¹¹⁶. A total of 4342 units were produced¹¹⁶. The production of this lens came to an end due to the introduction of the more versatile and less expensive 9cm f/2 Summicron (model SOOZI) in 1957¹¹⁶.