Leica Summicron 50mm 2.0 Rigid

Description:

Introduced in 1956, the Summicron 50mm f/2 "Rigid" replaced Leitz's earlier collapsible Summicron and set out to prove that ultimate rigidity, not compactness, was the better answer to durability — an all-brass barrel machined to a standard collectors still point to as one of Leitz's finest mechanical achievements.

This particular example, serial number 1473327, was manufactured in 1957, based on Leica's lens serial number records.

Optically the Rigid carries over the same seven-element, six-group formula as the collapsible version, prized for its exceptional sharpness even wide open and a rendering many collectors describe as clinically precise for its era — a marked step up from the pre-war Summitars it succeeded. Its ten-blade aperture is a particular highlight, holding a nearly circular opening at almost any stop, which gives out-of-focus backgrounds a smoothness unusual for a lens this old. It mounts on Leica's M bayonet, takes 39mm filters, and focuses down to 1m — a limitation only resolved in 1969 with the Summicron V3's 0.7m close focus.

This example comes fresh from a full CLA (Clean, Lubricate, Adjust) service, with a certificate to match, and carries a one-year warranty as a result. We're always glad to have a Rigid pass through the shop — it's a lens built the way Leitz built things when nothing was left to chance, and now it runs as smooth as the day it left Wetzlar.

Condition:

• Cosmetic: Very Good

• Optical: Very Good

• Mechanical: Excellent

  
  

What's Included

• Original Leitz front cap

• Original Leica rear cap