Collapsing lenses on the M8 - Do you?

[Mango]

On page 86 of the M8 manual it states:

Important:

Can be used, but risks damaging the camera

Lenses with retractable tubes can only be used with
their tubes extended, i.e. their tubes must never be
retracted into the LEICA M8.
This is not the case with the current Macro-Elmar-M
90mm f/4, whose tube does not protrude into the
camera body even when retracted. It can therefore
be used without any restrictions.

----------------

Question:

Has anyone tried to collapse the 50mm f2.8 Elmar (current) into the M8?

Or the 50mm Collapsible Summicron (from the 1950's)?

Without damaging the innards, that is.

I'm apprehensive about using these lenses as I know I'll collapse them into the camera some day out of habit.

Thanks for your opinions and advice.

 

[marknorton]

The current (recently discontinued) 50mm Elmar is absolutely no problem, same goes for the 90mm Macro Elmar. Do not know about the collapsible Summicron.

It's not just a question of the barrel length protruding into the camera but also the diameter of it; the lens throat in the M8 is slightly constrained to one side by the battery chamber; what you see as the lens throat wall is actually a flocked surface of the same plastic moulding making up half of the battery housing.

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

Has anyone tried to collapse the 50mm f2.8 Elmar (current) into the M8?

Or the 50mm Collapsible Summicron (from the 1950's)?

Without damaging the innards, that is.

The post above mentions using the Elmar 50, and I use a collapsible Summicron from the early 50s when I feel like having some glow. I've collapsed it into the M8 without incident. Here are two results of it:

scott

 

[Mango]

Thanks, I'll give the lenses a ride on the M8. I want to avoid any potential trip to Leica NJ or Solms.

 

[woodyspedden]

Scott

Lovely images from a lovely lens. I too love the look of the "old" Leica glass

Woody