Leica LTM Help with lens cap for my 50 Elmar

[gb hill]

I have a Leitz Elmar 50 3.5 collapsible screwmount lens I want to get a front cap for. Can anyone tell me what size I need. Ebay has a few, but the sizes are confusing. One says 40.5, then one says 43mm, then another says 36mm inside diameter. I hope it's not the 40.5 because he wants a buy it now price of $49.50, but I have a feeling it is because it's the only one that says its for a vintage 39mm sm lens. Thats what mine is. Each seller says there's will fit a 50 elmar but they don't tell you if its for a sm or an m mount lens except the 40.5, but even he doesn't say which one. Or maybe someone here can steer me to one for a reasonable price.


Thanks

Greg

 

[thomasw_]

for a fair price, don at dag cameras sells the size 36 i think you need.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Look at the list of ebay seller "alex-photo". He has caps originally made for collapsible Industar lenses which will fit the collapsible Elmar 50. These caps would be in metal or in hard plastic. The metal caps may be plain or else engraved with "Зоркий" or "ФЭД" or even "Leitz". The last is quite pricey, for obvious reasons. 🙂.

I checked his current offerings and he has the elegant plastic version with Зоркий in very elegant, stylised script. The material used for these caps is really hard plastic, and this will definitely fit the collapsible Elmar:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Russian-plastic-lens-cap-with-logo-ZORKI_W0QQitemZ7617799720QQihZ017QQcategoryZ43479QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The ФЭД version, also with elegant lettering:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Russian-plastic-lens-cap-with-logo-FED-for-I-22-I-50_W0QQitemZ7617796212QQihZ017QQcategoryZ43479QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Another, but without engraving:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Russian-plastic-lens-cap-for-I-22-I-50_W0QQitemZ7617793955QQihZ017QQcategoryZ43479QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The metal versions, but with engraving:
http://cgi.ebay.com/metal-front-cap-d36-for-collapsible-lens-LOGO-FED_W0QQitemZ330038829916QQihZ014QQcategoryZ43479QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Alex doesn't seem to have the plain metal ones in stock right now. As you can see these caps cost no more than US$5.00, much much less than what caps from Leitz or similar non-FSU equivalents would set you back.

Jay
(There's always a suitable Russian substitute for everything! 😀)

 

[rover]

You can find "Leica" reproduction caps on ebay too.

 

[charjohncarter]

Try CameraQuest on the web. The website is a rats maze, but he has them.

 

[jkelly]

I've bought several lens caps from Sherry Krauter, for prices ranging from $10 to $20. The 50 Elmar takes a 36mm cap. Send her an email.

 

[peterm1]

I recently bought 3 of these for my early lenses and have found that the size description of these is indeed often confusing but you can usually be guided by the description of the seller - I dont think I have seen one described as being for an Elmar 50mm f3.5 that was not. If you know what to look for the picture will be revealing too - the early lens caps often look different from the later ones (study them and you will know what I mean.)

Quite ofen however, as these things are slip-fit not screw-in if the sellers give a size in millimeters this can be confusing as they do not quote the size as 36mm (Elmar 50mm f 3.5 ) or 39mm (Summicron etc) which are the correct screw dimensions, but as the actual exterior diameter of the cap. If they cite the diameter as 42 mm you can rest assured that it is NOT for your lens.

 

[gb hill]

Thanks JKelly, Peterm1& ThomasW for a clear answer to my question. 36mm sounds good, now I know what to look for.

Greg