11 o'clock Nickel Elmar 50 3.5 on digital M.

Richard G

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I bought an screw to M adapter and my 1932 Nickel Elmar works fine on the Monochrom M. It will even safely collapse and doesn't go in quite so far as the Elmar M 50 2.8. It certainly sits flatter than that lens on the front of the camera, however.

The only concession mating the various parts is that the bell push infinity lock cannot be released once the adapter is fully on. I take the lens off infinity and then screw the adapater home. The combination then mounts on the camera without any interference by the lens release button. Apart from not having an infinity distance option, not necessary with the fastest aperture f3.5, there is no limitation at all.

Removing the adapter from the lens is easy with a spare rear lens cap.
 
I need to try my collapsible Leitz lenses on my X-E1 with an adapter, to see if they will collapse. They might make the camera much more pocketable. They wouldn't collapse on my m4/3 G1.
 
I just shot my prewar nickle 11 O'clock Hektor 50/2.5. It will not collapse on a Fuji x-e1. Pics in the "prewar Leica" thread.
 
The only concession mating the various parts is that the bell push infinity lock cannot be released once the adapter is fully on. I take the lens off infinity and then screw the adapater home. The combination then mounts on the camera without any interference by the lens release button. Apart from not having an infinity distance option, not necessary with the fastest aperture f3.5, there is no limitation at all.

The 'less expensive' adaptors do not have the cutaway to accommodate the infinity lock.

LTM to M adaptors from VC and obviously Leitz do.

It would be a matter of a few minutes filing to cut the adaptor flange back. They are normally made out of something quite soft.

Michael
 
The infinity lock (when locked) is oriented at 11:00 rather than the typical 7:00 (19:00) of later Elmars when viewed mounted from the front.


Thanks another step in attempting to understand something of the Leica

I suppose the 11.00 oclock infinity lock wasnt the result of transferring the production to China?Therefore very few sold due to quality control before production came back to Germany???
 
Thanks another step in attempting to understand something of the Leica

I suppose the 11.00 oclock infinity lock wasnt the result of transferring the production to China?Therefore very few sold due to quality control before production came back to Germany???

Bogus of course, Elmars never were produced in China at all.

The original Elmar was a fixed lens on a Leica Ia, which had a hockey stick shaped infinity lock to the body. Next, the lens was a removable lens with a threaded M39 mount, which shortly after was also standardised so that lenses would match any body, instead of being mated to a single body at the factory.
Around that time Leitz also decided that the 7 o'clock position for the infinity lock was ergonomically more practical and the lenses were produced in the new mount from then on.
 
OK then the 11.oclock is more of a collectors lens and the 7.00 to collect or use

There are a lot of the standard 7.00 oclock lens for sale,in fact i have one on my 11C

I wont buy an 11.00 oclock Hektor then,i thought they might be special as the ones ive seen cost up to twice the price of the 7.00 oclock Elma
 
Hmmm, well, they are special if you like the camera outfit to look as though you bought it new and so must have the "correct" lenses with the body. The means the lenses made the same or previous year: based on lists of stolen outfits in old Leica magazines. Also, as time goes by, there are less and less of them; meaning rarity.

Regards, David
 
Sorry. I only just caught up on this thread and only just got my M9 back. I will put the little Elmar on her and take some pictures. I got an original Leitz adapter but there is no cutaway for the bell push infinity lock.
 
Here are a couple from a rainy morning before work. I had the FISON hood on, but even in heavy overcast, or maybe because of it, the suffused light is difficult to control, owing to some haze behind the front element.

I reduced the noise in these a little as they were at ISO 640 on the M9, wide open at ƒ3.5. No adjustment of brightness or contrast. I have had some nice results with Ektar and Fuji Superia and Tri-X. I like the last one here.









 
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