50 Elmar Collapsible Question?

[joebt]

I just picked up a 50 year old 50mm Collapsible Elmar over the weekend. It does have some fogging or haze, but it does not appear to be affecting the image qulity.

However, it does appear to focus even when it's collapsed in the M3 body. What happens if I take a picture when it's collapsed will it damage the shutter curtain?

The other question is that when I pull it out in the working position, do I have to turn it to the left or right to lock it, because it locks in both positions? Should the dot that indicates what f/stop the lens is on be centered before focusing?

 

[OldNick]

I will start with the last question first. My Elmar, from 1946, locks only in the clockwise direction. I'm not sure what dot you are referring to, but the f-stop setting has nothing to do with focusing unless you are using the depth-of-field scale to set your focus. I do not have an M3, but, on Barnack Leicas, you can move the focusing helix with the lens collapsed, but this does nothing useful. I don't believe the collapsed lens can touch the shutter curtain, regardless of the focus setting. Any photo taken with the lens collapsed will be VERY out of focus, as many Leica users have found out from experience.

Jim N.

 

[joebt]

Thanks OldNick!

I did have 2 photos from a roll that were out of focus. I thought the lens was pulled out properly, but maybe that is what happend. The shots I took after that were just fine. I really like the lens. I paid $250 for it, and I was able to collapse the lens and put the M3 inside my coat, and nobdy could tell I had a camera with me. In fact, the guy I was shooting with thought the camera was in my pocket. He couldn't see a buldge around my chest.

 

[joebt]

So far, I really like the lens. The results were very good, and I'm the kind of guy that only buys fast glass. (35mm F/1.2, 40mm F1.4, 50mm F/1.4, 75mm F/1.4 and the 90mm F/2).

This lens is so nice, I ordered a newer one in black for my M6TTL 0.85.