8 element or ashtray ...

[Steve Karr]

Hi everyone,
I have a 'cron 35mm serial 16535xx and wondered if it is an 8 element that seem so popular? I have read the google results for an hour now and it seems my serial is a German serial but my lens sez Canada on the bezel? DO I have Frankin-lens?

Hope not...

Thanks!!

Steve

 

[Tom A]

Yours is indeed an early 8 element. The Canada/Germany designation is not anything to worry about. Many, if not most of these lenses were made in Canada and depending on were they where going to be shipped - the mount was changed for import duties. It was cheaper to ship the glass/inner barrel as "parts" to Germany than finished lenses. The lens was designed in Canada by Dr Mandler and for decades the only lens wholly made in Germany was the Summilux 50mm f1.4. Hence the fact that most advertising photos from the late 50's and 60's into the 70's showed the M2/M3/M4 with this lens as it said "Made In Germany" on the front.

 

[raid]

Tom,
So the Wetzlar Summicron was actually made in Canada?
Wasn't any Cron made in Wetzlar?

 

[Tom A]

Raid, most were made in Midland until 1995 when production was moved to Germany. (except for the Noctilux where ELCAN would make the glass assemblies and inner barrels and these would be shipped to Wetzlar and assembled there). For a while other boxes with outside barrels were shipped in separate boxes - all marked as parts.
As the design was a Canadian one it made sense to have it made there anyway. Dr Mandler was a busy man and gave us lenses like the 28f2.8, the 35f2, 35f1.4, 50f2, 90f2 among others and the 75f1.4! He also redesigned the 50f1.2 Asph Noctilux as a non Asph lens and a f1.0.
ELCAN also had a tendency to "tweak" designs when they came up with a better coating etc and incorporate it in the manufacturing. However, they were not that good in writing down when this happened (or what they changed!). This is why there are differences between particularly 35f1.4's and 50f1.4's - even in lenses with close numbers.
The current owner of ELCAN does not want to get involved and will not respond to inquiries about "what" and "when". I suspect that they either shipped all the old documentation to Germany - or, simply dumped it.

 

[raid]

Tom,
Thanks for the information.
Dr.mandler must have been a great lens designer indeed.

My goggled version must be a low production one in Wetzlar.

 

[35mmdelux]

Tom,
Thanks for the information.
Dr.mandler must have been a great lens designer indeed.

One word: Leica.
.
.
.

 

[raid]

Raid, most were made in Midland until 1995 when production was moved to Germany. (except for the Noctilux where ELCAN would make the glass assemblies and inner barrels and these would be shipped to Wetzlar and assembled there). For a while other boxes with outside barrels were shipped in separate boxes - all marked as parts.
As the design was a Canadian one it made sense to have it made there anyway. Dr Mandler was a busy man and gave us lenses like the 28f2.8, the 35f2, 35f1.4, 50f2, 90f2 among others and the 75f1.4! He also redesigned the 50f1.2 Asph Noctilux as a non Asph lens and a f1.0.
ELCAN also had a tendency to "tweak" designs when they came up with a better coating etc and incorporate it in the manufacturing. However, they were not that good in writing down when this happened (or what they changed!). This is why there are differences between particularly 35f1.4's and 50f1.4's - even in lenses with close numbers.
The current owner of ELCAN does not want to get involved and will not respond to inquiries about "what" and "when". I suspect that they either shipped all the old documentation to Germany - or, simply dumped it.

Tom,

I just sent an email to James Lager to resolve the issue of Wetzlar versus Canada production of the goggled Summicron.

Someone has to know ....

By the way, I have a huge lens made by Elcan. No clue what it is for.

 

[Tom A]

By the way, I have a huge lens made by Elcan. No clue what it is for.[/QUOTE]

What focal length and f-stop. They made huge amount of specials for military applications. Some could be adapted to "normal" use.
Take a picture of it and post it. Someone is bound to know what it is.
Tom

 

[FPjohn]

Hello Raid:

It will be interesting to know Lager's view. The Hove Pocket Book states, as Tom does, that most were Canadian made.

yours
FPJ

 

[Tom A]

I have two 8 elements, one is a 1654xxx and the other is a M3 version 1743xxx. Both are made in Canada. One is for my black M2 and looks well used. The M3 one is pretty well unused as I am not a great fan of goggled 35's!!
Tom

 

[ChrisN]

By the way, I have a huge lens made by Elcan. No clue what it is for.

What focal length and f-stop. They made huge amount of specials for military applications. Some could be adapted to "normal" use.
Take a picture of it and post it. Someone is bound to know what it is.
Tom

Raid's lens - see post #8 in this thread.