90/4 Elmar - Wowza!

[wlewisiii]

On Christmas eve, I got a package in the mail from Rickey/Byuphoto. In it was a 1939 90/4 Elmar. No caps, but it does have a very nice bakelite case to store the lens in. I was surprised at how short it really was as well as how light; of course my only reference point is a Jupiter 9 which is 2 stops faster and quite a bit bigger.

It's a very pretty lens that is in good cosmetic shape. A bit of brassing and the focus is a bit stiff. Very smooth, just a bit stiff. I may well get it a CLA in the future but really it's better to be a bit stiff than too loose. There is no color to the reflections off the glass - looks like this one remains uncoated. 😀 Yes, I'm a loon, but I like that. It fits on the Canon IVSb and 7 just fine.

I've only made a couple of shots so far, but I've got one to share and a couple of shots of the lens itself made with our really old digicam. Based on what little I've seen so far, though, I look forward to using it alot more.

The test shot was wide open @ about 1/30th on Fuji Superia 400. I was standing about 15 feet from the tree.

William

 

[doubs43]

William, you should be very pleased with the 90mm Elmar. Being uncoated, you're likely to see beautifully muted and pastel colors, an effect I particularly like.

The 90mm Elmar - coated or uncoated - will normally be subject to flare more than other lenses so a hood is almost manditory unless you keep the sun or source of light behind you or well to the side. I have my father's uncoated 90mm Elmar and a post-war coated version. I sent the coated one to Leitz many years ago for a cleaning and re-blackening of the baffles in the tube. It still needs a shade!

Walker

 

[VictorM.]

A nice lens. Here's a DIY guide to relubing: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BnF6. It's for the next version, but i don't think there are any big differences. A FIKUS adjustable hood works best. They're cheap if they're beat-up looking. This picture doesn't show much flare at all. Elmar 90/4 from 1942 (may be coated) with FIKUS.

 

[wlewisiii]

After a quick look around, there doesn't seem to be many beaters around. Is there any series hood that will work with it? Or if I do get one, it appears from the pictures I've found that it's also for use with 50's - the Elmar 50/3.5 I presume? I do intend to eventually get an uncoated 50/3.5 as well since I'm more likely to find a decent one of those at a price I can handle than a LTM Tessar or Sonnar... 🙂 so if the same hood works on both, that would make the price a bit easier to deal with.

And we won't even talk about filters... 😱 😀

William

 

[back alley]

what size is needed? (hood-wise)

joe

 

[doubs43]

what size is needed? (hood-wise) joe

Joe, the 90mm Elmar requires an A-36 size clamp-on filter or hood. At the risk of repeating myself, I'll post a picture of an adapter I made using a new-old stock A-36 Skylight filter with badly faded glass and a 41.5mm - 49mm step-up ring. It allows using 49mm accessories (screw-in filters and/or hoods) on the 90mm Elmar, 135mm Elmar or Hektor and the 35mm or 50mm Elmars. Also the 35mm Summaron. I've considered using a 41.5mm - 46mm step-up ring for better appearance but 49mm accessories are easier and cheaper to find.

Walker

 

[back alley]

that seems like a pretty good idea walker, and the clamp on filters can be found easy and not too high priced.

i remember seeing it before.

joe

 

[VictorM.]

Heavystar now has a 39mm hood made for 90mm Leica lenses. An A36 ring epoxied to a 39mm ring might make a good adapter.
Hood: http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-Metal-39mm-S...itemZ7562634714QQcategoryZ78999QQcmdZViewItem
Filter: http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-39mm-UV-Filt...itemZ7509085516QQcategoryZ15219QQcmdZViewItem

 

[VictorM.]

But on second thought, with some patience, a FIKUS hood can be found on ebay for about $30.

 

[JimG]

I also have a elmar 9cm made in 1936 (about) I use on my Bessa R. I'm using a red Leitz filter that attaches by a screw that clamps the filter to the lens and lens hood that works with several different Leica lenses and lens lengths. My problem is once I have all this assembled the standard Leica cap wont fit on to the hood. The hood is threaded on the inside at the end and the opening is 43mm. Is there a special lens cap for this hood? What am I doing wrong? I can't go around exposing a vintage lens like that with no cap it's to indecent!

Please excuse the dust on my scanner.

 

[wlewisiii]

I ordered a 39mm hood from Cameraquest. Seemed a reasonable price and easier than ebay.

William

 

[laptoprob]

Beware, A36 is a clamp-on size. I use a clamp-on to 39mm thread converter. This enables me to use E39mm filters and hood like all later Leitz optics. Brilliant idea!
Especially because the aperture ring is 'hidden' behind the bigger filter. There is also a smaller filter made, something like 20 or 21mm. This fits around the small front lens of the 50 and 35mm elmars. This does not apply to 90mm's I guess.

Rob.

 

[JimG]

Doug, you say beware, is there some possible risk of damage to the lens. I haven't used the LS lenses much so it's all news to me.