Anyone know about this lens?

[skopar steve]

On a local craigslist there is a listing for a Kodak Ektar 47mm f2.0 in LTM. Looks a bit pricey for a screw mount lens. Is this a collectors lens, or a fantastic lens from back in its day? I've never heard of it.

Thanks
Steve

 

[Sumarongi]

On a local craigslist there is a listing for a Kodak Ektar 47mm f2.0 in LTM. Looks a bit pricey for a screw mount lens. Is this a collectors lens, or a fantastic lens from back in its day? I've never heard of it.

Thanks
Steve

I've just seen a "Kodak Ektar 47mm, f2.0 (modified by Mr Miyazaki)"

 

[Dwig]

While there may be some lenses converted from Ektar mount to LTM, a number were made in LTM originally.


During WWII, the US Signal Corps commissioned designs for a Leica copy to fill the void left by the unavailability of "the real thing". Several manufacturers developed designs. Premier Instrument Co.'s offering was the Kardon, a very nice copy. Rather than develop their own lens, they bought lenses from Kodak, the Ektar 47mm f/2, in LTM.



The Signal Corps project was a bust as such things go. By the time that contract decisions were made and production could start the war was nearly over. Some Signal Corps samples were delivered, but most were the civilian model that was sold after the war for a few years.

 

[someonenameddavid]

The Ektar 47mm f/2.0 was also found on the Kodak Retina II, which is why I hunt for them

 

[skopar steve]

Thanks for the responses. Looks in decent shape, so I can't really tell if it's been modified or if it's the one Dwig describes. Must be a collector item as it is priced at $1100. I paid less than that for my 50mm Summicron M

 

[leighmarrin]

About 15 years ago I found a 47mm f2 Ektar in LTM with the little focus wheel in a thrift store for around $10. As I recall, the price was written in grease pencil on the front element. I never used it, as it was very stiff to focus. I went back to the same thrift store several times hoping to find the Kardon camera it once lived on, but it never showed up.

I also had an uncommon 35mm f2 Fuji in LTM, and I ended up trading both of them to mega-dealer Kevin Li for a nice Leica M2 body and a late Carl Zeiss rigid 50mm f3.5 Tessar lens in Contax mount. The Tessar lens was decent, but did not live up to the glowing hype I've read on the Internet, but I still am happy with the Leica M2.

Kevin Li probably got several thousand bucks for my lenses to Asian collectors, but I don't begrudge him.