Cheapest jeans-pocketable lens?

[rxmd]

You might look for an old 35mm Elmar:

They're surprisingly cheap sometimes, I've seen them go on eBay for under 100 EUR.

 

[KenR]

The 50 2.5 Color Skopar is small but surprisingly heavy - having walked around NYC with it in my pocket, you know that it's there.

 

[rxmd]

It's got a great feel to it, though.

In the pocket, you mean? :angel:

 

[KenR]

Whatevr you do, don't Twitter a photo of the lens in your pocket to casual aquantances - trouble for all.

 

[kermaier]

Definitely... Amazingly "chunky" for its small size! Easily the heaviest of the Color Skopars. It's got a great feel to it, though.

Yes, the 50/2.5 and the 28/3.5 Skopar are made of brass. The 50/2.5 has almost exactly the same size, shape and external design as the Leica 35/2.8 Summaron. Also, I think it's a 7-element optical design (to make it more compact, I've read), which probably adds to the weight.

::Ari

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

Here is size comparison of a Canon 28 3.5 (type 1, all chrome)

By far one of the smallest lenses to go on a Leica.

 

[kermaier]

@Weiner; my lens iz wider than urz. 😛


I think all the old LTM Skopars are brass; only the newer M versions are aluminum barreled (though the internals, I believe, are still brass - such as the helicoid). The 50 is definitely the biggest/heaviest of the bunch though (despite having the same diameter, more or less). There's more glass in the 50 than say, the 21 or 28, as even at f/2.5 it's moderately fast while the others are slower. Though the other Skopars have a decent amount of elements as well:

21 - 8 elements, 6 groups
28 - 7 elements, 5 groups
35 - 7 elements, 5 groups
50 - 7 elements, 6 groups

So I chalk up the heavier weight to the larger diameter glass and longer length. What's truly remarkable about the Skopars is that they feature 10 aperture blades. Makes for some nice bokeh, all things considered.

The 21mm and 35mm LTM Skopars are lightweight aluminum alloy -- much lighter than the 28mm and 50mm, and flimsy-feeling in comparison. The new M versions of the 21mm and 35mm are much more solidly built.

::Ari

 

[kermaier]

Here is size comparison of a Canon 28 3.5 (type 1, all chrome)

By far one of the smallest lenses to go on a Leica.

Wow, that's a really clean example! You're making me crave one of these again. (Must resist....)

BTW, the Canon 28/2.8 LTM is only 1.5mm longer, and the 25/3.5 (one of my favorite lenses) is actually 3.5mm shorter than the 28/3.5.

But all 3 of these will be above the OP's budget.

::Ari

 

[Jockos]

BTW, the Canon 28/2.8 LTM is only 1.5mm longer, and the 25/3.5 (one of my favorite lenses) is actually 3.5mm shorter than the 28/3.5.

But all 3 of these will be above the OP's budget.

::Ari

The 25 would be just lovely, but it's $700 on the bay, with cleaning marks and fungus included!

Second hand market is truly insane these days.

 

[kermaier]

The 25 would be just lovely, but it's $700 on the bay, with cleaning marks and fungus included!

Second hand market is truly insane these days.

Yeah, the good stuff has skyrocketed in the past 6-12 months. I think it's a combination of M8, M9, m4/3, etc. along with a ton of new money in China.

With a bit of patience, and combing through mis-labeled auctions, you can get lucky. The 25/3.5 shoes up every once in a while -- sometimes there are none to be found, sometimes there are 5 available in a 2 week period. You should be able to get a pretty clean one for $500 or so, I'd think.

 

[MC JC86]

3,5cm F/3.5 Elmar or Summaron in LTM are very small. I really like the old, uncoated 35mm Elmar although they can be difficult to find; usually aren't too expensive.

 

[rbiemer]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Skink-Pinhole-Pancake-Starter-Kit-Leica-M39-FED-Zorki-/300441010341?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item45f3ae00a5

Smaller than anything else mentioned so far.
Rob

 

[Jockos]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Skink-Pinhole-P...41010341?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item45f3ae00a5

Smaller than anything else mentioned so far.
Rob

It's not a lens tough.

 

[rbiemer]

It's not a lens tough.

No glass in it but it resolves an image and you put it on a camera...sounds like a lens to me😀.
Rob