Elmar 135/4 anyone?

[HuubL]

What do you think of this lens? Usability with an M3/M4? What should I pay for a good one?

 

[ferider]

I have used the Tele Elmar. Great on the M3. Around US 300 for a clean
example.

Roland.

 

[skahde]

What do you think of this lens? Usability with an M3/M4? What should I pay for a good one?

The lens doesn't handle to well as it is very long and a bit front-heavy. Sharpness and contrast were high for a lens of its era but colour a bit muted in comparison to more contemporary Leica-glass.

I replaced it with a Tele-Elmar which I found to be an outstandigly sharp lens. Great for landscapes, not quite the right tool for portraits. Finder-image was barely acceptable on my M6 but focussing was never much of an issue as I didn't use either lens under dimly lit conditions due to their limited speed.

I'd perefer the tele-elmar any time.

Stefan

 

[SolaresLarrave]

From what I've read, the Tele-Elmar is the best one. I have an Elmarit 135 f2.8 and it's a nice one that I like a lot... but then, it doesn't use the 135 frames.

 

[payasam]

A lens for good light. The higher the finder magnification, the better.

 

[Dektol Dan]

f4 135 mm Elmar

f4 135 mm Elmar

It's a very good lens. Very sharp and what the 90 mm f4 should have been (noticeably sharper than the 90). Not as much contrast as the tele model but every bit as sharp. Like the 90 it is an outstanding portrait lens, very kind to the ladies.

Considering how much you will use any lens longer than 50 mm on a range finder, it is by far the best bang for the buck. The 90 is cheap too, but it really isn't sharp enough for nice landscape work and is better as a dedicated portrait lens. The 135 is.

Yes, it's big and heavy, and will make your back pack noticeably heavier than a can of beans, but I've been glad I've toted it up a mountain side many a time.

 

[HuubL]

I have used the Tele Elmar. Great on the M3. Around US 300 for a clean
example.

Roland.

Thanks Roland. For the regular Elmar, is 90 euro a good deal?

 

[ferider]

So 90 euro is a good deal?

On both Tele Elmar and Elmar yes. For the TE it is a very good deal 🙂

 

[Ben Z]

I have an early Tele-Elmar and I did have an Elmar at one time. Both lenses give great bang for the buck. The Elmar hits its sweet spot around f/5.6-8, the Tele-Elmar is already there wide open with only a tiny improvement if stopped down to 5.6.

 

[skahde]

Thanks Roland. For the regular Elmar, is 90 euro a good deal?

Payed a lot more for my sample and also got more when selling it. If it is in good shape, don't let it go.

Stefan

 

[normclarke]

Hi,
I have an almost mint Elmar purchased at Christies in the early 90's. Serious money on those days but not really worth selling now. It has always performed to a high level, handy on a Visoflex for closer focusing. It'll probably become a family heirloom!

Cheers,

normclarke

 

[Sjixxxy]

I like mine quite a bit. Take it out during family gatherings and snipe portraits with it. Doesn't trigger the "Don't take my picture" hand over the face defense mechanism as much as my 50mm does.

Haven't actually printed anything yet with it, but the contact sheets & scans look to be just as fine as anything else I own.