Good & Cheap LTM lenses?

[Kin Lau]

I have the 90/4 postwar "thin" Elmar. Very light and compact lense. Just got the 85/2 Serenar from dreilly... man this thing is big and heavy... it's longer and heavier than the J9 (Kiev mount) but the J9's fatter.

I'll try to do a comparison soon.

 

[bmattock]

Good info, thanks to both of you! I'm not a Leica buff, except of course whatever I can screw onto my Bessa R is fun for me. So if the Hektor is not as sharp as the Canon 135, do you prefer it? If so, why? Just curious, no insult intended. Mine is a chrome version, not the older black one. It does not have click stops either, though. Comes apart easily for cleaning rear element, that was good!

To Kin Lau: Yes, the 85mm Canon is a whopper, eh? Feels good in the hand to me, though. Like something substantial. Also, you could slug someone with it...grin.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[FPjohn]

Hello:

The Hektors were technical lenses ment to outperform long Elmars. They are often found with the Visoflex which will take the head on a bellows. I think they relate to the Canon 135mm in the way first gen Summicrons do to later - almost as sharp but not as clinical. As to a preference, I use both. The black Canon is the later, with click stops, version. I envy you the chrome model but acquiring these things can get out of hand.

yours
Frank

 

[bmattock]

My lens collecting passed 'getting out of hand' a long time ago. Now I'm completely out of my head. Probably a good thing I don't have the income I once did - sounds weird to say that though.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[djon]

There were thin Elmars prewar. I just sold mine...1937, uncoated, nice glass, mechanically nice, heavily worn cosmetically.

I found it was FAR sharper with a hood than without, as was the uncoated 35 Elmar I sold it with. However it was erratic with color...like the uncoated 35 it went nuts in high UV situations (hiking at 7000'), failing to record reds.

In sheltered situations, like my yard, it was quite color accurate (example of yucca plant in my gallery...probably unsharp there more because I was careless than anything to do with the lens itself).

 

[wlewisiii]

Thanks all, this info on the long Elmars & Hektors is good to know as they do seem to go for small amounts of money.

William

 

[bmattock]

One thing I would echo on the German long lenses - you need a lens hood! Coated or uncoated, I've had major problems with Leitz and Steinheil long LTM lenses - but with a proper hood, the flare problem vanishes and you can see what the lens is really capable of.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[FPjohn]

Made for a long time

Made for a long time

Hello: Bill is right; Elmars were made for a long time. The 90mm Elmar was made from 1931 to 1977 in seven major variants

The fat Elmar, black and chrome, LTM, a36 filters, 1931 -1932

The thin Elmar, black and chrome, LTM, A36 filters, 1933 - 1948

The chrome Elmar, chrome and Vulcanite, LTM and Bayonet, coated, A36 and 39E, 1949 -1963

The three element, chrome and Vulcanite, LTM and Bayonet, 39E filters, click stops,1964 - 1968

The collapsible, all chrome, bayonet only version of the above, 1954 - 1968

The Elmar - C, black non rotating mount, series 5.5 filters, 1973 - 1977

The current Elmar - M, a macro version of the collapsible.


The post war chrome LTM Elmar with 39E filters is the desirable and affordable user. The three element is sought by collectors and the Elmar - C is a completly modern lens.

yours
Frank

 

[FPjohn]

good to go

good to go

Hello:

William. With a moderate wide and a moderate tele and HP5+ you will be good to go on State Street and at the Union. A f2ish 50mm will take you into Michaelango's.

yours
Frank

 

[wlewisiii]

That Chrome Elmar sounds like one to look for unless a Canon 100 falls into my lap. Pity I'm tapped out right now - KEH has one of th Elmars for $109 in thier "Bargain" condition... :bang:

As for the trio you mention, Frank, that's kind of how I look at it too. A 35 and a 90 or 100 is what I'll be most interested in finding. I've got a J8 coming to cover the 50/2 base. I like the J8 on my Kievs but I've a soft spot for Tessars (I-61 forex) too. Probably end up using both fairly often.

William

 

[FPjohn]

That Culminar

That Culminar

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Steinheil-Munche...ryZ30063QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Did you see what that Culminar sold for!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I let one go for $35 or so.

After my experience with calibrating the J3, I am buying a "lot of 4" of them. The shipping kills you when buying one lens. I'm going to clean them up and adjust the shims as I did on the one I have now. And will test with film. The lens I have now is shifted to work wide-open and close-up, gives up a little at infinity. At F4, it is sharp at infinity.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12233

ANYWAY, if it works out I'll be selling some adjusted J3's here at RFF for those interested. If you were thinking of buying one, you might want to wait until my experiment works out.

 

[doubs43]

Did you see what that Culminar sold for!!!!!!!!!!!

OUCH!! The buyer went crazy on that one!

I have a nice Culminar 85mm f/2.8 but it's in Exakta mount. It takes a decent picture and while I don't recall how much I paid for it exactly, it wasn't a lot..... less than $30 shipped.

Walker

 

[FrankS]

Did you see what that Culminar sold for!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I let one go for $35 or so.

After my experience with calibrating the J3, I am buying a "lot of 4" of them. The shipping kills you when buying one lens. I'm going to clean them up and adjust the shims as I did on the one I have now. And will test with film. The lens I have now is shifted to work wide-open and close-up, gives up a little at infinity. At F4, it is sharp at infinity.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12233

ANYWAY, if it works out I'll be selling some adjusted J3's here at RFF for those interested. If you were thinking of buying one, you might want to wait until my experiment works out.

Duh! I just traded for a J3. If it doesn't perform right, maybe I could trade it in (+ cash) for an adjusted one from you.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I'm open to that. It will be interesting to see what the sample set does. They range in age from 1950 to 1963.