theotse
Theo Tse
Hello, my friend is willing to offer me a Leica 9cm Elmar f/4 pre war with slight haze for $65, should I grab it?
Leica 9cm Elmar f/4 How much should I pay for it?
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ottluuk
the indecisive eternity
Depends on the mechanical condition and whether you actually want a 90mm lens. But you could get a very clean, coated, post-war chrome Elmar for about $120-150.
traveler_101
American abroad
Really? Where? I thought about getting one to do a series of portraits of my family (and because I had read they are affordable). When I started looking on e-bay, however, I found plenty in the price range you refer to, but none of them were clean: haze and oil on the blades seemed to be the common problems.
To the OP: $65 is very reasonable, but if the lens is full of haze it is probably not worth it.
Ronald M
Veteran
Haze means a cleaning bill for sure. Pre war is uncoated so even if clean, the pics will be low in contrast and color saturation.
I would take a pass on a $10 price
I would take a pass on a $10 price
Mr_Flibble
In Tabulas Argenteas Refero
You'll find pre-war ones with coating though. My 1937 one is definitely coated.
I think they've been getting a bit more expensive lately. But yeah, I think you can get a good one for $120-150 as Ott Luuk states.
$65 is cheap, but it would depend on how bad the haze is.
I think they've been getting a bit more expensive lately. But yeah, I think you can get a good one for $120-150 as Ott Luuk states.
$65 is cheap, but it would depend on how bad the haze is.
Elmar Lang
Well-known
I've bought a postwar one on the past Tuesday, at the "Freiverkauf" of the Dorotheum in Vienna, in its clear plastic "bell" container and cap, for Euro 119,-.
It is in absolutely perfect condition and correctly focuses with my IIIg's rangefinder.
E.L.
It is in absolutely perfect condition and correctly focuses with my IIIg's rangefinder.
E.L.
Monochrom
Well-known
Hi, it shouldn´t go for more than 100 us in excellent condition...if it has haze it could be difficult/expensive to clean...
Is a nice lens..not so sharp at f4 from 5.6 on it´s fine....the best it´s super lightwieght and small....a keeper!!!
Is a nice lens..not so sharp at f4 from 5.6 on it´s fine....the best it´s super lightwieght and small....a keeper!!!
traveler_101
American abroad
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to buy the lens in Vienna! I would expect you would have had to pay more. What I find on e-bay are prices like $159 for lenses described as having "light haze that will not affect picture quality." KEH has/had a lens on there for $109 described as clean with only a few specks of dust, but cosmetically it is in pretty bad shape.
zuiko85
Veteran
I paid $158 for my 1951 90 Elmar on *bay. It is very clean with near perfect optics and cosmetics and focuses accurately on my M body. That was a BIN price about 1 year ago. Sometimes on the bay you must extend the search time to weeks or even months to find an acceptable purchase.
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traveler_101
American abroad
Thanks, I'm sure you are right. I have been looking for a while and so far no luck--though I have had pretty good luck finding other lenses on e-bay.
raid
Dad Photographer
Be patient. Leave this lens alone now.
There are many better deals out there.
A friend gave me a mintish Elmar collapsible for free. This is what friends are for.
Thank you Robin.
There are many better deals out there.
A friend gave me a mintish Elmar collapsible for free. This is what friends are for.
Thank you Robin.
Brian Legge
Veteran
Canon 100mm 3.5s are in the $100-150 range at times. May be worth considering unless there is something specific about the Elmar that is calling you.
raid
Dad Photographer
Yes, the Canon Lens is a well kept secret. It is an awesone lens. Some 100/3.5 need haze removal.
traveler_101
American abroad
Brian and Raid thanks for the tip. I didn't think about Canon.
raid
Dad Photographer
The tiny Canon 100/3.5 is very sharp.
FrankS
Registered User
ottluuk
the indecisive eternity
Mine was €120, from Leicashop in Vienna about ~1.5 years ago and I've seen better deals afterwards. I think it's a good idea to check out larger dealers who move a lot of glass. The 9cm Elmars are plentiful and not particularly popular so they won't ask very high prices, or else they won't be able sell them as quick as they acquire them. People on ebay are very opportunistic and will ask ridiculous sums for anything related to or labeled Leica/Leitz, whatever the condition.
The lens can yield very nice results but is susceptible to flare, even in coated form, so budgeting a bit extra for a hood is a good idea. OOF rendering is nice, should be great for portraits, provided there is enough light.
raid
Dad Photographer
Keep on trying! It may work one day.
Robert Lai
Well-known
Elmar 9cm f/4 uncoated - actually a nice lens
Elmar 9cm f/4 uncoated - actually a nice lens
I have an old pre-war Elmar 9cm f/4 uncoated optic. I paid an even $100 for it 3 years ago. This is in black finish with the old aperture scale, thin body. Luckily, light meters such as the Weston III-V have all of these unusual f/stop markings, which makes using the lens a breeze 😀.
Mine had the usual haze, so I sent it off to DAG. It also had a front focusing problem, requiring Don to mill a slight bit off the RF cam.
The old pre-war optic actually has a 34mm x 0.5mm pitch filter thread on it! B+W still make 34mm filters that fit, so getting a yellow filter for black and white, or a UV filter for protection is no issue. Finally, a nice compact 34mm hood is available from an ebay seller in the UK. The hood is made in Japan. It fits the outer diameter of the lens perfectly.
In my testing, the lens has a nice central sharpness at f/4, with moderate contrast. It gets progressively more contrasty as you stop down, to say f/6.3. The corners get sharper too. Most people use this focal length for portraiture, and here I would say that it is an ideal lens for this purpose. For landscapes, it has a more vintage feel than the clinically sharp Elmarit 2.8 M, or the CV 90 f/3.5 Apo. If you have used the Summaron 35mm f/3.5 compared to the Summicron ASPH 35, you'll have an idea of the differences involved.
All in all, it is a nice rendering, inexpensive lens that is not inconvenient to shoot. It will need servicing, but so do most 70+ year old things. As long as the outer body looks good (no dents, corrosion), and the inner elements are free of fungus, then the lens will clean up very well. I feel that a lot of the bad reputation heaped on this lens for unsharpness is basically due to the haze on the glass, from helical lubrication that has sublimated and condensed on the glass. In my case, an RF cam that was slightly off also made focusing a problem initially. Now it is right on focus at 1m distance, wide open.
Elmar 9cm f/4 uncoated - actually a nice lens
I have an old pre-war Elmar 9cm f/4 uncoated optic. I paid an even $100 for it 3 years ago. This is in black finish with the old aperture scale, thin body. Luckily, light meters such as the Weston III-V have all of these unusual f/stop markings, which makes using the lens a breeze 😀.
Mine had the usual haze, so I sent it off to DAG. It also had a front focusing problem, requiring Don to mill a slight bit off the RF cam.
The old pre-war optic actually has a 34mm x 0.5mm pitch filter thread on it! B+W still make 34mm filters that fit, so getting a yellow filter for black and white, or a UV filter for protection is no issue. Finally, a nice compact 34mm hood is available from an ebay seller in the UK. The hood is made in Japan. It fits the outer diameter of the lens perfectly.
In my testing, the lens has a nice central sharpness at f/4, with moderate contrast. It gets progressively more contrasty as you stop down, to say f/6.3. The corners get sharper too. Most people use this focal length for portraiture, and here I would say that it is an ideal lens for this purpose. For landscapes, it has a more vintage feel than the clinically sharp Elmarit 2.8 M, or the CV 90 f/3.5 Apo. If you have used the Summaron 35mm f/3.5 compared to the Summicron ASPH 35, you'll have an idea of the differences involved.
All in all, it is a nice rendering, inexpensive lens that is not inconvenient to shoot. It will need servicing, but so do most 70+ year old things. As long as the outer body looks good (no dents, corrosion), and the inner elements are free of fungus, then the lens will clean up very well. I feel that a lot of the bad reputation heaped on this lens for unsharpness is basically due to the haze on the glass, from helical lubrication that has sublimated and condensed on the glass. In my case, an RF cam that was slightly off also made focusing a problem initially. Now it is right on focus at 1m distance, wide open.
Robert Lai
Well-known
Elmar 9cm f/4 filter thread is 34mm x 0.5mm pitch
Elmar 9cm f/4 filter thread is 34mm x 0.5mm pitch
After I posted my last message, I had a nagging feeling that I should check my filter size. On the B+W filter box is 34mm x 0.5mm pitch. So, that is the correct size.
Elmar 9cm f/4 filter thread is 34mm x 0.5mm pitch
After I posted my last message, I had a nagging feeling that I should check my filter size. On the B+W filter box is 34mm x 0.5mm pitch. So, that is the correct size.
Last edited:
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