Leica Elmarit 90mm 2.8 (1960 version) - Opinions needed

[edmo0001]

Hello,

My dad just acquired the above lens from a friend in Indonesia, but unfortunately he didn't properly check the lens' elements and thus, from the first photo I reckon those are signs of fungus. Other than the possible fungus, what bothers me are those scratches (in the second photo).. I won't be able to test it til' mid May though as I'm still overseas..

photos here --> https://www.dropbox.com/sh/814a5jctponv67a/t8uq9ePqHi

I'm not sure if this lens is still worth saving (by sending it for CLA). Feel free to give your opinions here (on the fungus, scratches, or CLA) 🙂


Cheers,

Ed

 

[mfogiel]

I would think the general condition is acceptable, and even if it is fungus, it will be too costly to fix as opposed to buying another lens like this. The solution is to shoot it for as long as it delivers pleasing images, which could be many years, particularly if you are into portraiture.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Looks un-nice... but a fix may not be too expensive. Have you shopped around asking about who could do it? I don't know if John Van Stelten, who owns Focal Point would do it, but you should give it a try. He repaired a separation problem in one lens I bought... some 8 years ago.

I'd contact him and ask whether he repairs fungus, and for an estimate. He can tell you if that lens has fungus (send him the photos) and what to do. The Elmarit is a sweet lens, and I've had one in my wish list ever since I sold my Tele-Elmarit in a moment of desperation (and the circumstances were not as bad as I feared).

 

[edmo0001]

I would think the general condition is acceptable, and even if it is fungus, it will be too costly to fix as opposed to buying another lens like this. The solution is to shoot it for as long as it delivers pleasing images, which could be many years, particularly if you are into portraiture.

Yes, I'm gonna try shooting with it as soon as I get hold of the lens some time in mid May when I visit Indonesia for a while. will update the status with the photos here 🙂 Hopefully the photos aren't that bad... Any idea what should I do to prevent the fungus from spreading further, both within and outside (if this is even possible) the lens? I heard you could sun it for a few hours as the UV could kill the fungus, but then I'm not sure if the UV would hurt the coatings too..

Cheers,

Ed

 

[edmo0001]

Looks un-nice... but a fix may not be too expensive. Have you shopped around asking about who could do it? I don't know if John Van Stelten, who owns Focal Point would do it, but you should give it a try. He repaired a separation problem in one lens I bought... some 8 years ago.

I'd contact him and ask whether he repairs fungus, and for an estimate. He can tell you if that lens has fungus (send him the photos) and what to do. The Elmarit is a sweet lens, and I've had one in my wish list ever since I sold my Tele-Elmarit in a moment of desperation (and the circumstances were not as bad as I feared).

I doubt if there's any Leica repairmen in Indonesia at all, the best bet would be to visit one of Leica repairmen - De Camera Consultant - in Singapore (luckily I'll be in SG in just a few weeks time) who also CLA'd my Leica M3. I'd say I'm pretty satisfied with his work although it took almost 3 months to finish.

By the way, thanks for the suggestion SolaresLarrave! 🙂 I will try contacting Focal Point too and let them judge if it is fungus or not, and ask for the quotation as well.

Cheers,

Ed

 

[SolaresLarrave]

If it's at all possible, place the lens where sunlight will hit it directly. If you find a sunny AND DRY spot, it's even better. Leave it there for as long as you can. And if you use it, just don't leave it in the camera for long, or store it with other camera gear. In fact, just don't store it in a bag or anywhere: have it exposed to air and sunlight.

At least, that's what I've read that will deter fungus from spreading.

 

[Dez]

Lens issues which look bad when shining a strong light through it will not necessarily cause any real problems with your images. The Elmarit 90 is one lens I have never overhauled, so I can't comment on the difficulty of getting at the areas with fungus. From your pictures, it would appear that you have a fairly small amount of fungus, probably not enough to matter much, and I agree with Francisco that fresh air and sunshine is a good preventative. The lens does have a fair amount of surface scratching (aka cleaning marks), so it would be wise to use a shade. This lens has a reputation of being prone to flare with strongly backlit subjects, although I have not encountered a particular problem, and the use of a shade is recommended in any case.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[ruby.monkey]

You should be able to open up the lens and clean out the fungus if necessary (cold cream should do the trick); a lens hood and a test roll will let you know if it's usable after that.

 

[teddy]

The front element will easily open, and the fungus may come of with a very very gentle single swipe. The scratches won't do anything, at the most a tiny bit of flare. This lens flares naturaly at times, but there are more benefits of this lens than cons. It's as sharp as the 90/2 Summicron, and it has a low vintage lower contrast. It is light and a joy to use.
Just shoot it and enjoy. Most scratches and haze in lenses are overrated unless it is really really bad. What I can see wouldn't bother me.

 

[edmo0001]

The front element will easily open, and the fungus may come of with a very very gentle single swipe. The scratches won't do anything, at the most a tiny bit of flare. This lens flares naturaly at times, but there are more benefits of this lens than cons. It's as sharp as the 90/2 Summicron, and it has a low vintage lower contrast. It is light and a joy to use.
Just shoot it and enjoy. Most scratches and haze in lenses are overrated unless it is really really bad. What I can see wouldn't bother me.

Do you need a special tool to open the front element? 🙂 I have no experience opening any lens at all haha...

 

[Steve M.]

John at Focal Point is very, very good. He is also very expensive, especially w/ Leica lenses, and always very busy. You're not going to get anywhere opening up the lens yourself, as the fungus is undoubtedly between the cemented lens elements. I had to buy about 6 of these lenses in the R version to get a good lens, and even it has some stuff inside, but doesn't flare and is very sharp. If the lens takes good, sharp photos and doesn't flare, leave it as it is. Just set it in the sun w/ the element getting plenty of direct sun for a day or two. It won't remove the fungus you have, but it will kill any new growth. Keep an eye on the lens now and then to ck how it looks. Any Leica lens is going to be a fortune to CLA as the tolerances are super tight, special tools and special knowledge are required, and you usually have to go through a lot of hoops to get proper collimation.

I just looked at your photos of the lens. In my experience, and I have a lot more with this than I wish that I did, this is a good lens to sell. It's sure to flare.

 

[edmo0001]

John at Focal Point is very, very good. He is also very expensive, especially w/ Leica lenses, and always very busy. You're not going to get anywhere opening up the lens yourself, as the fungus is undoubtedly between the cemented lens elements. I had to buy about 6 of these lenses in the R version to get a good lens, and even it has some stuff inside, but doesn't flare and is very sharp. If the lens takes good, sharp photos and doesn't flare, leave it as it is. Just set it in the sun w/ the element getting plenty of direct sun for a day or two. It won't remove the fungus you have, but it will kill any new growth. Keep an eye on the lens now and then to ck how it looks. Any Leica lens is going to be a fortune to CLA as the tolerances are super tight, special tools and special knowledge are required, and you usually have to go through a lot of hoops to get proper collimation.

I just looked at your photos of the lens. In my experience, and I have a lot more with this than I wish that I did, this is a good lens to sell. It's sure to flare.

Thanks for your opinion Steve.

I have asked John and he offered USD350 for the cleaning and recoating (which, according to him, is a risky job as it involves high temperature). It's a bit steep for my pocket though.. In any case, I will try the lens first and see how it goes with the pictures that come out of it.

From your experience, how much would this lens (with current condition) sell?

Cheers,

Ed