Leica LTM Leitz 5cm 3.5

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
The Elmar is such a beautiful lens and definitely one of my favourite fifties. I have the later red-scale version. Wonderfully compact when collapsed. Filters are a bit of a nuisance as is changing the aperture with tiny lever on the front. I don't change the aperture that often though. The slow speed doesn't bother me. At night or when indoors, I like using Tri-X at 1600ISO and stand-developing in Rodinal 1:100.

 
Mike, if I had some scanned I would share them. I found the 3.5 Elmar (mine was a coated lens) a very nice tiny compliment to the IIIc I used it with.

For those who cannot offer anything other than rude comments to a poster for asking a simple question, find the back button on your screen and use it. No need troll just to make yourself feel good.
 
Thanks Rover, there was an uncoated 5cm Elmar on ebay I was thinking of buying but I have just bought a coated 9cm Elmar f4 instead, I have a 50 jupiter 8 already so the 5cm Elmar will have to wait

Many thanks to all Mike
 
Hi Mike,

That is not me in the photo. It is a good friend friend of mine who had just acquired a very nice 135mm Xenotar for his 4x5 camera.

Here's one of another photography buddy taken with the Elmar. She's using a Bessa R2A with a 35f2 Biogon ZM.

 
I have a pre war uncoated Elmar 50 and agree with Rover that it is a good match to my IIIc. I had mine cleaned and was amazed at how good that lens is considering it's age. They are quirky with ungainly ergonomics but can produce a very nice image. Just a neat old lens.

Bob
 
My copy is a coated version from 1947. I'll post some additional pix when I get home this evening, but I think it's a great lens.

4113372633_65255b8a89_o.jpg
 
One day I'll get one but just spent what spare cash I had on a 9cm Elmar, what i'll probably do is save like mad and try and hold off fro a coated 5cm elmar

regards everyone Mike
 
As promised... this is a lens worth looking for...

4095427485_5c3bd6b88a_o.jpg


2890985759_7d24ffe261_o.jpg

3511570415_0c107bd217_o.jpg


2341800431_42b80d4ff3_o.jpg


The redscale versions are reputed to have nicer glass, but I'm plenty pleased w/ my "ordinary" coated Elmar.
 
Last edited:
The Elmar has an unchallenged place in history as the principal lens to come from Leitz for decades. Faster 50mm lenses such as the Hektor and Xenon and Summitar, and their later derivatives, were made in far smaller numbers.
 
60 year old lenses at this point and they could not possibly be any good.

I would be willing to sell you you my mint red scale for $800.
 
One of my favorite 50mm lenses, tiny and I like how the lens renders. Mine is a "red-scale" version with a SN in the 104xxxx range but I have heard that Leitz produced some "red-scale" Elmar lenses with pre-war optical cells, that got coated and then mount into a "red-scale" barrel. So I am not sure if it a real red-scale lens or just a red-scale focus mount.

4170871018_52d6021eb8.jpg


4194230018_93baff5bc1.jpg


4569177747_f49cb3d2e2.jpg
 
Well as chance would have it I phoned a friend at APM camera clinic/shop in Newcastle, well he had a 5cm 3.5 Elmar and it was mins for a deal, well the deal was struck, my Olympus XA and £30 for the Elmar. A reasonable example too. My Kodak IIa also arrived today
 
Steve, thank you !:) I like especially your two photos in color. I have just today loaded a roll of EKTAR100 into my M2 and keen to see how my Elmar perfoms in color.
 
You are building up a nice set of Classic Leitz glass for that Canon P.

And a Kodak Retina IIa...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom