Leica LTM Leitz Elmar 3.5cm F3.5 ~ What can I expect?

[truefriendship]

In at the ground floor, I think, with this Elmar 3.5cm F3.5. My first Leica lens! Purchased for the sum of AU$100 from that auction site.

I cleaned the grime off, and carefully cleaned the front/rear elements. Looks OK inside I think. Focus action is like stirring a bucket of bricks! I'll post some shots in the GXR section later.

So far, I love it - massive flare (and rainbow arcs!), which is mostly correctable with some black level adjustment/contrast, but at the expense of shadow detail. So tiny! Oh, and the corners are pretty dismal.

Is this what vintage Elmar ownership is all about?


GXR & Leitz Elmar 3.5cm F3.5 by rifftastic, on Flickr


Leitz Elmar 3.5cm F3.5 by rifftastic, on Flickr


Leitz Elmar 3.5cm F3.5 by rifftastic, on Flickr


20130424-R6209943 by rifftastic, on Flickr

 

[Luddite Frank]

Very nice lens. I use an Elmar 35 (pre-war, uncoated) as my prime lens on my LTM kit.

The Elmar 35 generally regarded as more of a collectible than as a desireably shooting lens in this day & age... trying to adapt the Elmar's Tessar formulation to a wide-angle application really pushed beyond its abilities, tending towards vignetting at the corners.

Using a lens hood can help minimize flare. Like most older lenses, peak sharpness is usually achieved around f:4,5 to f:6,3.

When camera enthusiasts speak of the LTM Elmar as "the classic Leitz lens", they are usually referring to the 50mm collpasible version.

 

[truefriendship]

Thank you Frank.

This one is No. 678226 which I think makes it a 1948 lens. Does this mean it's coated? There's a slight blue tint. The glass looks very very clean with a few fine cleaning marks.

Is there a hood solution that doesn't cost more than the lens itself? My brief search came up with the aptly named FOOKH at over $100....😱

~Rif

 

[LeicaTom]

Try finding a FISON hood for the 50mm Elmar, it should work fine, if not that than adjustable FIKUS hood will also work, both of those should be under $65 each.
35mm Elmar is a classic Leica lens, it makes for classic looking Leica images, 🙂

Tom

 

[_goodtimez]

You can easily disassemble the barrel from the base and clean and lub the helicoil. That should fix the stiff focus

 

[truefriendship]

Thanks, I'll give it a go.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Check out E-bay vendor "heavystar" for aftermarket hoods to fit the older Leitz lenses...

If he has something that fits, it's usually a LOT cheaper than anything marked E. Leitz...

I finally found a FIKUS collapsible hood for around $50, and have used that on my Elmar 35.

Komura made a decent 35mm lens in 39mm LTM, they might turn-up reasonable priced.

 

[truefriendship]

Thanks for these invaluable tips.

Komura made a decent 35mm lens in 39mm LTM, they might turn-up reasonable priced.

This one's reasonably priced... 😱

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tokyo-Sanky...nses&hash=item257d230b2b&_uhb=1#ht_1026wt_699

~Rif

 

[roundg]

don't expect too much from the elmar 35. It's a lovely small lens, but the resolution is poor and the the IQ out of the center drop very fast. It's also very prone to flare.

On all aspects, the LTM summaron 35 is a much better choice.

 

[Photo_Smith]

My favourite 35mm L39 lenses are the Canon ones, I found a cheaper 35mm ƒ1,8 for about £100ish the ƒ2 version is as good as the Leica 35mm from the same era.
Prices have increased as people 'catch on' to what is a pretty good lens.

Canon LTM 35mm ƒ1,8 wide open Kodachrome 200

 

[truefriendship]

On all aspects, the LTM summaron 35 is a much better choice.

I think you're right - they seem to be in the $750 realm price-wise. $450 for the glass, and $300 for the Leica name!😱

~Rif

 

[truefriendship]

My favourite 35mm L39 lenses are the Canon ones, I found a cheaper 35mm ƒ1,8 for about £100ish the ƒ2 version is as good as the Leica 35mm from the same era.
Prices have increased as people 'catch on' to what is a pretty good lens.

Agreed. I love the shadow areas in that 2nd pic. I've been on the lookout for a Canon 35mm F2 for a while; whenever one turns up, it's usually priced way out of my reach. 🙄

 

[leicapixie]

It is not fair using such a dated and worn lens on digital.Modern film lenses can and do look lousy on digital. It's same as scanning film. The scanner sees grain, spots,dust,debris,missing emulsion. It barely sees shades and tones.
So have some analog prints made with it, on dare i say, film.
Yes it is not an aspheric.It cost A$100. Enjoy it in manner of when and for what it was designed. The Canon lenses are way better. They are now expensive.

 

[truefriendship]

I have a Canon II-2 lurking in the cabinet, so I'll try the Elmar on it, once I've got past my filmophobia 😱

In the meantime, the GXR (and a little LR tweaking) is yielding so decent output, I think. :angel:


20130422-R6209847 by rifftastic, on Flickr


20130422-R6209825 by rifftastic, on Flickr

~Rif

 

[Monochrom]

nice little lens....don´t know why i let it go...it wasn´t that flary...i´ve had expensive leica glass that had more flare than the old elmar 3.5cm...in fact i remember that i was quite surprised for it´s flare resistance...never used no hood 😱

 

[Luddite Frank]

Nice photos, everyone ! Don't get us wrong - the 35mm Elmar is not a "bad" lens... especially for the time it was created and marketed; but it does have its limitations.

If you want tack-sharp, super-wide, flat-field LTM, then you buy a CV 21 / 15 / or 12 mm lens, and shoot "modern photos".

If you learn what the limitations are, work within them, and like the results, then "it's a great lens", right ? 😉


( And, if you really want to check-out a limiting, vintage Leitz lens, try a 28 mm f:6,3 Hektor... 😛 )

 

[truefriendship]

If you learn what the limitations are, work within them, and like the results, then "it's a great lens", right ? 😉

You're right, Frank. This lowly Elmar is teaching me to look more closely at the quality of light I have to work with:


20130501-R6210092 by rifftastic, on Flickr

Shame I messed up the composition though :bang:

~ Rif

 

[Luddite Frank]

Not a bad photo. composition-wise...

I really like the way your lens renders the out-of-focus areas...

LF

 

[bosjohn]

the 3.5 elmar is a very good lens very comperble in resaults to the ubiquitous tessar. In Its last and coated iterations it achieves f2/8 using different glass. A garden variety coated Elmar will work just fine on an M9 try it. Its only real problem if a problem that by todays standards it slower than a snail taking a nap.