Leica LTM Lens for Leica IIIf

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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jwcat

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I purchased the IIIf from David Murphy. I have a Jupiter 8 to use to start with. My question; If you only were going to use one lens with this camera, what would it be.
I have a Bessa R with 35/2.5, J-8 and J-9. I want to use only a 50mm on the IIIf. I like available light work and will be using slow film such as Efke 25 and also fast such as Tri-X.

I do not want to block the RF or much of VF. Do I just say "stick with Tri-X" and get a 50/3.5 collapsable or use another high quality faster lens? I like the idea of a compact camera, but I want quality also. For now, the J-8 will be fine and will have to save for the "great" lens.

Thank you for your input...John
 
jwcat said:
I purchased the IIIf from David Murphy. I have a Jupiter 8 to use to start with. My question; If you only were going to use one lens with this camera, what would it be.
I have a Bessa R with 35/2.5, J-8 and J-9. I want to use only a 50mm on the IIIf. I like available light work and will be using slow film such as Efke 25 and also fast such as Tri-X.

I do not want to block the RF or much of VF. Do I just say "stick with Tri-X" and get a 50/3.5 collapsable or use another high quality faster lens? I like the idea of a compact camera, but I want quality also. For now, the J-8 will be fine and will have to save for the "great" lens.

Thank you for your input...John
Click to expand...

Hello John,

I hope you enjoy the IIIf. The Summitar 50mm f/2 is almost as good as the Summicron and is collapsible and affordable. The only downside is the 'barn-door' lenshood.

Cheers,

Seán.
 
Congrats on that purchase! Let's face it, you're going to want to have several differnt 50mm lenses eventually. One (or more) of them should be a collapsible type: FED, ELmar, Summar, Summitar, or Summicron.
 
I started with an Elmar 50 3.5. Not the fastest of the lot, mind you, but it seems like it's designed specially for my IIIf. The collapsible lens makes it a great walk-around camera. It comes along with me most of the time nowadays. With a f4 90 Elmar and a RASUL (like a wireframe finder you put in the cold shoe on top of the camera) it's a good travel kit. Together with Tri-X or Neopan 400 it's good for available light. When it gets dark, uprate the Tri-X to 800 or 1200. Or use Neopan 1600.
 
If you HAD to narrow it down: collapsible Elmar if low light shooting is not a priority, or collapsible Summicron if it is.
 
Elmar and a tripod can do wonders in low light! Plus, it looks so cool, and even with a CV finder I can put it in my suit PANTS pocket.
 
I am about convinced to go with the Elmar and Tri-X or Neopan...now to find one I can afford. :) I do think the collapsable lens just looks right on that camera. What are the differences between prewar and postwar? I know the uncoated lenses have more flare, but more contrast also?

Thanks again...John
 
No, the uncoated ones have less contrast.

The Elmar is the screwmount gestalt lens. But with only three groups, coating isn't that important.

There's a lot of risk buying a collapsible Summicron, internal haze can ruin them. Cleaning it out can also tank the lens.

A good Summitar is a lovely lens, great with B&W. Low contrast wide open, but gains contrast quickly as stopped down. If you get one with a clean front element, ideally coated, you'll have a great lens.
 
Elmars are nice and small, a very classic Leica lens. The coated version just before the 'red scale' may be the best value as its not a collector's item and has the lens coating. This is not a low light lens with slow film - slow+slow=slow

Summicrons and Summitars are both very good lenses, better than the elmar in image, easier to use - no rotating barrel, and easy f stop changing - and are fast at f2. But look for a really good condition example as the collapsable barrel gets wobbly and the front element get scratched easy on both.

If you want to go really fast, when I had my IIIf cameras my standard lens was a Nikkor 5cm f1.4 Its a really well made lens, compact, super optics and again - fast!

The IIIf has a very easy to see 1.5x magnified rangefinder, but the cameras viewfinder is less than OK. Get an external Leitz 50mm finder for the best view. Its a big and bright life size view, you'll get to love it. You also get used to focusing with the camera and switching to the finder for a framing view.

Cheers,
 

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it's not on a screwmount but the elmar 50/2.8 is a very nice, small lens.

and it would look great on your new camera too.

joe
 

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For low light I have both a Summarit and a Nokton-but in the daytime why carry the big 'uns?

I should put up a few comparisons-the Elmar is really quite good compared to the modern lens.
 
aad said:
For low light I have both a Summarit and a Nokton-but in the daytime why carry the big 'uns?

I should put up a few comparisons-the Elmar is really quite good compared to the modern lens.
Click to expand...


Please do. This is probably an old topic of discussion here, but I am learning a lot about an area that I have not followed before...John
 
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Someone will probably say that putting a Russian lens on a Leica is like putting a Chevy emblem on a Rolls-Royce, but the Jupiter-8 (50mm f/2) has a good reputation.
 
I already have a good J-8 and will use it, but I have a strange sense of "completeness" and want at least one lens designed for this camera. I am sort of a reverse snob most of the time. I would rather have the new MINI-Cooper I owned for three years than a BMW of the same year. But the MINI is still a long way from a Chevy Cavalier. ;)
 
Another great lens for you to consider is the 50mm Elmar f2.8, either the old or the new version. It splits the difference in speed between the Summicron and the f3.5 Elmar. It is collapsible and very sharp with a pleasing signature.
 
As a IIIc owner, I would suggest a 50mm Canon f1.8 - sharp lens, small, and good value.

Outside of that, I also have the 50mm Elmar f3.5 which is really cool and makes the camera "pocketable"

Dave
 
Per dcsang, don't forget the excellent Canon RF lenses in LTM. They made a good 50/1.9 collapsible:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/s/data/s_sere_50_19.html

as well as many other excellent 50s that will fit your IIIf.

jwcat said:
I purchased the IIIf from David Murphy. I have a Jupiter 8 to use to start with. My question; If you only were going to use one lens with this camera, what would it be.
I have a Bessa R with 35/2.5, J-8 and J-9. I want to use only a 50mm on the IIIf. I like available light work and will be using slow film such as Efke 25 and also fast such as Tri-X.

I do not want to block the RF or much of VF. Do I just say "stick with Tri-X" and get a 50/3.5 collapsable or use another high quality faster lens? I like the idea of a compact camera, but I want quality also. For now, the J-8 will be fine and will have to save for the "great" lens.

Thank you for your input...John
Click to expand...
 
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